Any of the following themes could be used for Huckleberry Finn.
1. Moral development (learning right from wrong)
2. Initiation into respecatability (Huck with Widow Douglas)
3. Quest for freedom: Jim from slavery, Huck from society.
4. Youth to maturity
5. Appearance versus reality (all stories Huck tells)
6. Family
7. Symbolic death and rebirth (Huck dies; Huck comes to life)
BUT I choose as the MAIN THEME the following:
A boy growing up to be a man; boyhood to adulthood; youth to maturity. It concerns the perils that confront
innocence; it concerns the adventures that natural goodness encounters in adjusting to "human cussedness."
innocence; it concerns the adventures that natural goodness encounters in adjusting to "human cussedness."
Huck is a practical young man who sees things directly. Because he does so, he views his civilization, and in spite
of all the standards he has been taught as to what is right and respectable, when he reasons as to whether he
should free Jim or not, he turns his back on that society. His innate goodness and compassion leads him to
choose Jim and his goodness rather than society's corrupt standards. He turns his back on his "deformed
conscience" and listens to his heart.
of all the standards he has been taught as to what is right and respectable, when he reasons as to whether he
should free Jim or not, he turns his back on that society. His innate goodness and compassion leads him to
choose Jim and his goodness rather than society's corrupt standards. He turns his back on his "deformed
conscience" and listens to his heart.
When Huck is on the "shore" among "society" his deformed or "Yeller dog" conscience bothers him. Evil is
learned here and is the product of civilization. On the shore there is the "genteel tradition" (false manners). Here
there is a religious creed which teaches men to be in harmony with God and concerned with one's salvation
where for solutions to problems one should pray.
learned here and is the product of civilization. On the shore there is the "genteel tradition" (false manners). Here
there is a religious creed which teaches men to be in harmony with God and concerned with one's salvation
where for solutions to problems one should pray.
fMark Twain criticized society but he has no "alternatives" to that society. The book returns to that society; it
leaves the river and returns to Twain or Huck's hated society.
leaves the river and returns to Twain or Huck's hated society.
In Huck's concluding sentence: "But I reckon I got to light out for the territory ahead of the rest, because Aunt
Sally she's going to adopt me and civilize me, and I cant stand it. I been there before," maybe this was
FAILURE OF NERVE BY TWAIN. He could have ended the novel with Huck and Jim not abandoning their
dream of freedom. He could have ended it with hope for them. It would have been a better ending. FREEDOM:
it would have been better. However, Huck will go back to (probably) the Widow Douglas.
Sally she's going to adopt me and civilize me, and I cant stand it. I been there before," maybe this was
FAILURE OF NERVE BY TWAIN. He could have ended the novel with Huck and Jim not abandoning their
dream of freedom. He could have ended it with hope for them. It would have been a better ending. FREEDOM:
it would have been better. However, Huck will go back to (probably) the Widow Douglas.