moralhfLaws vs. Morals in Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Adventures Huckleberry Huck Finn EssaysLaws vs. Morals in Huck Finn “What is right is not always popular and what is popular is not always right. ” Whether he knows it or not, the character Huck Finn is a perfect example of the truth in this quote.
His struggle between knowing in his mind and what is legal, but feeling in his heart what is moral was predominant throughout the novel. Today, we’ll examine three examples of situations when Huck had to decide for himself whether to follow the law, or his heart. When the story begins, Huck is running away to enjoy a life of solitude on the river, but finds himself in a whirlwind adventure to help Jim, a runaway slave, to freedom. Huck begins the adventure caught up in the moment, and without much thought of what he is really doing. All this changes at one moment in the story when Huck realizes that he is breaking the law. Huck is taking Jim away from his owner who did nothing to him.
Why should he help Jim escape? What is in it for him except trouble? At a suspenseful turning point in the story, Huck is prepared to report Him to two men on the river when he has change of heart. “True Blue Huck Finn” backs down and realizes that there’s more to helping Him escape than trouble: there’s a special kind of friendship that Huck’s never known before. Along the river, Jim and Huck run across two scam artists who claim to be a runaway King and Duke. Their raft is overtaken by these two men who force Huck and Jim into their dangerous, yet comical scams. Their last scam proves t be too much of Huck.
The King and Duke claim to be the brothers of a quite wealth, but conveniently deceased man. Because of their acclamation, the two men are guaranteed a large inheritance. However, when Huck falls for the beautiful heart and kindness of one of the dead man’s nieces he can’t imagine stealing the money form her. Huck tells the niece the whole story, and admits who the “brothers” really are. The King and Duke are eventually discovered by the town to be impersonators, and are tarred and feathered.
At another turning point in the story, Huck’s guilty conscience gets the better of him. He is granted another opportunity to report Jim. At this time in the story, Huck and Him have been though a lot, to say the least. They have been in and out of trouble and on the edge of discovery countless times. However, at this instant, Huck’s hope have been washed away with feat. He’s not sure if they can go on much longer.
Huck decides he must pray and ask for forgiveness for disobeying God Huck believes he’ll go to hell if he keeps up with breaking the law and all. In an attempt to ask for forgiveness, Huck just can’t do it. He’s not sorry, and decides he’d rather go to hell then turn Him in. Jim was huck’s best friend and only father figure he’d ever known. Even though there wasn’t a law against these feelings, it was basically a crime against society to feel this way.
But Huck had a wiser mind and deeper heart. Huck Finn tells the story of Huck’s maturity and path to understanding things about society. But Huck didn’t like what society understood to be right. Huck had different ideas. Some may call Hucks’ views naive or innocent. But they’re wrong.
Huck was much wiser then society. He was ahead of his years. About 150 years to be exact.
