Individual Morality V. Societal Morality

Individual Morality V. Societal Morality

When the men asks to go onto the raft for inspeculation, Huck tells the men that there are no one else, but only his father who is ill from smallpox. He lied in order to prevent the man from going on the raft. He later feels guilty because he was taught to never lie but then rationalizes that if he didn't lie and Jim is caught, it wouldn't make him feel any better.

This quote shows us that Huck is slowly making his own choices for himself and is slowly developing personal growth, even though lied, he which is something he is taught not to do by society.

QUOTES #1

QUOTES #2

“Then I thought a minute, and says to myself -- hold on; s’pose you’d a done right and give Jim up; would you felt better than what you do now? No, says I, I’d feel bad -- I’d feel just the same way I do now. Well, then, says I, what’s the use you learning to do right when it’s troublesome to do right and ain’t no trouble to do wrong, and the wages is just the same?” (Chapter 16)

Well, I can tell you it made me all over trembly and feverish, too, to hear him, because I begun to get it through my head that he WAS most free—and who was to blame for it? Why, ME. I couldn't get that out of my conscience, no how nor no way. It got to troubling me so I couldn't rest; I couldn't stay still in one place. It hadn't ever come home to me before, what this thing was that I was doing. But now it did; and it stayed with me, and scorched me more and more. I tried to make out to myself that I warn't to blame, because I didn't run Jim off from his rightful owner; but it warn't no use, conscience up and says, every time, "But you knowed he was running for his freedom, and you could a paddled ashore and told somebody." That was so—I couldn't get around that noway. That was where it pinched. (16)

Huck realizes that he also did wrong, since he helped Jim escape, which is unacceptable in the society.

From The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn

Rhetorical Strategies #2

Symbolism

Most of Huck's journey was on the Mississipi river, which holds many sybolic meanings.

The river symbolizes Huck's journey towards maturity, and the twist and turns represents the obstacles they face during the journey.

The river can also symbolize freedom for both Jim and Huck.

QUOTES #3

“I took it up, and held it in my hand. I was a-trembling, because I’d got to decide, forever, betwixt two things, and I knowed it. I studied a miute, sort of holding my breath, and then says to myself: ‘All right, then, I’ll go to hell’ -- and tore it up.” (Chapter 31)

Rhetorical Strategies #3

Juxtaposition used by Mark Twain in Huckleberry Finn in order to contrast the ideas of several things and characters throughout the story.

EXAMPLE:

Throughout this adventure, Jim fills a gap in Huck's life. He is the father that Pap is not, an he also teaches Huck about the world and how it works, and about friendship. However, Jim's character also portrays the slave as simple and contented. In In the story, although Jim runs away from his owner, he does not give the impression of being rebellious.

When Huck feels guilty about hiding Jim and not reporting him to Miss Wilson, who took him in and cared for him, so he decided to write a letter to her, but became disturbed over it later because he cares about Jim and doesn't want him to go back to being a slave.

In this scene, Huck decided that he would make this choice even if he had to 'go to hell', since he has already developed a relationship with Jim, and realizes that Jim, like everyone else, is also a human being.

Rhetorical Strategies #1

Death is an important motif in the story.

EXAMPLES:

He was disappointed and no longer interested because, he said, "I don't take no stock in dead people" (Chapter 1)

Huck was really interested in the story about Moses until he found out that Moses was dead

They won't ever hunt the river for anything but my dead carcass. They'll soon get tired of that, and won't bother no more about me. (Chapter 8)

Huck faked his death in order to escape from his father.

Through death, Huck's growth transforms him and makes him more and more himself. At the end of the story, he realizes that the society he is in is not right for him, therefore he cut ties with civilization.

The End

Throughout the book “The adventure of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark twain, it expresses the significance of individual and societal moralities through Huck, who is unique since he does not fit in the "civilized" society. His own morality is often different from the societal morality, which is why Twain uses Huck to show that social morality can also be flawed, and that individual is more important than society.

Jonathan

Victor To

Melisa Wang