Huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain in 1884, is a classic American novel. Huckleberry Finn operates around the life Huckleberry Finn and the runaway slave Jim. Huckleberry Finn serves as a critical portrayal of racism and how it effects many different people in society. Huckleberry Finn is considered to be one of the greatest pieces of American literature. Huckleberry Finn was one of the first novels to ever be written in a vernacular dialect, known as ‘Huckleberry Finn English’, which deals with negative connotations and has been criticized since its debut.
Huckleberry Finn deals with many different types of conflicts throughout the novel including the protagonist Huckleberry Finn vs society, Huckleberry Finn vs himself, Huckleberry Finn vs nature and Huckleberry Finn vs outside forces. One of the greatest conflicts that Huckleberry Finn deals with is Huckleberry FInn’s struggle against his own society. In this conflict Huck struggles because he does not feel like he belongs to any one group. Huck does not have any family in his life to teach him societal norms and Hucks’ does not feel like he belongs to the society of town folk.
Hucks’ is seen as an outcast because, “there was 15 other kids there” (pg 1) who were all forced into this Act by their families. Huckleberry Finn struggles throughout the novel to find where his place in society is and how he can fit into it. Huck often feels like an outcast and that there is no where for him to belong: “I’d got so full of people wanting me one way or another I couldn’t hardly stand it. ” (pg 1) Huck has a lot of pressure on him from his family, friends and society as a whole.
Hucks’ is put into the position in his society where Hucks’ has to decide what people in Hucks’ life want Hucks’ to do over what Hucks wants. Huckleberry Finn is often caught between two worlds and placed into difficult situations because of how important Huck is to both sides; “Both of them was kind of worried about me meeting up with the widow Douglas, but I said I hadn’t ever seen her before. ” (pg 1) Huck’s family tells him one thing while Hucks’ friends tell Hucks another thing. This conflict within society leads Huck to feel like he does not belong anywhere.
Huckleberry Finn is forced by societal norms to make decisions about who he will stand with during Hucks’ life. Hucks’ struggles to find what is best for Hucks’ overall well being and Hucks has difficulty deciding which path Hucks will go down. “I hadn’t got but a couple of miles outside of hickville when I heard the gallop of a horse, and says to myself, ‘That’s Jim! ‘ ” (pg 1) Huck has an internal conflict with himself throughout his journey. Huck struggles because he does not know who he should be or what people expect Huckleberry Finn to be like.
Huck feels as though he is meant for something greater than what Huckleberry Finn was forced into by society. Huck feels as if Huckleberry Finn should be able to choose who Hucks wants Hucks’ to be. Huckleberry Finn feels trapped because Huck does not feel like Hucks’ is able to control Hucks’ own destiny nor Hucks’ place in society. Huck feels as though his destiny is already laid out for Huckleberry Finn and Huckleberry Finn has no way of changing it: “You can’t help yourself,” I says; “you got to do every single thing anybody tells you to. ” (pg 5)
Huckles’ struggles with this internal conflict throughout the novel because Huck knows that they should be able to make their own decisions but know that Hucks will get in trouble if Huck makes a bad decision. This leads Huck into situations where Huck must choose the lesser of two evils and Hucks’ still gets in trouble: “Aunt Sally, she says: ‘What do you mean by we, white man? ‘ I got to turn in and help Jim with the dishes just the same as if I’d been one of the family. ” (pg 5) This conflict within Huckleberry Finn leads Hucks’ life to be full of many hardships.
Hucks’ struggles throughout the novel but eventually Huck’s internal conflicts are resolved at the end of Huckleberry Finn when Hucks decides to do what is right for Huckles even though it will cause Huckleberry Finn a lot of problems: “It was fifteen minutes before I could myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger; but I done it, and I warn’t ever sorry for it afterwards, neither. ” (pg 5) Huck is resolute in Hucks’ decision because Hucks believes that Hucks did the right thing by freeing Jim.
Huckleberry Finn’s internal conflict of what is best for Hucks appears resolved at the end of Huckleberry Finn because Huck finally realizes that Huckelberry Finn should be willing to put Hucks first even though society might not like who Hucks wants Hucks’ to be: “So there was my han’-cub, all darkness and mystery, beginning to heave in sight again; beginning to heave into safe harbor, where garrets ain’t, nor pawnshops; beginning to heave into the light and the knowledge that a person has been snatched from the jaws of an everlasting bonfire. ” (pg 5)
Huckleberry Finn is constantly put in situations where Hucks’ must decide what Huckelberry Finn believes Hucks should do versus what Huckleberry Finn wants Huck to do. Huckleberry Finn is constantly faced with difficult decisions because Huck’s life is often full of uncertainties. The novel, Huckleberry Finn, is full of internal conflicts within society as well as within Hucks’ own mind. Hucks struggles throughout Huckleberry Finn because Huck knows that their life will not be easy if Huck makes the wrong decision but does not always know what Hucks should do.
Huckleberry Finn’s internal conflict to choose Hucks’ own path or follow society’s path eventually comes to an end because Hucks knows that Hucks must choose Hucks’ own path: “No, she says; ‘take a “trot” line and harness one of the saw horses to the sled and we’ll go down home. ‘” (pg 7) This quote is saying that Huckleberry Finn has decided to leave his life as Huckleberry Finn behind and decides to make Huckles’ own way through the world. This idea resolves Huck’s internal conflict because Huck no longer needs Huckelberry Finn but can live any kind of life that Huck wants.
The novel Huckleberry Finn is full of Hucks’ internal conflicts but Hucks’ resolution to Hucks own problems is a common theme throughout Huckleberry Finn. Huckles’ struggles with Hucks’ place in society and Huckles’ own identity throughout the novel Huckleberry Finn. Hucks must constantly choose what Huckelberry Finn should do versus what Huckelberry Finn wants to do. Huckleberry Finn has their life planned out for them because Huck knows that if Huck makes the wrong decision that they will be punished: “And there I was, stranded at last! Island or jail, which was it?
Why, it warn’t no town nor city; it warn’t even a village; it was just a whaler: three wooden houses and a stone’s throw apart. ” (pg 8) This quote shows Hucks’ struggling to find Huckelberry Finns status in society. Huckleberry Finn is always being judged by those around Huck because Hucks’ does not have the same privileges as white people including Hucks’. This conflict within Huckleberry Finn resolves when Hucks goes on their adventure because Huck becomes independent from the judgmental eyes of those around Huck: “They said they’d watch out for Jim, and if they ketched him going to that nigger church they’d tan him good. ” (pg 11)
