For Huck and Jim, the Mississippi River is the ultimate symbol of freedom. Alone on their raft, they flow with the water and never remain in one place for long enough to be pinned down by a particular set of rules. For Jim, the river leads toward the free states, and for Huck, away from his abusive father and the restrictive "sivilizing" of St. Petersburg. Twain juxtaposes the river and the landed settlements along the banks. The Mississippi River represents a paradise, where Huck and Jim, free of hassles and disapproving stares, can enjoy one another's company and partake in the small pleasures of life, like smoking a pipe and watching the stars. "We said there warn't no home like a raft, after all...