Summary:
Discusses the standards of the society in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by American author Mark Twain. Also provides a plot summary and explores how the societal restraints during that time may have affected Huck.
The standards of living in a restrictive, inflexible, and illiberal society have not relatively been varying. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, verifies this statement. The main character, Huck Finn, inhabits a community that stresses the standards onto the children. The standards, which were inflicted on Huck Finn, affected him in various aspects; however, Huck Finn responds with rash but shrewd decisions. In any society, there are standards, yet it is the reactions to those standards that mold and shape the very people that live among that society.
Life in St Petersburg during the early eighteen hundreds, was uncanny. The cozy little town of St Petersburg had a multitude of standards, which were to be followed at all times, by everyone. The basics of these standards were, for the children to be civilized, educated, and religion oriented. For example, "The Widow Douglas, she took me for her son, and allowed she would sivilize me" (Twain 237). Once Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn found the treasure, the widow felt it necessary that she take him in, and raise him right. At least, the way the community felt was right. Education, the entire town viewed education as a requirement to live, as much so as breathing. For instance, "Miss Watson,..., took a set at me with a spelling book. She worked me hard for about an hour " (Twain 238). An hour a day just for spelling, not to mention the other courses, like reading, writing, and French. The children were being forced into these customs by the society they lived in. Las, is for the children to be religion oriented. This standard being the most enforced, affected Huck Finn in ways he didn't realize until much later in his life. A quote from the book illustrates this, "Then the preacher began to preach, And people would shout out 'Glory!- A-a-men!' "(Twain 381). Where ever Huck went the people enclosing him were constantly praising about the Lord and their religion. To live in that small town, by the society's standards, was extremely complicated and difficult.
Everyone is affected by everything, in some way or another. The standards of the society, Huck Finn lived in, affected him greatly. Substantial of trivial, the standards affected the manner, in which Huck Finn behaved. Huck Finn often felt confined into a corner. To confirm that Huck Finn states, "this shook me considerable, because I didn't want to go back to the widow's any more and be so cramped up, and sivilized, as they called it" (Twain 263). The society deemed it essential that he become civilized, meaning no cussing, no lying, and no stealing. All the things that Huck stood for were now against the rules. Education was another part of the standards that just would not flow with Huck Finn. " I couldn't stood it much longer. The for an hour it was deadly dull, and I was fidgety" (Twain 238). Huck Finn just could not tolerate being bored, and being educated was one of those events that brought him boredom. Staying still and learning affected Huck's attention. The most crucial standard in Huck's society was religion. The community's tactics to spread religion had a significant affect on Huck's life. Case in point, "When you got to the table you couldn't go right to eating, but you had to wait for the widow to tuck down her head and grumble a little over the victuals" (Twain 238). In praying frequently the community did not help Huck grow closer to God; but further from him. Huck felt praying was a waste of time. Clearly, the standards of the society that Huck dwelled in affected Huck's view of life.
Everything in this world is cause and effect. Commanding someone to follow certain regulations almost always causes change in the way of rebellion. Following in the footsteps of Martin Luther, a well known rebel against church officials, Huck Finn decided to rebel against the standards of the society he lived in. To prove this, " I made up my mind I would fix up some way to leave there" (Twain 262). Huck Finn had finally had enough, he was tired of being controlled like a caged animal. He was about to break out of his metaphorical entrapment. The society Huck inhabited in considered black people beneath them and felt if anyone helped them they to would go straight to Hell. To validate this statement a quote, " 'All right then, I'll go to Hell'. I would go to work and steal Jim out of slavery again" (Twain 473). Huck Finn could not stand the treatment, Jim was getting. He knew it was of a sinful nature to treat a person that way; so, he rebelled against the society's judgment. Forcing people into a belief, make some of them see it. With Huck Finn's personality, it is the opposite. He needs to see it on his own. "And at last, when it hit me all of a sudden. It made me shiver. And I about made up my mind to pray" (Twain 471). By pushing religion on Huck, it made him hate God, and question his trueness. Given time on his own Huck came to know God and believe in his powers. Principles are different to everyone, but Huck Finn responded in the finest way to the standards on his society.
Overall Huck Finn lived an inspired life. A life filled with adventures, friendships, and freedoms. The standards if the society Huck Finn resides in, affected Huck's life for the better. Those standards gave Huck Finn inspiration to do something grand with his life and they made him want to help others, the standards discriminated against. Without the help of those standards, Huck Finn would not have achieved all the dreams he had aspired for. Life would be incomplete if it did not include standards and rules. People let events affect them in all phases of their lives, on the contrary, it is those who let those events affect them for the better that rise above the rest.
This is the complete article, containing 1,009 words
(approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page).
