Huckleberry Finn and Jim spend the duration of the novel struggling to obtain freedom and escape different forms of slavery. Jim's run for freedom is obvious as a black man, but the reasons for Huck's ventures do not appear to be as apparent. Not only is he running from his father but also the civilized life that Mrs. Watson and the widow would like him to lead. As the novel progresses, both of them face many obstacles including the river itself, which is ironic because the river is their road to freedom and the raft is their means of transportation.

The raft functions on both physical and symbolic levels in the novel. Not only is the raft Huck and Jim's vehicle to navigate the river, it also becomes their home and their place of comfort. While in the search of Cairo, the raft...