Huckleberry Finn Essay

Andrew Goncalves

AP English – Mr. George

3/16/09

Huckleberry Finn Essay

Accepting Differences

What is it to be in disagreement? Does it entail a feud or subtle differences? In the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Tom and Huck are best friends. Although they both valued similar things like excitement and thrills, Tom and Huck were quite different from each other. According to filmmaker Judith Henderson, “Our greatest strength as a human race is our ability to acknowledge our differences; our greatest weakness is our failure to embrace them” (Henderson). If the human race was unable to reconcile the differences amongst itself, the world would be plunged into eternal war. However, such differences are accepted through friendship. Through friendship, two or more people recognize what they have in common, and discover what stands between them. In the case of Huck and Tom, their differences lie mostly in the ways that each of them were raised. Tom was raised in a rather nurturing environment. Huck, on the other hand, was raised both in a nurturing and abusive environment. These differences are clearly displayed in the differing ways that Huck and Tom view their society, and how their society treats them back.

Both Huck and Tom were raised in the deep South in the pre-Civil War era. The South of those days contained mostly farming families, most of whom owned slaves. Both of these components affect Huck and Tom, especially the issue of slavery. Considering their upbringings, Huck and Tom would hold conflicting opinions over the issue of respect for their fellow neighbors.

Tom was raised by his own family. Often times, to be raised by one’s own family is the safest environment in which one could be raised. This is evidenced when Huck arrives at the Phelps’ home. Expecting Tom to arrive and mistaking Huck for him, Mrs. Phelps exclaims “I’m so glad to see you! Dear, dear, it does seem like I could eat you up!” (Twain 234). Though it was not Tom who arrived at the Phelps’ home, they mistake him for Tom, and give him the same treatment as they would give to Tom. From the looks of it, Tom has a close-knit family that cares for everyone in it.

Huck was raised in varying households throughout the novel. Most of the families he lived with cared for him as if he war their own. When Huck spent time with the Grangerfords, he remarked that “It was a mighty nice family, and a mighty nice house, too” (112). However, when Huck was with his father, the only member of his actual family he was acquainted with, he felt rather imprisoned. At one time, Huck remarks “Pap he hadn’t been seen for more than a year, and that was comfortable for me; I didn’t want to see him no more” (20). Perhaps the reason for Huck’s discontent with his father was due to the fact that his father was after the money he made by capturing Injun Joe in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. A reason for Huck’s displeasure was that, “I borrowed three dollars from Judge Thatcher, and pap took it and got drunk” (31). Huck is aware that his father is a negative influence, and eventually leaves him. However, Huck is at an advantage, since he is well informed on the ways of a civilized society and how it compares to an uncivilized society.

Tom was clearly raised in a nurturing environment. This is reflected in how he expresses his views about his society; they are in line with what his society tells him. An example of this can be found any time Tom speaks about a book he read. At one time, Huck remarks, “He said if I warn’t so ignorant, but had read a book called ‘Don Quixote,’ I would know without asking” (21). Tom accepts what his society tells him, and without questioning it. Much of the time, the ideas that Tom gets from his book appear to be absurd when they are presented, because they make a simple task seem more complex than it should be. One instance in which Tom uses his knowledge to make a situation more complicated would be when he said, “No; the way all the best authorities does, is to saw the bed-leg in two, and leave it just so, and swallow the saw dust” (253). Tom prefers to mimic the style of the literature he reads, which exaggerates different situations for the sake of the reader’s pleasure. Tom does not realize this, but insists that what the books hold is the truth.

Huck was not raised as carefully as Tom. Huck denounces his own father for his drunken ways, and feels trapped in the care of Ms. Watson. Huck felt trapped by his father and Ms. Watson, and according to the Bible, “Even if my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will take me in” (Psalm 27:10). Thus, Huck decided to strike out on his own, but he does not forget about what he learned from his father and Ms. Watson. Huck, having been brought up by both positive and negative influences, got to witness the best and worst of both sides. Throughout the novel, there are various instances where Huck is influenced by his disparate upbringings. An example of this can be found when Huck and Jim are gathering supplies for their escape, “Pap always said it warn’t no harm to borrow, things if you was meaning to pay them back, sometime; but the widow said it warn’t anything but a soft name for stealing, and no decent body would do it” (76). Huck eventually gets tired of wrapping his head around such contradictory views, and resolved to “do whichever come handiest at the time.” (104). Huck prefers to take the easy way out, which proved to be more effective than Tom’s ways of overcomplicating simple tasks. These differences were also reflected in how Huck and Tom treated others as well.

Throughout the novel, Tom and Huck meet many different characters. In their society, their white elders would have to be treated with respect, while they could do whatever they wanted to blacks. Both Tom and Huck respect their white elders for the most part, but where the main differences lay is in their treatment of Jim, Ms. Watson’s runaway slave.

Huck was raised by Ms. Watson for quite a bit, and met Jim during that time. After Huck decided to leave his father and Ms. Watson, he comes across Jim by chance at Jackson’s Island. Jim bluntly tells Huck “I-I run off” (53). Huck promises not to tell anyone of Jim’s whereabouts, for fear of “People calling me a low down Abolitionist” (53). To help a slave escape North would have been a highly intolerable act at the time, and Huck goes through an internal conflict about whether or not he should leave or report Jim. Any well-informed individual during Huck’s time would report Jim for the possibility of a reward. Huck resolves the issue in the end by doing what is best at the time, because he would feel guilty, considering that Jim said, “Jim won’t ever forgit you, Huck; you’s de bes’ fren’ Jim’s ever had; en you’s de only fren’ ole Jim’s got now” (101). During their travels, Huck and Jim become good friends, and occasionally get separated. With each separation, Huck and Jim looked for each other. Huck’s willingness to risk his own safety to rescue Jim symbolizes an equilibrium between the positive and negative influences of his upbringing. Huck was attempting to liberate a slave, which would have been condoned by his society, and symbolizes the negative influence of his father. On the other hand, Huck was doing a noble deed by saving Jim, because he was human after all. Huck’s quest to free Jim can be seen as the influence of Ms. Watson at work. Huck would eventually cross paths with Tom Sawyer during his journey. Although Tom’s upbringing was similar to that of Huck’s upbringing with Ms. Watson, Tom’s inner vice would reveal itself as reminiscent to the teachings of Huck’s father.

Tom treated Jim with as much respect as Huck when face to face. Huck was surprised that Tom was even willing to aid him in getting Jim’s freedom. His only thoughts were “Tom Sawyer a nigger stealer!” (240). However, Huck should have known that Tom would be up to his tricks again. When Huck proposed a plan for an easy escape, Tom retorted, saying “You can get up the most infant-schooliest ways of going at a thing. Why, hain’t you ever read any books at all ? - Baron Trenck, nor Casanova, nor Benvenuto Chelleeny, nor Henri IV” (253). Tom refers to what his books tell him, and creates a most absurd plan for Jim’s escape. Tom makes Jim live with spiders, rats, and snakes, all of which he dislikes. Jim was also told to write messages on anything he could find with his blood. Nonetheless, this is not the worst of what Tom contrived. Tom wrote a note to the Phelpses, who were of his own family, which said that a group was coming to free Jim. Out of fear, the Phelpses have a group of farmers stand guard, thus reducing their chances of success. During the escape, Tom’s plan backfired when he got shot in the leg, and had to see a doctor. Jim went off alone, and was caught. Eventually, Tom decided to tell his Aunt Polly that “Old Miss Watson died two months ago, and she was ashamed she ever was going to sell him down the river, and said so; and she set him free in her will.” (301). Jim was free the entire time, and Tom admitted that his reason for carrying out this plan was that “I wanted the adventure of it” (301). Tom wanted adventure, and he got it. In the mean time, he also scared his own relatives to death, as well as Huck and Jim.

Huck and Tom were best friends, and very different. They were both raised in encouraging environments, although Huck was raised in a damaging environment as well. Although Tom appears to be more intelligent than Huck, he ultimately lacks in common sense. Huck is respectful of everyone, yet, Tom will disrespect and use anyone if there is some kind of adventure to go with it. Huck appears to be more mature and independent, while Tom is more innocent and heeds all the advice he can get from society. Although both Huck and Tom are so different, they were able to reconcile their differences. According to the Chinese philosopher Confucius, everyone should “Have no friends not equal to yourself” (Confucius). In friendship, those involved are given the chance to learn about the way society bears down on different people. With as many different friends of varying personalities, a person will learn far more of the world than another with friends that all share the same values. The fact that people of opposing views can be in harmony with each other through friendship is truly a wonder, and is marvelously conveyed in the relationship between Huck and Tom in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Works Cited

Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. New York: Penguin Classics, 1985.

Ceroke, Christian P.; Gutgsell, Michael F.; Hartdegen, Stephen J.; Hickey, James A.; O’Boyle, Patrick; Peter, Valentine J.; Pilarczyk, Daniel E.; Sheehan, Daniel E. Holy Bible. Wichita: Catholic Bible Publishers, 2004.

ThinkExist.com. 1999-2009. ThinkExist. 23 March 2009.

< http://thinkexist.com/quotation/our_greatest_strength_as_a_human_race_is_our/251637.html>

ThinkExist.com. 1999-2009. ThinkExist. 23 March 2009.