Huckleberry Finn - Conflict Between Society And The Individual Essays

The theme of Mark Twains Huckleberry Finn is that the ideas of confederacy can greatly influence the individual, and sometimes the individual must give way off from the accepted values of society to determine the ultimate honor for himself. In Huckleberry Finns world, society has corrupted justice and morality to fit the ineluctably of the people of the nation at that time. Basically, Americans were justifying slavery, through whatever social or religious ways that they deemed necessary during this time. The conflict between society and Huckleberry Finn results from Hucks non-conformist mental attitude. This attitude is a result of his separation from society at an early age. With a highly abusive drunkard for a father, Huckleberry Finn is forced from childhood to bank solely on himself. As a result of this, he in effect alienates himself from the rest of society. Society continues to try to "reform" him, but Huckleberry Finn shows his lack of tasting in that effort f rom the very beginning of the story when he says, "The leave behind Douglas she took me for her son, and allowed she would sivilize me I got into my old rags and my sugar hogshead again, and was free and satisfied." His actions are based on instinct and his own experience, rather than conventional conscience. As a result, he makes up the rules for himself as he goes along, forming a conscience that is keenly sensitive of societys prejudices but actions based on that which he has experienced. Ironically, ofte...