im sleepy

            In the final chapters of Huck Finn, I see a moral digression in Huck. Tom Sawyer is having the effect that I thought he would have on Huck’s behavior: he’s a bad influence on him. They play a few pranks to pass the time between trying to get Jim out of the cabin. The boys constantly steal and replace spoons when Aunt Sally is trying to count them so that she wouldn’t notice the fact that the boys were sneaking things to her captive. Jim and Huck continue to follow everything that Tom says, because that’s how the books do it. The boys try to roll a grindstone into the cabin so Jim can carve on it, like in prison. One of the most childish scenes in the entire novel ensues during this period of moral decay for Huck. The boys think that its a good idea to put creepy crawlies in Jim’s cabin to commemorate his final night of captivity.

            The final escape of Jim is hectic and uncalled for. The Phelps’s show up to their house with a mob to stop the “bandits” from stealing Jim. Huck and Tom, luckily, have the tunnel that they dug to get Jim out still intact. During there mad dash for the raft, Tom is shot and Jim, once again, shows his caring and nurturing side. He wont move until Tom is taken to the doctor. During this crisis, we see Huck grow morally because he now takes control of the situation. He makes a decision based on common sense and logic. Toms plan to get a doctor is intricate and unnecessary, so instead, Huck trusts his own ability to lie and retrieve the doctor the treat Tom.

Aye...

            Chapter thirty one of “Huck Finn” is one of the most significant chapters in the entire novel. The duke and the king sold Jim back into slavery for forty dollars so they could get drunk. This forces Huck to basically choose between helping Jim or leaving him behind. If he were to help the captured slave, he would be looked down upon in the society and “go to hell”, but if he chooses not to, Huck would be overcome with guilt.  He boldly says in the story,  "All right, then, I'll go to hell," to end his moral struggle. This proclamation is significant because it shows sincere growth in Huck as a human being. He is forced to make a decision, and chooses to take the more difficult and selfless path. The statement becomes even more influential when we realize that Huck's decision to recognize Jim's humanity is not shared by the rest of his culture.

            In chapter thirty two, Huck isn’t a jovial boy, but rather a solemn young man. His arrival at the Phelps’ house is significant not only because they have Jim, but also because his arrival symbolizes his return to civilized society. Due to unforeseen circumstances, Huck is thought to be Tom Sawyer by Aunt Sally, who is expecting this rascals coming. When Huck finds out this information, he immediately goes into the town to intercept him. Tom, still as superstitious as ever, believes Huck to be a ghost, but eventually he realizes his friend is actually alive.  Tom’s introduction back into the book seems very unlikely to me, but I’m not judging. I feel like his presence will only hold Huck’s growth as an individual back due to Tom’s nature. He also conforms a lot more to society. Despite his reliance on societal views, he still agrees to help Huck rescue Jim.

Its not 12 yet!

            In chapters twenty-six to thirty, the reader can see Huckleberry Finn grow as a person and mature. The first and most obvious instance of his coming of age is when Huck decides that does not want to steal the money with the Duke and King. After he listened to the King’s speech to the townspeople, he grasps how smart and dangerous he is. The only person that picked up on his scam was the doctor, who tried to convince the daughters not to trust the two frauds. Despite his pleas, they gave the King and the Duke money to show their trust in their “uncles”.

The next day, Huck is caught lying to Joanna about the life that he supposedly lived. In his confusion, the kindness of the daughters shines through and spurs him to take action against the King. He takes the money that they stole and hides it so he can give it back to its rightful owners. This act of valor severely jeopardizes Jim’s chance of freedom, but Huck determines that it must be done. This decision shows his maturity because Huck is basically helping a stranger. No child will go out of their way and assist a stranger over a close friend, so for Huck to do this, it is a big deal.

In chapter 28, Huckleberry reveals the entire plot and location of the gold to Mary Jane to preserve the slave family that the King has just separated.  The choice to help the daughters is monumental because Huck had previously sided with the con men in the other town, Bricksville. He felt no regret scamming those people because they were void of morals and the town was sordid. When the duke and the king con the Wilks daughters, however, Huck is furious and recognizes he must intervene, regardless of the costs, thus showing that he has grown more mature and less self-centered.