The Adventures Of Huck :: essays research papers

Freedom From Life          "Man is free at the moment he wishes to be,"- Voltaire. This summons could no better sum up the bay for liberty in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. "Freedom in this book specifically means freedom from edict and imperatives. Huck and Jim seek freedom not from a burden of individual guilt and sin, but from social constraint" (425). Throughout the book, Twain illustrates that the quest of the two is one of the breakaway from civilization to acquired freedom.     Huck, though a young child, valued freedom in his life more than any other objective and depicted that fact to be one of the main themes in the raw. The conflict between society and the individual became a controlling theme in the refreshing as it developed. In the book, Huck mentioned that the leave behind Douglass was on a mission to "sivilize me but it was rough living in the house all the time& type A8230and so when I couldnt stand it no longer I lit out&8230and I was free and satisfied (Twain 11)." The restriction of living with Widow Douglass introduced the idea of Hucks quest for freedom. Widow Douglas wanted to "sivilize" him. In contrast, Huck wanted to be "free and satisfied." Freedom not only in the beginning of the novel in this point was evident, but the end reinstated Hucks desire for sovereignty. The novel ended with Huck planning "to light out" for a different territory because aunt Sally wants to "sivilize" him. The thought of burden from individual guilt and sin did not connect with the story. Considering the concept of religion is attacked by Twain throughout the novel. Basically, a society which required its slaves to become practicing Christians is a contradiction of the tenants of Christianity. Another intent to leave, was the escape form religion. Huck saw miss Watsons view of "a pearly portal" concept of h eaven as being essentially boring and mainly restrictive. In between these opening and closing remarks, Huck encounters varying aspects, attitudes, and restrictions of society and learns to elect his own individual freedom. The idea of Hucks quest for freedom is easily correlated with Jims search for freedom&8230from slavery. Jim set his quest for freedom also from the primer of society. "Well, I blieve you, Huck I-I run off (Twain 50)." Jim confesses to Huck that he must gain freedom from the burden of his slavery.