The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

There are many reasons to read or reread classic novels; the first is that many of us did not really read them the first time. Other reasons include: a significant amount of time has passed since we read them, we have forgotten what truly great books they are and sometimes we need to be reminded of the cultural importance of the novels and the themes expressed within. These books are classics for a reason; they contain many issues still relevant today even after many years have passed since their original publication. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a perfect example of this. Most adults, if they remember the book at all think of it as a simple story, a boy and a run away slave float down the Mississippi River together getting into various kinds of trouble. On one hand, this could not be further from the truth, yes, it is an adventure story as the title indicates, but it is also a scathing look at intolerance in our society.

The story follows Huck Finn, as his life seems to spiral out of control. Huck finds himself living with The Widow Douglas where he is being civilized against his will. Eventually Huck decides he has had enough and leaves. Unfortunately for him, he finds himself living with his drunk, abusive father. This is one the significant issues that Mark Twain was able to hit on well before his time. It is important to keep in mind that Huck is really a young adolescent, which adds to his credibility and wit. Huck devises a relatively brilliant plan to escape from his father, and finds himself living off the land on a deserted island. The true journey of the novel begins here when Huck meets up with Jim, a runaway slave. Developments in the town from which they are both hiding forces them on the run. This novel is probably solely responsible for the American road story, even though it is obviously influenced by The Odyssey.

As Jim and Huck flee down the river, Huck finds himself in a moral crisis. He knows that help Jim is against the law, yet he feels it is the right thing to do. Twain uses this to demonstrate to the reader that sometimes society is more flawed than the individual. As Americans, sometimes we need to step back and look that the ridiculous things that society tells us are right when we know deep down that they are in fact wrong. Twain stresses the importance of not only self-examination, but also collective examination. As the novel continues, Twain uses various other episodes to illustrate other significant points. The feud between the Grangerfords and the Shepardsons is a perfect example. Twain gives a clever tip of the hat here to William Shakespeare and shows the foolishness of war. The feud has been going on so long, that no one is sure who started it or why. If we take a close look at our own world, we can find places that have been fighting for hundreds of years without any resolution in sight.

Another episode that rings with contemporary issues is the large portion of the novel that deals with the two conmen the King and the Dauphin. This entire sequence demonstrates how those in power (or those we think are in power) are able to manipulate the people around them. We see these two men commit one horrendous scam after another while Huck and Jim essentially do nothing to stop them because the are afraid of challenging those in power. The King and the Dauphin finally are brought to justice, but it is really through their own greed.

The end of the novel poses a problem for many people, including Twain, who took a ten-year hiatus from writing the novel. Near the end of the novel, Tom Sawyer is reintroduced, the smart but naïve idol of Huck. Tom concocts an absurd plan that seems cruel simply because it is more fun and in all honesty in laugh out loud funny. Many readers tend to overlook the fact the Huck Finn would give anything to be Tom. Therefore, Huck will do whatever Tom says no matter how foolish. If we look closely, we still see this behavior in every school across America. Every teenager in the world wants to fit in somewhere and be like someone else.

This is a book that should be read by every American several times to remind us that while we live in a great country, it is still not perfect. Great novels stand the test of time because they contain issues that will always be relevant. The book is the perfect tool for the evaluation of our society and ourselves.