Individual vs. Society

John Morris
February 15, 2010
Huck Finn
Individual vs. Society
      The aspect of an individual fighting for what he or she believes in is an intriguing topic to a reader. In Huck Finn, individual vs. society is a common theme in which Huck is trying to overcome the racist aspects of life that he was raised in. Huck has a racist father, and this is where he is most exposed to racism and Pap tells Huck that black people are not as good as whites. Huck’s moral struggle continues because he becomes friends with Jim, which causes complications with a white boy being friends with a black man. Huck overcomes the racism he was brought up in by becoming friends with Jim and traveling with him through their adventures.
      Jim helps Huck overcome racism because Huck sees Jim as an intelligent person. Huck knows Jim is uneducated, but Huck sees Jim’s reasoning through certain situations and Huck envy’s his thinking. Huck is practically born into the world as a racist. Everything and everybody around him encourages racism. The main factor is Pap. Pap embodies the worst of the white society.   Pap is illiterate, ignorant, violent, and profoundly racist. The mixed-race man who visits the town contrasts Pap in every way. The man is a clean-cut, knowledgeable, and an intelligent professor. Huck’s father finds this mixed-race man to be despicable and cannot believe that this man is allowed to vote. For Twain to show how kids do not know any better, Huck begins talking to Jim and their friendship begins to develop. Jim tells Huck, “You gwyne to have considerable trouble in yo’ life, en considerable joy” (P.18)[1]. Huck sees Jim’s wisdom and Huck questions the idea of black people being less intelligent than white people. Twain contrasts the difference between white and black people in this chapter as he shows whites as evil while he uses Pap as an example, and then goes on to show the blacks as intellectuals with the mixed-color man being a smart professor.
      Huck and...