Written by Mohammed A.
As a young boy of thirteen, Huckleberry Finn finds his identity and discovers the aspects of his moral compass on his voyage with Jim. Huck’s self-discovery is dictated by his strong feelings of guilt, as they showcase Huck’s doubts and force him to make certain decisions that reflect his morality. Huck’s development of a strong moral compass and a firm conviction contrast the norms of his time and the expectations of society.
In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, whenever Huckleberry Finn is faced with a difficult dilemma, he opts for the decision that he feels is the right thing to do. However, the ‘right thing to do’ is merely a reflection of society’s expectations and values. What sets Huck apart from his naive old self is his experience, and due to this, Huck is able to form his own set of moral believes, though they contradict society’s values. Prior to his entire journey with Jim, Huck feels guilty about stealing Jim from Miss Watson. Huck thinks to himself, “What did that poor old woman do to you that you could treat her so mean?”, and even feels “easy and happy and light as a feather…” when he secretly resolves to turn Jim in (Twain 88). At the last moment, however, Huck decides to stick with Jim, guilt-tripped and conflicted, unable to turn Jim in because “...[he] warn’t man enough…” (Twain 90). It is not until after their shared hardships and tedious journey that Huck is able to form an emotional attachment to Jim. When the King and the Duke sell Jim off to the Phelps farm, Huck toys with the idea of informing Miss Watson of Jim’s whereabouts so that she may acquire some compensation. Huck feels “good and all washed clean of sin…” for the first time in his life when he decides to go against his earlier decision to break Jim free from slavery (Twain 213).
When Huck abides by society’s expectations of the time that an African American man should remain a slave, he is following what he believes to be morally correct, as this idea exists long before him. However, after Huck reflects upon his journey with Jim and assesses how much Jim’s friendship means to him, Huck finds that he is unable to betray his friend. Huck’s moral compass deters from the persuasion of society’s norms and standards, as Huck realizes where his loyalties lay. When he exclaims “‘All right, then, I’ll go to hell’”, he demonstrates his resolve to help Jim, despite knowing it is ‘immoral’ according to society (Twain 214).
A gatorade-fueled podcast junkie, Mohammed A. is a 17-year-old thinker, gardener, and dreamer from Bangladesh. His hobbies include asking a bit too many questions, taking pictures of ordinary things, and coloring outside the lines.
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