Analysis of Huckleberry Finn

Samuel L. Clemens, also known as Mark Twain, was one of the first American writers to truly express realism in his writing. (A&E) The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was published in 1884 and quickly became a novel of controversy for its intense language. (A&E) The novel is about a young white boy and runaway slave who take on the Mississippi River and experience a wide variety of adventures. Along the way Huck finds himself fighting an internal battle of his morals vs. his conscience. According to Gemma Marshall not only was it a controversially themed book based on race, but a story of a young boy’s battle within himself to join society or follow his heart in the matters of black people. After reading the novel, I found myself drawn to Huck and his internal struggle. I found it to be a novel that can overwhelm you with different emotions that sneak up on you. Huckleberry Finn is about a young white boy named Huck and a runaway slave named Jim who travel on the Mississippi River seeking freedom. You can quickly see Huck’s contempt for a civil life style and his irritations with the “do as I say not as I do” environment he is in. At this point Mark Twains establishes that internal battle between Huck’s morals and his conscience. The book introduces a variety of characters, which throughout the story will affect Huck’s life and this internal struggle. As you are introduced to Jim, the runaway slave, you will quickly see how regardless of his color he cares for Huck, and wants him safe. As Huck and Jim are traveling down the Mississippi River, their bond and loyalty are not only tested but grow strong. This is the main cause of Huck’s struggle within himself. Society has deemed slaves unequal to white men and nothing more than a piece of property. Huck feels guilty about Jim and wanting to protect him. Likewise, Jim comes off