The+Adventures+of+Huckleberry+Finn

**SUMMARY/REVIEW**
Huckleberry Finn uses the river adventures of a boy and a slave in a clever and amusing way to explore the morality and conscience of society during the time of slavery in the United States. In the character of Tom Sawyer we find a boy whose interests lie purely in having adventures “as they are found in books.” This is sometimes even to the detriment of his companions, as in the case of freeing Jim. Tom is interested much more in the adventure of the escape than in liberating Jim, as Huck desires. In Huck we find a boy also keen on adventure but with a moral conscience whose progressive development seems to be mirrored in his journey down the river. It is an unformed conscience, however, and one may suggest its duality is indicative of the conflicted conscience of American society during its dark period of slavery. What Huck thinks is right is what the law of society is telling him is right: slaves belong to their owners. But he ultimately follows his heart which tells him that Jim is his dear friend and ought not be enslaved. Huck discovers he just can’t “harden himself” against Jim to turn him in and so concludes he’ll just “go to hell and take up wickedness again” by keeping his friend liberated. Huck’s moral tension seems to be between his head and his heart. He knows what is right – what the law says – but can’t bring himself to do it.



**AUTHOR BIO**
 Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910) better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist. He is most noted for his novels,The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876), and its sequel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885). Twain grew up in Hannibal, Missouri, which would later provide the setting for // Huckleberry Finn // and // Tom Sawyer //. He apprenticed with a printer. He also worked as a typesetter and contributed articles to his older brother Orion's newspaper. After toiling as a printer in various cities, he became a master riverboat pilot on the Mississippi River, before heading west to join Orion. He was a failure at gold mining, so he next turned to journalism. While a reporter, he wrote a humorous story, //The Celebrated Jumping From of Caleveres County// which became very popular and brought nationwide attention. His travelogues were also well-received. Twain had found his calling.

**OTHER CHILDREN'S LITERATURE**
Tom Sawyer The Prince and the Pauper

Huck Finn takes place in pre- Civil War time which raised huge concern among readers. The use of the "n-word" was the topic of most literary reviewers which in effect caused a republication of the book removing the word completely.
 * HISTORICAL CONTEXT **

**AWARDS**
The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor (made in his honor for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts) Honorary M.A., 1888 Litt.D. 1901 both Yale University; LL.D., University of Missouri, 1902 named to American Academy of Arts and Letters, 1904 D.Litt., Oxford University, 1907

Racism Slavery Intellectual and Moral Education American Dream, Civilization Superstition
 * MAJOR THEMES **

**CITATIONS**
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