Huck Finn #3

As the book continues we see more aspects of the freedom and enslavement theme. In chapter 16, as Jim and Huck are continuing their road to freedom, Huck starts to question his decision of helping Jim be free. I find this unfortunate because i thought Huck and Jim had a connection and alot in common as far as being held against your own will. Jim is so hopeful and optimistic about his freedom. He talks about saving all his money once hes finally free and then going back south to buy his wife and children back. Jim is growing on me more and more. When he tells Huck how grateful and appreciative he is, Huck reevaluates his thinking because Huck is longing for free and peace of mind just as much as Jim is. He decides not to turn him into the people looking for slaves on the run. I also found it funny how in chapter 19, Huck went from being unsure about helping one slave, to going completely out of his way to help Jim and two criminals who are also seeking freedom.

Huck Finn (6-15)

In chapters 6 to 15 we see other representations and forms of freedom and enslavement. I feel bad for Huck, i think hes always going to be a slave to his father, even if the man dies or vanishes. He has such a control of Huck. Up until now, Huck hated going to school and following any sort of rules and regulations, but because his father is telling him not to go, Huck becomes eager to go to school everyday to spite his dad. Huck ONLY does this because of this father, proving that Pap still has a control over his decisions, its just in a different way. "Every little while he locked me in and went down to the shore, three miles, to the ferry, and traded fish and gamefor whiskey and fetched it home and got drunk and had a good time, and licked me" (Twain, 25). Now Huck is even more so a slave to Pap because Pap kidnapped him and locked him in a cabin three miles across the river and would beat him. Huck is physically and mentally a slave to Pap. I thought it was weird though how right after Huck says his dad was beating him in the cabin, he states that he liked living there and that it was "lazy and jolly". Huck is finally free from school, social constraints, the Widow's rules and religion. I kind of just want to hug Huck because hes so confused by his freedom and enslavement. Also, Pap is a slave to his alcohol abuse. Alcoholism is a disease and it completely controls you, maybe Pap will try to free himself of this disease before he drinks himself into an early grave.

Freedom and Enslavement (1-5)

Right from the start of the book, we can see a theme of “Freedom and Enslavement”. We meet an actual slave, Jim, and we meet Huck Finn. Huck is not a slave, but I get the feeling that he feels trapped. “The Widow Douglas, she took me for her son, and allowed she would sivilize me; but it was rough living in the house all the time, considering how dismal regular and decent the widow was in all her ways; and so when I couldn’t stand it no longer, I lit out. I got into my old rags, and my sugar-hogshead again, and was free and satisfied.” (pg 1). Huck isn’t used to having rules and someone telling him what to do, so he feels enslaved by the Widow and her righteous ways. Huck is longing for “freedom” because he never had anyone trying to restrain him. Jim, on the other hand, is an actual slave dealing with the reality of freedom and enslavement. He is the Widow Douglas’ slave, which is ironic because the Widow is very religious and considers herself a good Christian woman.