Huck Finn
...he book. Huck’s struggle was hard enough; having a knowledge and connection to the river and its ways made the trip that much easier. Hence, the river’s importance is demonstrated again through Huck’s intrinsic connection with it and how he utilizes this connection to aid himself and Jim on the mission. Continuing into their arduous journey, the two men become intertwined with a group of looters on a wrecked ship. Through their determination and perserverance, they make out with the robber’s loot. Jim and Huck realize that this journey will not be an easy one; their realization and acceptance of this fact serves to help them in dealing with the many issues and problems that arise during the journey. The river also serves to represent the ever-changing situations the two come across. Much like a river is always flowing and changing, so is the status of Jim and Huck’s journey to freedom. Their encounters with various characters show Huck that perhaps freedom is not as easily achieved as he thought, and the river is not a panacea for all of the ills in his life. (use the next quote here, I don’t know how it ties in to huck finn) “In a certain sense, the entire project of ‘Race Traitor’ is to examine and take the steps that will lead to their own freedom.” Soon, however, the river seems to become more of an adversary than an ally. Representing freedom as well as struggle, the story is set on the Mississippi River to foreshadow the long and hard endeavor Huck and Jim will be facing because of the length and unpredictibility of the river. Capricious weather, a shoddy little raft, travel by moonlight, and inconsistent navigation are all external and uncontrollable factors the influence the journey along with the river and its problems. The Mississippi River system also happens to be the longest in the nation and the third largest in the world. This is no coincidence; it correlates to Huck and Jim’s immense journey and struggles that they must face. These obstacles become quite evident when Huck and Jim miss the turn off to float onto the Ohio River because of a thick fog, their goal and next main step to freedom. Later on in the story, a steamboat on the river slams into their raft, causing them to become separated. This event represents how quickly the river can turn on the two men, and how they basically took for granted that the river would take care of them and keeping them together. The river thus far has represented a sense of safety, companionship, and progress to Huck and Jim; with the occurrence of the steamboat accident, the river has taken away safety, companionship, and progress and replaced it with fear, separation, and regression. Though the river has had a ubiquitous presence throughout the novel, the way it is perceived has been dynamic as opposed to static, which is a concept evident at this point in the novel. The river’s importance is still apparent, though clearly Huck and Jim’s perception of it is changing. The river also represents Huck’s morals and attitudes toward society, as well as his irrepressible nature. () “Huck’s slight exposure to school has taught him the proper course... but his mind turns to their trip down the river.” This quotes essentially proves the old cliché that you can lead a horse to water but you cannot make him drink. Likewise, () is saying that you can put a child in school and attempt to “civilize” him, but you cannot force him to conform to society’s desires for him. Huckleberry Finn has always marched to the beat of his own drum, and readers know that he cannot be contained. The river can also be compared to Huckleberry Finn. It goes its own way, flowing at its own speed. It is not responsible for the people or the boats that use it, and feels no remorse for not conforming or acting the way people want it to. () “Huck, not yet fourteen, has to struggle for a knowledge of adult society without which he will not survive.” This quote, by (), is an opinion that, through careful interpretation of the story, can be argued. Huck doest not have nor wants the “knowledge of an adult society” that everyone keeps trying to impose upon him; in fact, Huck does not want to be part of that society. That is why h...