Society Right or Wrong

Society Right or Wrong

Mark Twain’s novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn focuses on moral conflict mocking slavery and showing the ethical dilemmas of oppression. Twain makes strong statements through Huck's interactions with others to prove how society shapes the understanding of one's views. The values of white civilization play an important part in controlling how the higher class guides morals of all individuals. Twain’s ending of Huckleberry Finn represents how the white southern society established their own morals to enhance the needs of particular individuals to what their demands were, essentially denying all individuals, white or black, the opportunity to make their own choices.

The southern white society upholds the belief that a black person does not have human rights or liberties Twain challenges these views throughout the story by the interactions between Huck, a young boy and Jim, a black man. Huck defies the views of the southerners and begins to recognize Jim, a black slave, as a person who has feelings just like any man white or black. Jim begs Huck not to turn him in and although Huck acknowledges it is wrong, he ignores southern civilization views “People would call me a low down Abolitionist and despise me for keeping mum-but that don’t make no difference. I ain’t agoing to tell, and I ain’t agoing back there anyways. So now, le’s know all about it.” (Twain, Mark 1315). Although it is in Huck’s best interest not to turn Jim in, the struggle for individuality over the influences of the society is apparent in Huck’s actions and thoughts. Twain seems to be mocking the southern beliefs by having a young boy recognize the injustice of what they consider "right" based on the skin color of a human being.

The values of the strict south were visible throughout civilization, rich or poor, young or old, these morals were imbedded in one’s conscience. Trust and friendship between a white individual and a black person are unheard of during this pre...