Bright Hub Education

Bright Hub Education

  • Teaching Tools
    • Teaching Tools
    • Classroom Management
    • Education Industry
    • Student Assessment Tools
    • Teaching Methods
  • Preschool and Early Ed
    • Preschool and Early Ed
    • Infant Development
    • Parenting Tips and Advice
    • Preschool Crafts and Activities
    • Preschool Lesson Plans and Theme
    • Preschool Teaching Strategies
    • Toddler Activities and Ideas
  • Elementary School
    • Elementary School
    • Grade School Activities
    • Lesson Plans for Pre-K and K
    • Lesson Plans: Grades 1 - 2
    • Lesson Plans: Grades 3 - 5
    • Parenting Grade Schoolers
    • Teaching Younger Students
  • Middle School
    • Middle School
    • English Lessons: Grades 6-8
    • History Lessons: Grades 6-8
    • Math Lessons: Grades 6-8
    • Parenting Preteens and Tweens
    • Science Lessons: Grades 6-8
    • Social Studies: Grades 6-8
    • Teaching Middle Schoolers
    • The Arts: Grades 6-8
  • More
    • High School(7)
    • Homework Help(20)
    • Special Ed(11)
    • More Areas(4)
More
High School (7)
Homework Help (20)
Special Ed (11)
More Areas (4)
English Lessons: Grades 9-12
High School Teaching Tips
History Lessons: Grades 9-12
Math Lessons: Grades 9-12
Parenting Teens
Science Lessons: Grades 9-12
The Arts: Grades 9-12
English Help
Geography Facts
Help with German
Help with Latin
Help with Writing
History Help
Language Learning Strategies
Learning Chinese
Learning French
Learning Italian
Learning Japanese
Learning Spanish
Literature Study Guides
Math Facts
Miscellaneous Languages
Science Homework Help
Science Projects
Social Studies Help
Study and Learning Tips
Test Preparation
Behavioral Disorders
Gifted and Exceptional St...
Hearing Impairments
IDEA, IEPs and The Law
Inclusion Strategies
Learning Disorders
Neurological Disorders
Physical Disabilities
Special Ed: Parent Perspe...
Speech Disorders
Visual Impairments
Homeschooling Advice
Summer Learning
Teaching a Second Language
Teaching ESL Learners
Homework Help
    Skip to content
    768

    Themes in “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”

    Literature Study Guides and Chapter Summaries / By Keren Perles / Homework Help & Study Guides

    Civilization vs. Freedom

    Arguably the main theme in the novel “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" is the struggle between civilization and freedom. After all, at the very beginning of the book, Huck despises life at the Widow Douglass’s home because she tries to force him to be too “civilized." It is only when he escapes to the river, and especially to his raft, that Huck truly feels free.

    In addition, throughout the book, every time that Huck and Jim approach civilization, something terrible happens. Whether they become embroiled in a feud, joined by tricksters, or nearly caught, civilization never brings much happiness or freedom to either Huck or Jim. In fact, time after time Twain points out the hypocrisy of society, which professes to be more “civilized" than Huck or Jim, which forces Huck to reject it even more.

    Inhumanity of Society

    Also from the beginning of the book, the theme of the inhumanity of people towards their fellow people becomes clear. After all, Huck’s father terrorizes Huck, trying desperately to rob him of his fortune and take him back. Throughout the book, the duke and the dauphin continue this theme, first by tricking the innocent Wilkes girls, and then by betraying Jim. Huck learns that people are not to be trusted, a theme which Twain obviously believes to be important.

    Following Your Conscience

    In addition, the theme of the struggle to follow your conscience returns again and again throughout the novel. Besides making its appearance when Huck and Jim need to steal food, or when they decide to pretend that the two rascals are truly a duke and a king, the theme reappears over and over again in Huck’s decision to help Jim escape. At some points, Huck is sure that he will turn Jim in, while at others, he feels guilty that he harming Miss Watson by stealing “her" slave. In addition, he berates himself even more when he learns that Jim will try to steal his children back, because he feels that he is hurting “a man that hadn’t ever done me no harm." The reader, of course, knows that Huck’s conscience is the one prompting him to save Jim in the first place. This conflict, however, between right and wrong, exists within all of mankind, and Twain weaves it through his novel as one of the primary themes in “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn."

    This post is part of the series: Notes on Huckleberry Finn

    “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” by Mark Twain, is a classic but controversial book. These notes on Huckleberry Finn will examine various aspects of the novel, including its themes, its symbolism, and the controversy surrounding it.
    1. Should Huckleberry Finn Be Banned? Exploring the Issues
    2. Huckleberry Finn Study Guide: Symbolism
    3. Huckleberry Finn Study Guide: Theme

    Post navigation

    ← Previous Post
    Next Post →
    Copyright © 2019 Bright Hub Education. All Rights Reserved.
    About | Copyright Policy | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use
     
    • Search

    •  
    • More Info

      Recent

      • Short Biography of P.G.Wodehouse
      • Facts about Djuna Barnes: A Writer’s Biography
      • Who Was Lewis Carroll and Why Did He Write Alice in Wonderland?
      • The Life of Hans Christian Andersen: Interesting Author Biography
      • A Biography of English Romantic Poet Percy Bysshe Shelley
      • Biography of Dorothy Parker, American Poet, Critic, Satirist and Short Story Writer
    •  
    • Popular Pages

      • Home
    • Social

      • Twitter
      • Facebook
      • Google+
     
    © brighthubeducation.com. All rights reserved.
    • Privacy Policy