The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn : His Moral Character
Despite the moral dilemmas that Huckleberry Finn faces, he is able to unfold his moral character through out the book. Consciously he feels that what he is doing is wrong, but still does it, which turns out to be the right thing to do. He not only lies and steals for his own survival, inquiry and benefit but for the benefit of others. Huck is a very caring person and through out his journey he had the need to help those around him.
For instance, he starts writing Miss Watson a letter, telling her where her slave, Jim, is. At first he feels refreshed and content with himself after he writes it, but later he tears the letter up. "I felt good and all washed clean of sin for the first time I had ever felt so in my life, and I knowed I could pray, now. But I didn't do it straight off but laid the paper down and set there thinking; thinking how good it was all this happened so, and how near I come to being lost and going to hell. And went on thinking. And got to thinking... 'All right, then, I'll go to hell-' and tore it up." By doing this, he is violating the code of ethics, such as social behavior, that he has been taught by society.
Why is this? This is because Huck sees Jim as his friend and not just as a slave. He does not want to betray the only person that needs him and has been there for him. Jim is also a father figure to Huck, by constantly worrying about him and making sure that he is safe. There are many occasions where Huck had to choose from whether or not he should do the right thing in his eyes, or the right thing in the eyes of others. He deeply cares for those around him and tries to help them at all costs. By this time of the story, Huck has gone through a personal growth. Earlier in the chapters, he would never have thought of making such a sacrifice. There were many times that Huck had a chance to turn Jim in, but didn't. This just reiterates how his relationship with Jim has changed since the beginning of their journey down the river, from a companion to respected friend to being the only family that Huck acknowledges. He made this decision to rip up the letter and not turn Jim in, in order to protect him and care for him, just like all those times that Jim did for him. This however, was not the only time that he saved Jim. Many times before the letter, as Huck's feelings for Jim grew stronger, he helped Jim multiple times.
Despite the moral dilemmas that Huckleberry Finn faces, he is able to unfold his moral character through out the book. Consciously he feels that what he is doing is wrong, but still does it, which turns out to be the right thing to do. He not only lies and steals for his own survival, inquiry and benefit but for the benefit of others. Huck is a very caring person and through out his journey he had the need to help those around him.
For instance, he starts writing Miss Watson a letter, telling her where her slave, Jim, is. At first he feels refreshed and content with himself after he writes it, but later he tears the letter up. "I felt good and all washed clean of sin for the first time I had ever felt so in my life, and I knowed I could pray, now. But I didn't do it straight off but laid the paper down and set there thinking; thinking how good it was all this happened so, and how near I come to being lost and going to hell. And went on thinking. And got to thinking... 'All right, then, I'll go to hell-' and tore it up." By doing this, he is violating the code of ethics, such as social behavior, that he has been taught by society.
Why is this? This is because Huck sees Jim as his friend and not just as a slave. He does not want to betray the only person that needs him and has been there for him. Jim is also a father figure to Huck, by constantly worrying about him and making sure that he is safe. There are many occasions where Huck had to choose from whether or not he should do the right thing in his eyes, or the right thing in the eyes of others. He deeply cares for those around him and tries to help them at all costs. By this time of the story, Huck has gone through a personal growth. Earlier in the chapters, he would never have thought of making such a sacrifice. There were many times that Huck had a chance to turn Jim in, but didn't. This just reiterates how his relationship with Jim has changed since the beginning of their journey down the river, from a companion to respected friend to being the only family that Huck acknowledges. He made this decision to rip up the letter and not turn Jim in, in order to protect him and care for him, just like all those times that Jim did for him. This however, was not the only time that he saved Jim. Many times before the letter, as Huck's feelings for Jim grew stronger, he helped Jim multiple times.