In the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, it is apparent that one must pursue moral justice, in order to overcome the prejudices and unjust standards of a society, and to ultimately gain personal dignity. The story begins with Huck's escape from the potential contamination by society through an elaborate death scene, which fooled the unaware townspeople into believing that Huck was brutally murdered. The fact was that Huck had run away, in order to refine his youthful individuality. When Huck first escaped, he encountered a slave named Jim, who was searching for freedom. Throughout their adventurous escape, the two stumbled upon several important moral decisions, determining their survival opportunities and, consequently, the pureness of their consciences. Huck learned about how Jim's mind worked, about how other people dealt with situations, and (most importantly) gained ultimate moral dignity for himself.
Huck and Jim had just begun their adventures together, when there was a slight hurdle to clear. The two were floating down the river, committing their somewhat leisurely escape, when they were hollered at by some men looking for runaway slaves. Huck lied to the men when they asked about the other man on board, and then justified his actions with this perfectly sensible moral explanation:.
because I knowed very well what I had done wrong, and I see it warn't no use for me to try to learn to do right; a body that don't get started right when he'd little ain't got no show.Then I thought a minutes'pose you'd 'a' done right and give Jim up, would you feel better than what you do now? No.Well, then what's the use you learning to do right when it's troublesome to do right and ain't no trouble to do wrong, and the wages just the same? (95).
Huck subconsciously protected Jim from capture. There was a lasting sense of innocence in Huck at this point, which was what allowed him to be so impressionable by the society he had been surrounded by his entire life.