Huckleberry Finn

This is why Huck is constantly rationising between handing Jim in or helping him because it causes conflict with the principles that he has learnt from society and his emotions and morality. When Huck writes the letter to Miss Watson, he feels "good and all washed of sin for the first time,"" the letter is symbolising society and it is Huck conforming to it, but Huck rejects society and it can be seen by him saying "All right, then, I'll go to hell - and tore it up."" This is representing that Huck is making the ultimate sacrifice for Jim and that he would give up his soul for him and Huck thinks he's going to hell because he's doing the wrong thing as a result of his innocence but ironically he is going to heaven and is doing the right thing. Huck has convinced himself that he has gone against society we see how strongly he feels about disrespecting his town and especially Miss Watson, and would be go down on his knees and "be ready to get down and lick his boots for shame."" In the midst of this, the irony still exists that the further down south Huck and Jim travel, the more prominent slavery becomes, but conversely the stronger the friendship between Huck and Jim becomes.
             The values of the Southern culture are passed on from generation to generation, without anybody questioning its values. "Behind her comes little white children, acting the same way the little niggers was doing."" Twain is suggesting that racism is a part of life that is learnt and this example is him giving us a message that when we are kids, we see everybody as equal, even if they were black, but as we grow older the racism is taught to us through the views and values of society. This can be one of the reasons Twain decided to write this book through a thirteen year old boy who's mind has not yet been controlled by society and that he still has a conscious of his own. The practicalness of Huck is outstanding in this novel.