Huckleberry Finn

            In 1884, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Samuel Clemens, was first published in England. Though many vital themes or lessons can come from this book, but the idea that one person has strong loyalty to a cause or another person is very important. The protagonist, Huck Finn, has important friendships and strong morals, which portray this theme perfectly. He must still struggle with some of the preconceptions about blacks that society has ingrained in him. Clemens' overuse of the word "nigger" has caused many unfavorable criticisms. However, due to its historical accuracy, entertainment value, and educational content, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should be a required reading for all high school students.
             Huck is the son of the town drunkard, a man who goes away for long stretches and beats his son when he's home. Huck cares for himself most of the time, though he's living with a charitable woman when the novel begins. He has had some education in his life, but not enough to give him confidence. With this troubled upbringing, he has remained loyal to everything his heart wanted to. His friendships with Jim, and Tom hold fairly strong throughout the story. Jim is important to the plot because he gives Huck a reason to travel on the river, and his outlaw status makes it necessary for Huck to keep silent at times when he wants to stop some kind of injustice. I don't think Huck can be seen as a true abolitionist, but in the end of this long journey, his actions seemed sincere. Even Tom stayed loyal to his friendships in his own way. In this story, he knew that Jim was free, yet he allowed Jim to remain a captive while he entertains himself. But he is just a boy, and has a knack of getting in trouble, so him and Huck are a perfect combination for adventure.