The definition of freedom is both relative and rapidly changing; what one thinks makes an individual free could be drastically different from what someone else thinks. Additionally, one's idea of what freedom is and how it can be attained do not necessarily stay consistent over time. Both Jonathan Bennett and Nomy Arpaly offer their ideas of what it takes for an individual to achieve freedom. For Bennett, a strong intellect is the key to one's freedom. Arpaly on the other hand believes that one's emotions drive individual freedom. But these two perspectives do not quite run concurrently with Mark Twain's belief that one needs both a strong intellect and emotional consistency to achieve freedom. The question is if Huck Finn, the protagonist of the novel, is able to achieve this individual freedom. He may be the physically freest in the novel, but being so free in one capacity could create some major shortcomings in others.
At the beginning of the novel, Twain introduces a young, classless boy not more than twelve or thirteen who seems to be living the dream that many men can attest to when they were his age. Huck Finn is fresh off of an adventure with his friend Tom Sawyer, both of whom are now six thousand dollars richer. His mother had recently passed and his father was a drunk, leaving Huck with no allegiance to a family or ties to any other human being. With no adult figure in his life, Huck had no one to push him into school for a formal education or to learn the basic manners needed to be a fully functioning member of society and therefore was both uneducated and uncivilized. Huck had no qualms about not being able to read or to do basic arithmetic. For all intents and purposes, Huck was a free individual who embodied everything that Ralph Waldo Emerson believed in – self-reliance, self-reference, and self-responsibility. .
Upon returning to town, however, it became apparent that Huck was not as free as originally perceived.
The title of the book I read was The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. ... The main characters are Huckleberry Finn and his slave friend Jim. ... Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer had became rich. ... Huckleberry Finn's father heard about this and he came to town. ... Huckleberry Finn had to beg the judge to get the money. ...
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain has always been a very controversial book. ... The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn does a very accurate job or portraying southern life in the late 1800's. ... Another reason The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is considered the great American novel is because of the moral examples that it sets. ... The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn will always be a controversial book and maybe that's what truly makes it the great American novel. ... No matter what critics say, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn will be, if not the, then one of the grea...
Being ranked fifth as one of the most challenged books in the 1990s, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, can definitely be considered a very controversial novel (Huckleberry 1). ... One of these examples is how Huckleberry Finn talks, "I never see such a nigger." ... When The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was first published, immediately many people began to think of it as offensive. ... However, this library was not the only one to believe The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was offensive. ... Ernest Hemingway wrote that "all modern literature comes from one book by Mark Twain...
In either case, the novel by Mark Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, has dramatically opened the door to challenging the personal issue of racism versus a classic American novel. ... However, those who oppose to censoring Adventures of Huckleberry Finn argue it is intended to be an anti-racist novel. ... Ultimately, the issue whether to censor the novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has long been debated back and forth and will remain controversial. ... Those who oppose to banning Huckleberry Finn recognize that the novel educates students to focus and understand the horrors of slav...
Huckleberry Finn Debated, 1884-2001 You don't know about me, without you have read a book by the name of "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," but that ain't no matter. --Huck Finn Few books in the American literary canon have been both as influential and as thoroughly debated as Mark Twain's 1885 novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. ... In his 1935 book, The Green Hills of Africa, Ernest Hemingway wrote that "all modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn.... ... Interactions between the novel and American culture continue to influ...
There is a current debate that the description of the novel "Huckleberry Finn" is racist leading to some schools banning it from their libraries. ... I think that the book "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" isn't racist. ... We should not ban a literary work such as Huckleberry Finn simply because it is not accepted by modern day standards. ... There are school districts across the nation that are debating whether to ban their children from reading Huckleberry Finn. ... That is why I think the book "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" isn't racist. ...
Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain Considered by many to be the American classic novel, Huckleberry Finn is the timeless story of a young boy's adventure on the Mississippi River and Jim's escape from his fate as a slave. ... In the story of Huckleberry Finn, the entire tale takes place in Southern US. ... Even though some may argue that this aspect of Huckleberry Finn can make it more difficult to read and understand, the southern dialect definitely makes the story incredibly realistic. ... Considering the fact that Huckleberry Finn is considered to be one of the greatest American no...
Huck Finn Throughout time, the ways in which people perceive literature can be strongly influenced by the moral standards of their time. ... Many classics such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and others alike, have been censored or banned in several places. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been a hotly debated book since it was first published in 1885. ... In a time when racial turmoil was at its peak, many people started to analyze the racial aspects of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. ... Ernest Hemingway wrote in The Green Hills of Africa that, "all modern American ...
Guilt and Greed in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Society can have a huge impact on an individual's moral growth. ... In the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain shows social criticism through guilt and greed. ... Mark Twain shows social criticism with guilt and greed throughout the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. ... Even today people can relate to the way Mark Twain shows guilt and greed throughout The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. ...
There are many people that want The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain censored. ... Further, the people that want Huck Finn censored do not seem to realize that Huck Finn is not about the n-word. ... Also, Twain shows Huck's internal battle with his learned, racist tendencies and his moral obligation to do what he knows what is right. ... Huckleberry Finn is not the person they want to act like. ... The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. ...
