Huck Finn Moral Analysis

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Because of Huck’s odd living situations, he has experienced many opposing views of right and wrong, and has developed his own unique set of morals. When Huck was taken into the care of Ms. Watson and the Widow, he was submerged into a household that matched society’s ethical beliefs perfectly. Their household was religious and upstanding, and they made sure to teach Huck Christian morals. Huck explains, “The widow Douglas, she took me for her son, and allowed she would sivilize me; but it was rough living in the house all the time, considering how dismal regular and decent the widow was in all her ways” (13). Even though Huck has been immersed in a respectable way of life, he finds the Widow’s ways disagreeable. Pap, who originally raised Huck, followed almost the polar opposite of the Widow’s morals. He responds to the Widow’s treatment of Huck with, “Now looky here; you stop that putting on frills. I’ll lay for you, my smarty; and if I catch you about that school I’ll tan you good. First you …show more content…
During the time period, and especially because of the location, of the story, society viewed black men and women as lesser beings. Pap supported slavery and belittled blacks, and so did the Widow by owning slaves, even though she is portrayed as an upright individual. Nonetheless, Huck breaks away from traditional ethics and becomes a companion to Jim despite the fact that he is a runaway slave. Jim makes him promise not to tell anyone where he his and Huck answers, “I said I wouldn’t, and I’ll stick to it. Honest injun I will. People would call me a low down Ablitionist and despise me for keeping mum-- but that don’t make no difference” (55). This shows that Huck understands how the ethics he is supposed to follow contradict his decision to help Jim, but he still goes through with the promise anyway. His declaration is also an early example of Huck committing to a set of uncommon