Mark Twain: Views on Freedom - Book Report/Review Example

Derick Abedian Mrs. Barker English 18 December 2008 Mark Twain: Views on Freedom According to Mark Twain in his book, 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn', a man could only be happy when he is free from the shackles of slavery as well as social expectations and bondage. And the only place he can escape both slavery and interference and gain freedom is in the arms of nature. It's here on a raft, on the Mississippi river, that the two central characters of the book, Jim and Huckleberry Finn meet, as they both run away from their lack of freedom-(but of different kinds). While Jim is running away from the shackles of a cruel political ideology that alienates him from any human rights and makes him a slave who can be bought and sold on the will of his owner. Huck has his daily freedoms denied to him by the well meaning but suffocating Mrs. Watson. Huckleberry Finn, the young hero and narrator behind the book, feels like a prisoner in Mrs. Watson's house with her insistence that he conform to the expectations of society. These social expectations according to Mark Twain, is what takes away our freedom and joy in life. Huckleberry Finn Huck is also the prisoner of an alcoholic father who beats him and curses everyone, "Then the old man got to cussing and cussed everything and everybody he could think of, and then cussed them all over again to make sure he hadn't skipped any" (Ch 6) In other words, by virtue of being white, Huck's father who was a rotten drunk was free to do and say whatever he liked. (In sharp contrast to Jim the slave.) To escape the paradox Huck would seek refuge in nature and Tom's company, "Then I slipped down to the ground and crawled in among the trees, and, sure enough, there was Tom Sawyer waiting for me." (4) To Huck, Tom Sawyer is a symbol of freedom and adventure. He enjoys the time they spent freely expressing themselves. By contrast Jim, who is the first of a long line of runaway slaves, became a runaway to avoid being sold by his mistress to new owners in New Orleans. In refusing to give in to their surroundings, Jim gained freedom from political tyranny while Huck, gained freedom from the social straight jacketing of life in to 'do's and 'don'ts' For Huck freedom would mean the end of a tirade of advice from Mrs. Watson and her kin who were out to civilize his urge to be carefree. "The Widow Douglasallowed she would sivilize me; but it was rough living in the house all the time I couldn't stand it no longer I lit out and was free" (p 1) These lines suggest that Huck did not like living indoors in a house. He loved the great outdoor life because unlike people, with nature, he could be himself, without people trying to change him. Freedom for Twain meant doing what you want rather than what others want. "Don't put your feet up there, Huckleberry; and don't scrunch up like that, Huckleberry, set up straight"(2). Was how Huck was stopped from acting like himself, since this would spur him to strive for more freedom. As a result Huck dislikes the restrictions laid upon him by society. Jim and Huck finally find their freedom after escaping from their prison like existence, while they float on a raft along the Mississippi river. It is through the characters of Huck, Jim and Tom that Mark Twain points out the conflict between the individual and societies who, through characters like Mrs. Watson, continuously din the proper way to act and think in to us. In doing so Twain seems to ask if going to school, or being seen in church squeaky clean every Sunday, or having slaves make us civilized It is rather characters like Mrs. Watson and Huck's father-(who is a slave to alcohol) - who take away our freedom because they are far from free of their prejudices. Prejudices that were passed on to Huck and drove him to say, "I see it warn't no use wasting words -you can't learn a nigger to argue. So I quit." (80) Huck quits because Negroes were considered incapable of intellectual thought and reasoning-(so the prejudice went.) In other words Huck thought, 'what is the use trying to argue with a person who has a small intellect and no understanding' These words demonstrate that in Huck's society, a Negro slave was not considered capable of thought. Rather, he was a machine to be bought and sold with no freedom to speak of. This is why, "Jim said it made him all over trembly and feverish to be so close to freedom" (97). From these words we learn that Jim had never even thought of a black man being free; due to this he suffered from jitters and chills when he thought of freedom now. But finally when both Jim and Huck, find their liberty on a raft on the Mississippi river. Through this turn of events Twain seems to tell us that finally, only nature allows us to express our true freedom while social and political institutions do the opposite, "Other places do seem so cramped up and smothery, but a raft don't. You feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft "(128) These words reflect the fact that they could discuss topics freely on the raft without worrying about how people would judge them. "We catched fish and talked, and we took a swim now and then to keep off sleepiness. It was kind of solemn, drifting down the big, still river, laying on our backs looking up at the stars" This shows that Huckleberry Finn feels that there are no cares in the world on the raft and that they could fish and swim as they liked. This freedom was a new and positive side of life for both Huckleberry Finn and Jim. Through this book Twain implies that 'water' (fluidity) is a positive force that points to freedom while 'land' (rigidity) is full of restrictions. Ultimately both Jim and Huckleberry Finn long for the freedom that will give them happiness on the Mississippi river; and both of then aim for happiness, by trying to flee from the traps of society or politics. So to sum up according to Mark Twain, an individual can only be free in a world that is free of the bonds of slavery and social coercion. And this is only possible if we live spontaneous lives that are in step with our natural instincts. Civilized society Twain argues results in 'prisons of our own making' while only a life based on equality and natural spontaneity is capable of true freedom and happiness. Works Cited Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn 1885 Read More