Does everything you are taught have to be true? Since no one knows everything, how can we find correct answers? It is very simple: “You can either ask the question, or experience the answer” (Oneness University). The only way to teach yourself what is right from wrong is through experience. What is the point of asking a question, if what they tell you is wrong? Experience is the only way to learn for yourself because even if you fail at first, you will not forget the lesson. Almost all knowledge comes from experience. Huck experienced more in a couple of months, than most people do in a lifetime. The journey Huck embarked on, the people he encountered, and the events he witnessed taught him more about the corrupted society he lived in than all the books and teachers in the world could.
Huck was constantly being told his father had a bad influence on him. Though this was true, it would not have a strong impact on Huck if he did not experience any abuse or neglect himself. It is rather clear to Huck that he lives in a corrupted society based on his father’s insolent actions: “He chased me round and round the place, with a clasp-knife, calling me the Angel of Death and saying he would kill me and then I could come for him no more” (Twain 39). Even though Huck’s father had a negative effect on him, he taught him a valuable lesson. Pap was the perfect example of how not to live by. Pap’s unwillingness to be honest encouraged Huck to be: “don’t ask me nothing- then I won’t have to tell no lies” (25). Pap’s death showed that nothing good comes out of telling lies, being intoxicated, or being abusive.
Huck learned a few lessons from society; however, they were not practiced by most members. Miss Watson and the Widow Douglas taught Huck that he “must help other people, and do everything [he] could for other people, and look out for them all the time, and never think of [himself]” (19). Miss Watson and the Widow Douglas were good people, but they supported slavery, the worst form of discrimination. Tom is Huck’s best friend and another person corrupted by society. Tom is everything that Huck is not. While Huck is realistic and independent, Tom is stubborn and imaginative. Most of Tom’s ideas are formulated from the books he reads, and not from practice. He does everything based on what the book says, which prevents him from formulating his own opinions. While having fun with one another, Huck asks a question, “Ransomed? What’s that?” Tom replies with the answer, “I don’t know. But that’s what they do. I’ve seen it in books; and so of course that’s what we’ve got to do” (17). Contradictory, Huck has no influence from books and devises his opinions based on experience. Even though the boys are just pretending, Tom should think more carefully about his actions because impulsive procedures never have good outcomes. Huck’s ability to look at everything practically allows him to see the best option.
Why would you kill someone based on an old family feud you know nothing about? As absurd as it seems, the Grangerford family Huck encounters does exactly this. A Grangerford son, Buck, is the civilized Huck. They are intelligent, adventurous, and courageous. The concept of a feud is challenging for Huck to understand: “‘Well, then, what did you want to kill him for?’ ‘Why nothing-only it’s account of the feud’” (120). Even though the family is civilized, wealthy, and religious, they are still corrupted by society. This adventure taught Huck a painful lesson that even kind people can act cruel because of society’s standards. Buck’s death proved to Huck that it does not matter how much money you have or who you are, if you follow the rules bestowed by society, you will suffer.
What better way to show you are corrupted by society than by claiming you are a duke or a king? Even though Jim and Huck were the ones to save two men who claimed these titles, these men still attempted to appear on a higher level. It was obvious to Huck that the men were lying; however, Jim was oblivious. Their odious actions were encouraged by a greedy desire for wealth and power. Their longing for prosperity forced them to imitate the British family members of a deceased man. They did this for one purpose only, to obtain his money. In what society is it right to steal innocent people’s money? Through their actions, Huck learned another valuable lesson; you get what you deserve. Jim warned the town that the King and the Duke were impostures. As a result, the men were quickly confiscated and tarred and feathered for trying to steal people of their money. The Duke taught Huck an unforgettable lesson: “Make the best o’ things the way you find ’em” (136). His motto had a simple message, be happy with what you have, enjoy every moment, and if you do not like something you have the ability to change it. If Huck does not like society’s standards, he does not have to fulfill them.
Jim was a former slave and because of this, he was not accepted by society. This did not stop Jim from becoming Huck’s best friend though. Jim took care of and protected Huck on their journey down the river. How can a society want to harm a person with such kind intentions? Huck quickly learned that Jim is just like everyone else and does not deserve to be treated with so much contempt. Huck realized he is not superior to Jim, they are equal: “I didn’t do him no more mean tricks, and I wouldn’t done that one if I’d knowed it would make him feel that way” (98). Huck faces a moral dilemma. He cannot decide whether to follow everything he has been taught and turn Jim in, or go against civilization and free Jim. In the end, Huck made the decision to reject everything society has taught him. Huck’s upbringing allowed him to witness the fact that nothing good comes to those who follow the rules of society. Huck made the choice to free Jim, based on his own experiences. Even though this may not have been the “right” thing to do, it was right for Huck. All people should live by Jim’s example. He once said, “yes- en I’s rich now, come to look at it. I owns myself, en I’s wuth eight hund’d dollars” (57). Jim and Huck are both worth more than that. They learned from their mistakes and are optimistic for the future. Knowledge comes with experience; experience is priceless: “If we could sell our experiences for what they cost us, we'd all be millionaires” (Abigail Van Buren).
In the end, Tom’s Aunt Sally adopts Huck. Unfortunately, Huck is apprehensive to this: “she’s going to adopt me and sivilize me and I can’t stand it. I been there before” (307). Huck has never been civilized, so why does he claim he has been there before? He has not actually been there before, but everyone around him has. If being civilized means being corrupted by society, Huck wants no part in it. From other people’s experiences Huck learned an important lesson; nothing good comes out of being part of society.
If all your friends jumped off a cliff, would you? The answer is no, because you know the consequences. Just because everyone jumps off a cliff does not make it right. Likewise, just because Huck belongs to society does not mean he has to be corrupted by it. Huck’s upbringing allowed him to make decisions for himself. His many experiences in different places with different people allowed him to see the consequences of civilization. Doing what everyone else does, whether that means jumping off a bridge or following society’s standards, the effect is the same, fatal. Miss Watson, Pap, Buck, the Duke, and the King all belonged to the corrupted society. Their deaths proved that being civilized does not bring success. Huck’s experiences with multiple people allowed him to realize the importance of making your own decisions. It is better to follow your own instincts because what someone else’s heart is telling them might not be what yours is telling you.
No comments:
Post a Comment