Huck finn - freedom

Essay by EssaySwap ContributorHigh School, 11th grade February 2008

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As described by some, life is a search for meaning. Freedom, a core ingredient for meaning, is a central theme of Huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain. This book is about Huckleberry Finn, also known as Huck, and Jim's search for freedom and freedom in the eyes of others. Every character has his own view of freedom and in this essay, freedom in the eyes of three characters will be discussed. These are Huck, Jim and Pap; three characters who have different views of freedom.

Throughout the novel, Huck looked for freedom, a freedom to be what he wanted to be, believe what he wanted to believe and practice what he wanted to practice. Huck's intention was to break away from the constraints of society. He was introduced to at least three societies, that of his father, that of city life with Miss Watson and the Widow Douglas and that with Jim on the river.

First, he was living with the widow, where he had begun to get used to the life of society, however as he was introduced to the life with Pap, he realized that he did not have the freedom he wanted in the life with the widow. He didn't see how he'd "ever got to like it so well at the widow's, where you had to wash, and eat on a plate…." He "didn't want to go back no more…." On the other hand, life with Pap was "lazy and jolly, laying off comfortable all day, smoking, fishing…." He had freedom and fun, along with less responsibility. Nevertheless, he could not take the beatings that his father would give him. He found the life with Pap to be a totalitarian society, where Pap had all the power and would treat Huck like a prisoner.

"But by...