Enviornment Does Not Impact Conscience in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Essay by kgenest26High School, 10th gradeB+, November 2014

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! ! Enviornment Does Not Impact Conscience in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn!! ! Twain uses the changing setting of Huck to show that environment does not impact internal conscience. Throughout the book, Huck travels to many different locations on the Mississippi River along Missouri, Illinois, and Arkansas. No matter how many places he ends up, Huck always ends up doing what his conscience tells him.! In the beginning of the book, at Mrs. Watson's house, Huck and Tom sneak out and happen across Jim asleep under a tree. "When we was ten foot off Tom whispered to me, and wanted to tie Jim to the tree for fun. But I said no, he might wake and make a disturbance." (Twain 7) Despite saying that the reason to not tie Jim to a tree is so that he won't make a disturbance, Huck doesn't want to take advantage of the slave. This is an example of having a conscience despite his environment because Huck is in a situation where it would be completely socially accepted to torment Jim, yet chooses not to.! When Huck is kidnapped by his alcoholic father, he is in a violent surrounding. Pap abuses his son both physically and verbally, yet Huck chooses to see the positive in his situation. "It was kind of lazy and jolly, laying off comfortable all day, smoking and fishing, and no books nor study." (Twain 24) Throughout the chapter, Huck does not once say or think anything hostile directly towards his father, no matter how cruel Pap is to him. This demonstrates Huck's unwavering will to obey his conscience, as he is in a situation where he could be thinking wicked thoughts towards his father, but chooses to respect him.! Later in the book, while on the raft, Huck...