In The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn, a story written by Mark Twain a large part of it revolves around a trip, made by Huck and Jim down the Mississippi River. The author uses the River as a symbol of the good, although it is influences by the badness which revolves on shore. Each character has a different goal for Huck it is to escape his fathers torment and Jim's plan is to obtain his freedom.
The river itself is a paradise to Huck and Jim. The only way they think they can obtain freedom is by going to Cairo, a town on the mouth of the Ohio River, so they can continue to travel north toward freedom. They are free from "sivilized" society while adrift. It is their paradise, Huck and Jim explains it perfect when he says, "You feel free comfortable and mighty on a raft"(XVIII, 96).
Illustration of Jim and Huckleberry Finn, by EW Ke...
Traditional raft, from 1884 edition of Adventures ...
Huck and jim on raftThere only happens to be one defect in there plan, the Mississippi River is stuck between two banks, exactly the type of society and expectations they are trying to avoid.
Throughout there journey the duo encounters several obstacles or "adventures" that complicate their journey. One is when they encounter a wreck. They had no reason to board it except Huck felt it as an adventure. This impulse had them in close quarter with several robbers. That should have served as a reminder to both Huck and Jim that they were not completely free of the violence and cruelty they once faced but that it exists on the River, their so-called paradise. There next major complication is when the two passed the mouth of the Ohio River due to fog. This happened when Huck got separated from Jim on the raft because he got disoriented in the canoe. They later reunite...