When children are born into the world they are completely free and
uncontaminated from outside influences and ideas but as life continues they grow
and are affected by society, their environment, and personal aspirations. All of
these reasons cause people and society to react in certain ways when confronted
with particular situations and people. Often the reactions to these
confrontations are based mainly on morality, yet no always as proven in The
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by the fictional writer, Mark Twain. Huckleberry
Finn, a young man who has experienced and survived great obstacles in his young
years, shaped his beliefs and morals but was capable of undergoing a
considerable change in both mind and heart with the help of his run away slave,
Jim. Jim and Huck had a relationship, which was transformed through time and
trust, but always had the reminder that one was white and the other was black.
This was a major influence on Huck’s behavior towards Jim but through the
progression of the book Huck’s attitude and respect towards Jim increases
considerably after Huck self-evaluates himself and society and begins to focus
on what is truly important but not always right. Huck is a strong-willed,
free-spirited youth who attempts to portray himself as a bad boy but often finds
himself doing just the opposite; however, several times he causes negative
situations which affects himself and people around him. When Jim and Huck find
each other after escaping their homes, they continue their journey down the
river together. One night Jim and Huck separate on the river because of the fog
but Huck finds Jim asleep after a few hours of searching for each other. When
Jim wakes Huck attempts to tell him that it was all a dream because they had
never been separated and there was never any fog. After lying so sufficiently
for all his life, Huck never considering how his lies affected a person and
especially a friendship until Jim told him.: When I got all wore out wid work,
en wid de callin’ for you, en went to sleep, my heart wuz mos’ broke bekase
you wuz los’, en I didn’t k’yer no’ mo’ what become er me en de raf’.
En when I wake up en fine you back ag’in, all safe en soun’, de tears come,
en I could ‘a’ got down on my knees en kiss yo’ foot, I’s so thankful.
En all you wuz thinkin’ ‘bout wuz how you could make a fool uv ole Jim wid a
lie. Dat truck dah is trash; en trash is what people dat puts dirt on de head er
day fren’s en makes ‘em ashamed. (Twain, 83) This was a turning point for
both Huck and Jim’s relationship because Huck realizes for the first time that
someone actually loves and cares about him and his well being. As a result, Huck
apologizes to Jim, which shows that Huck now posses respect for him even though
he is black. Through a misfortunate lie and situation trust and love was
rewarded to both runways. As Huck and Jim proceed down river they encounter
numerous people and difficult circumstances but always remain together as their
relationship and trust develop. In chapter 31 Huck returns to the raft to
discover that Jim is gone and that the two frauds, which they had been traveling
with, had sold him for forty dollars. Huck contemplates what actions he should
take, whether he should allow Jim to be returned to his owner or save him, but
as Huck reminisces about Jim and all he had brought into his life he makes a
decision rapidly; he was going to save his friend.: [He] do everything he could
think of for me, and how good he always was; and at last I struck the time I
saved him by telling the men we had smallpox aboard, and he was so grateful, and
said I was the best friend old Jim had in the world, and the only one he’s got
now…All right, then I’ll go to hell. (Twain, 206) This concludes that the
division between Jim and Huck has become so minuet that it no longer influences
Huck’s decision. He was not going to stand-by and witness his only true friend
and person who cared for him to be taken away without a fight, even if it meant
his after life of peace in heaven. It is quite obvious that Huck transformed
tremendously through the novel. He began as a self-concerned child who took part
in foolish make believe games, which he never enjoyed because he had seen and
experienced the real world and was not capable of replacing it with a
make-believe world. He decides, “that all that stuff was only just one of Tom
Sawyer’s lies.” (Twain, 16) Jim was not as much able to introduce, but
generate, trust, love, and morals into him, which he already possessed but
needed the help from an outside force. In the beginning of the novel Huck viewed
Jim as a much lower, uneducated, and foolish black slave, but soon those
stereotypes were almost deteriorated as a man with feelings and hopes replaced
them. Unlike Mark Twain who still possessed the same perspectives of blacks,
allowed the voice of the opposing society to voice their opinions through Huck
and his actions. Huck’s choices were not always correct because he caused
others to be put in great danger put he learned from his mistakes, mostly
through Jim, and was able to mature and separate what is important in life and
what is not and make his decisions based on those aspects.