Since the beginning of time people have been living on their own. They have been relying on themselves to survive for centuries. In many books the characters also must rely on themselves, as Huck Finn does in Mark Twain’s book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Huck Finn is a book about a boy growing up , and his flight down the Mississippi River. Through his actions and thoughts Huck is able to survive the dangers of the river and in doing so develops self reliance and independence as well as non-conformity to what is acceptable to society. Huck Finn is definitely a non-conformist in the truest sense of the word. Non-conformity means to go against what all other people think and do.
In the book Huck chooses not to go to school,. and therefore it makes him a non-conformist because everyone else goes to school. Another example of non-conformity that Huck shows is running away with Jim. No one ever would think about running away with a black man. It is absurd ,because it is going against the rest of society and what they believed about slavery. Huck’s actions definitely makes him a non-conformist.
A third example of non-conformity in Huck is not wanting to be civilized. Huck says,”Aunt Sally she’s going to adopt me and sivilize me, and I can’t stand it. I been there before.” (294) This quote shows that Huck doesn’t like to be civilized like the rest of society making him an outcast and non-conformist. Huck Finn is a very self-reliant person and he shows it in his thoughts and actions throughout the book. Self reliance is to use your mind on your own to be able to do things. Just as Emerson said, “A weed is a plant with wise virtues which have not yet been discovered.” Huck throughout the book is a boy searching for himself.
Huck is self reliant because he does not know what he wants but through testing situations he discovers what he likes. Huck tries school but realizes it isn’t for him. He is self reliant because he is able to make choices on his own without any help.. Another example of self reliance in Huck is his ability to use what ever means he can, to get out of tight situations. Throughout the book Huck uses elaborate tales and lies to help him get through life.
When Huck goes to town dressed as a girl he is noticed as being a boy. Huck then says” I told her my father and mother was dead, and the law had bound me out to a mean old farmer in the country thirty mile back from the river, and he treated me so bad I couldn’t stand it so I stole his daughter’s clothes and ran off.” (60) This was all one big lie that Huck made up but it sure did entice the lady and Huck didn’t get caught. On the raft with Jim, Huck s self reliance saves them again with the story about his father and small pox. Another way in which Huck is self reliant is his humoristic way of thinking.
He is abused by his Pap but he doesn’t let it get him down. He stops fearing his Pap and just lives with it. This makes him very self-reliant and a very strong willed person. Huckleberry Finn is a very independent boy and it can be seen throughout the book in his thoughts and actions Independence is being able to survive on you own. This entire book is about Hucks independence and surviving and living on his own.
Huck shows his independence when he is able to catch fish and gather food so Jim and he can eat. Another example of independence is when Huck hides the canoe. Huck says,” Id hide her good, and then, instead of taking to the woods when I run off, Id go down the river about fifty mile and camp in one place for good, and not have such a rough time tramping on foot.” (31) Hucks ability to look ahead into the future and devise a plan showed his independence.. He showed his independence when he escaped from Pap and eluded the bounty hunters It was courageous and independent because he did it on his own without help and he wasn’t afraid. In other words Huck Finn shows self reliance, non conformity, and independence through his ability to rely on himself and his mind.
Huck survives adversity throughout the book and changes a lot making him a dynamic character. From writer to writer in every book there is a character who changes. This is also true in real life. People change and people are very different. Some are independent where others are followers. Everyone acts in a different way. Life is to short to know.
