A major freedom that i think is in the book is the fact that Huck lives with the Widow Douglas. Even though he complains about being clean and going to school, he is living a much better life with her than he would have with his father. His father is an old drunk who would probably be unfit to take care of him. In chapters 4 & 5 this is shown clearly when Pap finds Hufk and kidnaps him only for his 6,000 dollars which he sold to the Judge for a dollar. You can even say that Huck got temporarily "enslaved" by his father when he was kidnapped.
Friday, March 14, 2014
Huck Finn Chapters 1-5
My topic is Freedom & Enslavement while reading Huckleberry Finn. This book has many prime examples of both of these topics, starting with one of the main characters, Jim. He is the first slave that is introduced into the story, and like most slaves during this time, he believes in superstition and legend rather than religion. This contrast is a major element to the story considering how all the slaves are superstitous and the slave owners are Christian. Which brings me over to the Widow Douglas, who is a devout Christian woman, a woman who claims to be a strong follower of God. But even with her beliefs and religion, she is a slaveowner.
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I really thought you captured the ideas of freedom and enslavement in your post. I do agree that Jim the slave truly is pro superstitions over thinking about religion. I also like how you capture the fact of Huck's freedom. Living with the Widow plus Miss Watson defiantly gives Huck more freedom than when he lived with his drunken father. It was a good interpretation when you mentioned that Huck might have been 'enslaved' by his father. :)
ReplyDeleteHow do you think Huck is "free" in his life with the Widow? How do you think Huck is "free" in his life with Pap?
ReplyDeleteI guess if his father is trying to extort resources out of Huck(the money) forcibly and violently, he could indeed be seen as a slave. I had not thought of that, it was something I overlooked.
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