Wednesday, February 16, 2011
The most prominent theme in Huck Finn by Mark Twain is definitely freedom. It is everywhere. Huck wanted to be free from his oppressive lifestyle both while living with Mrs. Watson and while living with his father. He was never truly free and able to do his own thing like he was after he feigned his own death and escaped. Jim and Huck were able to live freely and do as they pleased. They were to live off the wilderness and provide for themselves, for each other. Even when bad things happened such as the shipwreck, those robbers/murderers still wanted to be free. Jim was wanting to be free from slavery the whole time. The river is a giant metaphor for freedom and how it will take them anywhere freely, free spirited.
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I completely agree that this is one of the major themes, if not THE major theme of the book. I think when people read books invloving slavery, they automatically assume that the theme has something to do with slavery, or that the book revolves around black oppression. The deepest theme is definitely freedom, and the river being a metaphor makes complete sense as well.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that the theme is freedom. Huck tries to escape his hostile life that he was living with his father and live life on his own but being a free man. The river is a metaphore to his freedom that he seeks. Also, Jim's whole life he is kept as a slave but decides to run away and become a "free" man. Therefore, the main theme of this story is most clearly freedom. It can not be racism because the whole thing is supposed to focuss in on Huck who is not a slave nor a racist. This is why it can not be about racism or slavery and has to be freedom.
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