The End of Huckleberry Finn... WHAT?! (Chap.36-42)

To summarize everything up, Huck and Tom devised a plan to get Jim out of prison. Huck agrees to Tom's plan to satisfy Tom. What?! He lets Tom be in charge of the escape of Jim! Is he letting Tom take complete authority? Did Huck not grow at all? Has he gone through this long journey only to end up back to where he started? On the contrary, Huck has definitely grown much but the fact that he allows Tom to lead does not necessarily mean he stops growing. Huck gets an insight in what Tom believes is a proper way a prisoner breaks free and learns the poetry of it all. “Here a captive heart busted” was the phrase chosen by Tom to be carved into Jim’s prison. The phrase properly described from the start to the end of Huck’s journey with Jim. They both pursued after different types of freedom that spiraled them into this huge adventure in which they learned about themselves, others, and grew wiser with each choice as they traveled down the river.

In the end Jim is set free not because of Tom’s “brilliant plan” which he ends up confessing to Sally after he gets shot and wakes up the following day, but because two months ago Miss. Watson died and left in her will Jim’s freedom. Jim is free, Tom confessed everything after Aunt Polly unexpectedly visits and blows their covers but everything was fine, and Huck was free of Pap because he was dead and had $12,000 waiting for him with Judge Thatcher.

It all ended yet with another adventure hence the title of the book, the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. I noticed the title had a lot of significance in the story because Huck's adventures are what ultimately lead him to grow into his own character. Though he played a couple of pranks to Aunt Sally showing a bit of immaturity, he is after all still a child and children have to have fun once in a while. Huck grew up immensely and now every choice he makes he thinks through about it and measures the consequences. He found himself and it turned out he was adventurous because in the end of the novel he chose adventure over civilization.

Reflection of the Past...(chap. 31-35)

The major key event in the novel thus far is when the King back stabs Huck and sells “his property” (Jim) for forty dollars to buy alcoholic beverages. When Huck receives this news, his initial reaction was to breakdown in tears which demonstrates that despite their difference in race and beliefs Jim has a huge impact in Huck’s life and has become the closest friend and possibly the only closest positive parental figure. Also, Huck wrote a letter to Miss Watson informing her of her slave’s whereabouts and stated that he felt cleansed and almost a pure feeling for doing what is right. He also decided to pray but realized he “couldn’t pray a lie”. He couldn’t pray to God and promise that he will change his life style because he knew it was a larger lie. He realized that by praying he would not only deceive himself but also God and therefore decides to tear the letter into pieces. Huck thought of Jim and all they have been through and how Jim had said Huck is a true friend and he was eternally grateful. He said “I would go to work and steal Jim out of slavery again, and if I could think up anything worse, I would do that, too because as long as I was in, and in for good, I might as well go the whole hog.” To me all his doubt about turning Jim in was due to the society and time he grew up in and this meant that Huck finally decides to break away from his society’s beliefs to save Jim.

The character Tom Sawyer, the person Huck admires and worships appears, but as a reflection of an “old Huck”. Tom and Huck plan to rescue Jim but as we see in the novel they clash and varies ideas. Huck has more of a simple and safe plan and Tom has more of an adventurous plan to have fun. Perhaps if Huck did not have any connections with Jim and was the character from the beginning of the novel, he would’ve followed Tom without a doubt and even admire him for being a risk taker but Jim was important to Huck and Huck also matured over the course of time. I believe Tom's reappearance in the novel was purposely put in to demonstrate the protagonist’s past character and the present more experienced and mature Huck Finn.

CHAPTERS 25-30

From chapters twenty five to thirty Huck develops a feeling of compassion toward the Wilks family. He feels guilty for going along with the conmen, the Duke and the Dolphin but once he over heard the King's plan to not only take their money but also leave them homeless he struggles between what he should do. He experiences yet another moral crisis. It is pretty safe to say that in these five chapters he constantly has an inner conflict with himself. Huck is alway stuck between doing what is right and what is best for him. For example, stealing the gold coins from the King or when he put his trust in the beautiful Mary Jane and told her everything he knew despite the fact that she might turn him in to the cops or her family. By trusting her he took a huge risk and even put his life in danger if the Duke and Dolphin found out. He did this to help the Wilks showing a growth in judgment and mortality. The fact that he over thinks these situations and the complications in his life demonstrates his growth and that he does take responsibility in other people like Jim and this shows that he does not only care for himself. But beside growing up a little he also demonstrates his innocence when he finds it hard to lie to the Wilks family but when it comes to defending or hiding Jim he is able to lie very well. As the novel unfolds Huck seems to slowly find his own path. It is as if the problems he faces are molding him into his own person, into Huckleberry Finn.♥