Society’s Ideology and Influence in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Mark Twain, a classic American novelist, is considered an acclaimed author on society and religion, noted for the immoral and moral influences in his novels. These suggestive and occasionally vulgar thoughts can be found in his novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Throughout the plot, Huck Finn escapes St. Petersburg with an uneducated slave named Jim, while Twain uses the ideology of society as a base for the actions of Huck. Religion and society alter Huck Finn’s conscience so much that moral decisions become a challenge for him throughout the novel. Although Huck escapes the doomed society, he cannot escape the constant thoughts of abuse, slavery, and other mannerisms placed in his mind. Eventually, Huck breaks the social construction and decides to “go to hell” for what he believes is morally right. Twain uses religion, enslavement, and other beliefs of this era to display how the ideology of society can influence Huck Finn’s conscience and perception.

The period of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a time of moral confusion amongst society. "Good" white people such as the widow Douglas and Aunt Sally have no interest in the injustice and cruelty of slaves, but are still shown as caring and thoughtful characters. The hypocrisy of slavery not only corrupts the oppressed but also the oppressors. Huck is an example of a corrupt oppressed child who has subconsciously been negatively influenced by Pap Finn, the Watsons, and the rest of St. Petersburg. Huck even believes for sometime that black men who believe that magic exists can be performed with "a hair ball as big as your fist" (Twain 2). Huck appears to have been taught that black people are ignorant and that they must be treated like objects of property. Even after Huck has escaped the doomed society, he cannot help but compare the theft of Jim with that of property like a “Sunday school book” or a "watermelon" (Twain 186). Huck does not want to be owned by anyone or even "sivilized" by anyone, yet finds it perfectly acceptable for the white people of St. Petersburg to own black slaves (Twain 19). Huck feels a constant battle with his conscience over returning Jim to his owner, Miss Watson or letting him be free. He feels a constant battle over right or wrong; the problem is he does not understand which action is right and which action is wrong. Huck is feeling “so mean and so miserable [he] most wished [he] was dead” (Twain 66). Finally, at the end of Huck’s moral development, he finally perceives Jim as a person and a friend, unlike the rest of the incoherent society.

Although the racist society has altered Huck’s view of black slaves, Huck's relationship with Jim significantly helps him to realize how cruel and dehumanizing the treatment of slaves actually is. Huck's relationship with his father, Pap Finn almost resembles a master and a slave. When Huck and Jim stumble