In chapter 16 Huck realizes that Jim is very close to freedom and he starts to question as to whether or not he is doing the right thing when he says "...it made me all over trembly and feverish, too, to hear him, because I begun to get through my head that he was most free-- and who was to blame for it? Why, me," (Twain, 109) Huck faces the social responsibility of whether or not he will turn in Jim. He knows he's breaking the law and that Ms. Watson owned him and she was never mean to Huck she always meant to do good for him so he didn't want to be unkind towards her. However, Jim later says that Huck is his best friend and the only white man to keep a promise for him, this makes Huck hesitant to tell on Jim. Just as he is about to turn him in he isn't able to say his name. Normally the social responsibility in Huck would make him tell on Jim but he also has a responsibility towards Jim and that is because of his relationship with him. Huck realizes that he's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't.
In chapter 18 Sophia Grangerford sends Huck to get her testament because she left it in the church, inside the book contains a letter which he later finds out is from Harney Sheperdson, her lover. This later escalates in the Grangerfords and Sheperdsons to basically kill each other. The Grangerfords had been killed and Huck starts to feel guilt because he thought the blame was on him. "...I judged I ought to told her father about that paper and the curious way she acted, and then maybe he would a locked her up and this awful mess wouldn't ever happened,"(Twain, 138) His social responsibility was to let Sophia's father know about the note he saw but he didn't act upon it because he thought it wouldn't be a big deal.
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11 years ago
I don’t believe Huck is dammed with his relationship with Jim. As far as I know Jim and Huck are taking care of each other and learning from each other. I do think though Huck was dumb for not telling Sophia’s father about the note. He is a smart kid, but he has yet much to learn about the responsibility he owns to others.
ReplyDeleteNice job!
ReplyDeleteTo clarify, I understand you and manny. In mannys sense I suppose he isnt because Jim is as true to Huck as Huck is to Jim. They both have much to teach each other and learn together. From your point of view, it makes life harder for Huck to own up to the majority's idea of social responsibility.
ReplyDeleteI like the fact that you brought up Huck knowing he would be breaking the law if he didn't turn in Jim. It's funny because he didn't find anything so terribly wrong in stealing another man's boat or witnessing deaths without reporting anything. Why is letting someone go free so much bigger than these other crimes which he never gave a second thought to? I think the idea of social responsibility is definitely different than how we perceive it to Huck. He sorta makes up his own mind on what he thinks is right and wrong. And yet, he still didn't give Jim up. I also liked your idea about Huck being damned. Honestly, I think no matter what dilemma comes his way he is never right or wrong, he's kinda just always in the middle.
ReplyDelete"Huck realized that he's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't." I think that's the perfect way to phrase Huck's struggle with social responsibility throughout the book. Turning Jim in would go against his morals, but fulfill his social responsibility and not turning him in has him question everything about what he was taught. At this point, Huck feels like he can't win.
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