Huck Finn 5th Blog - Social Responsiblity

    The beginning of chapter 31 shows the social responsibility Huck has although it is not addressed. The Duke and King are going from town to town doing dance classes, lectures, and yellocutions in order to rip off the townspeople and gain money. Since Huck knows about their tricks he has a social responsibility to tell the people the truth about the Duke and King so that the people do not waste their time and money. But the reason why Huck does not do so is because he may get hurt or even lose Jim. Also in chapter 31 Huck has the social responsibility of saving Jim by either writing a letter to Ms. Watson so that Jim is at least taken away to a familiar plantation or to save Jim himself. "And got to thinking over our trip down the river; and I see Jim before me, all the time, in the day, and in the night-time, sometimes moonlight, sometimes storms, and we a floating along, talking, and singing, and laughing."(Twain, 242) Just like in chapter 16 Huck turns away from the idea of turning in Jim because of the friendship and relationship that has developed between them. He can't stand the idea of betraying Jim, he may feel like he is betraying Ms.Watson because she did no harm to him but Huck does not has a real friendship with her because she was more of an authority.
    In chapter 33 Huck has the social responsibility to tell Tom Sawyer what has been going on because he may be the only one that can help him. When Huck asks Tom for help Tom goes against the social standards and says that he is willing to steal Jim. "Well I let go all holts then, like I was shot. It was the most astonishing speech I ever heard--and I'm bound to say Tom Sawyer fell, considerable, in my estimation. Only I couldn't believe it. Tom Sawyer a nigger stealer." (Twain, 254) Tom is a lot like Huck and is willing to break social responsibility just as much as Huck does, but Huck is surprised at Tom because by trying to steal Jim is a serious crime. Also, Tom did not really need much convincing just about as soon as Huck asked for help Tom said yes.

Huck Finn 4th Blog - Social Responsibility

 In the beginning Chapter 23 the duke and king finally set up their play...only to rip off their audience. The audiences realizes that the play ended quicker than it should have so they protest against them by having the other people in the town see the play. By the third night the duke, king, and Huck runaway with the audiences money before they get caught. That night Jim says "But Huck, dese kings o' ourn is regular rapscallion; dat's jist what dey is; dey's regular rapscallions."  Then Huck responds,"Well that's what I'm a-saying; all kings is mostly rapscallions, as fur as I can make out," (Twain, 179) In this story it seems like the nobleman have the social responsibility to be rapscallions since everyone expects them to be mischievous. But if this is the case and since the audience did not know that they were descendants of noblemen they expected them to go along with normal moral social responsibility and not rip them off. If they had known that they were a duke and king this situation would have a different outcome.
     Also in Chapter 23 Jim explains to Huck how he had a family. One day he told his daughter to do a chore but she didn't do what she was told. A part of a parents social responsibility is to discipline their child so Jim responded by hitting his daughter. "...Oh Huck I bust out a-cryin' en grab her up in my arms en say, 'Oh de po' little thing! de Lord God Almighty fogive po' ole Jim, kaze he never gwyne to fogive hisseff as long's he live!" (Twain, 182) Sometimes when a character goes along with social responsibility they regret their decision. Jim wanted to discipline his daughter but what he did not realize was that she was deaf. There was probably a different kind of social responsibility Jim could have gone along with if he had realized that his daughter was deaf and so now he can't forgive himself for hurting her in an unjustified way.