The Spirit Within: An analytical paper on Huckleberry Finn"s Mississippi River
Michelle Ning
The Spirit Within
River: A large natural stream of water flowing towards another body of water.
The reader starts out being introduced to the main character by the main character himself. One will notice the carefree image the opening character is portraying. The reader soon comes to learn that this story is se out in Missouri, the place where Mark Twain was raised. Divided into three insignificant sections, the story is woven together by a young boy, Huckleberry Finn. Throughout the novel, one can sense a pattern in the storyline. In the first section of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck fakes his own death, and flees from Miss Watson, and Pap – civilization. Halfway through the novel, the reader will notice that Huck and Jim continually enter, and leave society. As the story concludes, Huck dips his right leg into civilization to live with Tom and Aunt Sally –civilization –only to take it out and head out to the wilderness. “But I reckon I got to light out for the Territory… because Aunt Sally she’s going to… civilize me… I been there before.” (232) Leo Marx called action, a ‘pastoral retreat.’ Huck represents the pastoralist – a civilized young one who occupies the space between art and nature- who ‘retreats’ into nature when things go wrong.
To relieve themselves, Huckleberry and Jim sits back on a raft, floating down the Mississippi River. According to Huck, being on the raft was the most comfortable place one could ever be. Throughout the novel, the River is brought up again and again – being the place where Huck enters nature to ‘relax’. The River is extremely important to the novel. The Mississippi shapes the novel to its exact form by controlling Huck/Jim’s voyage. Not only was it Jim and Huck’s way of transportation, it was also their pass to freedom – all the while, a spark for a new adventure. At times, one can even say the River was an example of the pastoral setting of the South, when the landscape is equally as important as the character. In some cases, this is apparent, when the river takes upon itself to help or bring trouble to the two loners.
Some critics go so far as to see the river as God. Similar to God, the river helps the runaway pair by providing them essential elements to live. Being provided with a substantial amount of food, Huck would simply “take some fish off of the lines and cook up a hot breakfast” (93) in the morning. But, ‘God’ wasn’t always kind and gentle. Being a character itself, the river occasionally brought trouble to stop Huck/Jim’s quest for freedom. The duke and the dauphin are welcomed aboard, the steamboat smashes the raft, and the River even raises a huge fog – leading to the separation of Huck and Jim. “I shot out into the solid white fog, and hadn’t no more idea which way I was going… I whooped and whooped… I just give up then, Jim had gone down the other side of it.” (66)
From the beginning, to Chapter the Last, Huck grew older for each chapter to come. When it all started, one would visualize his as an immature and unstable boy. Although Huck remains the same – overall – at the end, one could sense that Huck has matured. At the scene of Tom’s injury – bullet wound –, Huck gains control, and was willing to risk his life to save Tom’s. One could even say that Huckleberry acted like a father for a tad bit. “I told Tom I was agoing for a doctor. He raised a considerable row about it, but me and Jim stuck to it and wouldn’t budge.” (219) While, ironically, in the near beginning of the novel, the reader saw Huck lying, making up the most random thoughts ever. From this viewpoint, the River’s symbolism takes a different course. Not only was it a place for adventure, it was also a place for growth, and change to happen. The River is now the path of Huck’s transformation to manhood.
The Mississippi portrays a variety of characteristics through the course of the novel. The reader will soon come to learn that the River is not just a body of water. It is mainly described as wild, free, and a bit unruly – portraying Huck’s characteristics. Yet, the River also has a soothing, and peaceful temper. Throughout Chapter 19, Mark Twain allows Huckleberry Finn to describe the peacefulness of the River. “We had the sky, up there, all speckled with stars… we used to watch the stars that fell too… Once or twice at night we would see a steamboat slipping along the dark… then you wouldn’t hear nothing… except frogs…” (94)
Once on the river, all tension was released. Huck and Jim had the ability to do whatever they wanted. “[We] lit the pipes, and dangle their legs in the water and talk about all kinds of things… we was always naked, day and night.” (95) All racial tensions were also dropped. On the River, Huck did not think of Jim as a slave, but more of a companion, a human being. The River does not judge, Huck’s trips on the river allowed him to be himself, allowing himself be the person he wanted to be – that person being Huck. Twain’s goal was to make the descriptions ‘flow like a river’, and captivate the reader so that they would feel the mood of the river as well. Surprisingly, Mark Twain chose the young boy to be the narrator of all his complex observations.
For endless reason, Twain sets Huck as the narrator. But Twain’s main purpose for making the naïve child the narrator, was so that the reader will be able to form a special bond with Huck. With Huck’s humorous narrations, the reader can no only understand what has happened, but the reader can also participate with Huck on the adventures. Having Huck narrate meant more flexibility in the reader’s connection to the character. Though the curious event is when Twain lets a 13 year old boy speak the mind of a 50 year old – when Huck beautifully describes the scenery, and all that has just happened.
In his descriptions, Mark Twain tries to be as imagistic as possible. To describe the eloquent imagery through the voice of Huck required the use of simple language. Huckleberry’s diction is the old southern speech of a young adolescent boy. In some parts, Huck’s dialogue may be a bit hard to comprehend, but taking the time to understand it – and its imagery – makes the novel more humorous and beautiful. “Jim had plenty of corncob pipes and tobacco; so we had a right down good sociable time, then we crawled out through the hole, and so home to bed, with hands that looked like the’d been chawed.” (198)
One could say that in order to understand The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, one must understand Huck, and to do that, one must understand the spirit of the River. T.S. Elliot stated in the Introduction to Huckleberry Finn “We come to understand the River by seeing it through the eyes of the Boy; but the Boy is also the spirit of the River.” (333) To engage the spirit, Huckleberry teaches the reader the way to find relief as he has, by stepping away from the shore – society – and into the river – freedom – or any place that allows you to be yourself.
The Spirit Within
River: A large natural stream of water flowing towards another body of water.
The reader starts out being introduced to the main character by the main character himself. One will notice the carefree image the opening character is portraying. The reader soon comes to learn that this story is se out in Missouri, the place where Mark Twain was raised. Divided into three insignificant sections, the story is woven together by a young boy, Huckleberry Finn. Throughout the novel, one can sense a pattern in the storyline. In the first section of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck fakes his own death, and flees from Miss Watson, and Pap – civilization. Halfway through the novel, the reader will notice that Huck and Jim continually enter, and leave society. As the story concludes, Huck dips his right leg into civilization to live with Tom and Aunt Sally –civilization –only to take it out and head out to the wilderness. “But I reckon I got to light out for the Territory… because Aunt Sally she’s going to… civilize me… I been there before.” (232) Leo Marx called action, a ‘pastoral retreat.’ Huck represents the pastoralist – a civilized young one who occupies the space between art and nature- who ‘retreats’ into nature when things go wrong.
To relieve themselves, Huckleberry and Jim sits back on a raft, floating down the Mississippi River. According to Huck, being on the raft was the most comfortable place one could ever be. Throughout the novel, the River is brought up again and again – being the place where Huck enters nature to ‘relax’. The River is extremely important to the novel. The Mississippi shapes the novel to its exact form by controlling Huck/Jim’s voyage. Not only was it Jim and Huck’s way of transportation, it was also their pass to freedom – all the while, a spark for a new adventure. At times, one can even say the River was an example of the pastoral setting of the South, when the landscape is equally as important as the character. In some cases, this is apparent, when the river takes upon itself to help or bring trouble to the two loners.
Some critics go so far as to see the river as God. Similar to God, the river helps the runaway pair by providing them essential elements to live. Being provided with a substantial amount of food, Huck would simply “take some fish off of the lines and cook up a hot breakfast” (93) in the morning. But, ‘God’ wasn’t always kind and gentle. Being a character itself, the river occasionally brought trouble to stop Huck/Jim’s quest for freedom. The duke and the dauphin are welcomed aboard, the steamboat smashes the raft, and the River even raises a huge fog – leading to the separation of Huck and Jim. “I shot out into the solid white fog, and hadn’t no more idea which way I was going… I whooped and whooped… I just give up then, Jim had gone down the other side of it.” (66)
From the beginning, to Chapter the Last, Huck grew older for each chapter to come. When it all started, one would visualize his as an immature and unstable boy. Although Huck remains the same – overall – at the end, one could sense that Huck has matured. At the scene of Tom’s injury – bullet wound –, Huck gains control, and was willing to risk his life to save Tom’s. One could even say that Huckleberry acted like a father for a tad bit. “I told Tom I was agoing for a doctor. He raised a considerable row about it, but me and Jim stuck to it and wouldn’t budge.” (219) While, ironically, in the near beginning of the novel, the reader saw Huck lying, making up the most random thoughts ever. From this viewpoint, the River’s symbolism takes a different course. Not only was it a place for adventure, it was also a place for growth, and change to happen. The River is now the path of Huck’s transformation to manhood.
The Mississippi portrays a variety of characteristics through the course of the novel. The reader will soon come to learn that the River is not just a body of water. It is mainly described as wild, free, and a bit unruly – portraying Huck’s characteristics. Yet, the River also has a soothing, and peaceful temper. Throughout Chapter 19, Mark Twain allows Huckleberry Finn to describe the peacefulness of the River. “We had the sky, up there, all speckled with stars… we used to watch the stars that fell too… Once or twice at night we would see a steamboat slipping along the dark… then you wouldn’t hear nothing… except frogs…” (94)
Once on the river, all tension was released. Huck and Jim had the ability to do whatever they wanted. “[We] lit the pipes, and dangle their legs in the water and talk about all kinds of things… we was always naked, day and night.” (95) All racial tensions were also dropped. On the River, Huck did not think of Jim as a slave, but more of a companion, a human being. The River does not judge, Huck’s trips on the river allowed him to be himself, allowing himself be the person he wanted to be – that person being Huck. Twain’s goal was to make the descriptions ‘flow like a river’, and captivate the reader so that they would feel the mood of the river as well. Surprisingly, Mark Twain chose the young boy to be the narrator of all his complex observations.
For endless reason, Twain sets Huck as the narrator. But Twain’s main purpose for making the naïve child the narrator, was so that the reader will be able to form a special bond with Huck. With Huck’s humorous narrations, the reader can no only understand what has happened, but the reader can also participate with Huck on the adventures. Having Huck narrate meant more flexibility in the reader’s connection to the character. Though the curious event is when Twain lets a 13 year old boy speak the mind of a 50 year old – when Huck beautifully describes the scenery, and all that has just happened.
In his descriptions, Mark Twain tries to be as imagistic as possible. To describe the eloquent imagery through the voice of Huck required the use of simple language. Huckleberry’s diction is the old southern speech of a young adolescent boy. In some parts, Huck’s dialogue may be a bit hard to comprehend, but taking the time to understand it – and its imagery – makes the novel more humorous and beautiful. “Jim had plenty of corncob pipes and tobacco; so we had a right down good sociable time, then we crawled out through the hole, and so home to bed, with hands that looked like the’d been chawed.” (198)
One could say that in order to understand The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, one must understand Huck, and to do that, one must understand the spirit of the River. T.S. Elliot stated in the Introduction to Huckleberry Finn “We come to understand the River by seeing it through the eyes of the Boy; but the Boy is also the spirit of the River.” (333) To engage the spirit, Huckleberry teaches the reader the way to find relief as he has, by stepping away from the shore – society – and into the river – freedom – or any place that allows you to be yourself.
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