Why Huck Choosing to "go to hell" is Ironic

Throughout the majority of chapter 31 Huck is faced with an internal battle with himself. One can tell that his morality is being tested greatly in the situation he is being put in. Jim was sold and Huck has to decide whether he will tell the widow that her slave was sold to another man or if he should go find Jim himself and set him free. The time period that this novel takes place in was a time when slavery and racism were very popular. It was against the law to steal a slave and that is exactly what Huck was debating doing. Huck was taught by everyone his whole life to hate Black people and that they were inferior. If he were to save Jim it would mean he would go to Hell. “ I was trying to make my mouth  say I would do the right thing and the clean thing, and go and write  to that nigger’s owner and tell where he was; but deep down in me I knowed it was a lie, and He knowed it. You can’t pray a lie-I found that out” (Twain 206). Huck tried to do his best and do what he thought society would consider moral behavior so he prayed to God about telling the widow but he knew it was wrong. He couldn’t pray to God if he knew it was wrong. Huck had to deal with a lot of confusion because he knew that the right thing would be to save Jim but he knew that society would not approve.

“It was awful thoughts and awful words, but they was said. And I let them stay said; and never thought no more about reforming” (Twain 207). This is what Huck after he made his decision that he would save Jim and go to Hell. Jim was very important to Huck and the two of them had gotten very close. Jim was the closest person to family that Huck had. He couldn’t just watch him leave when he knew something could be done. He was willing to save Jim and accept the consequences of going to Hell. It is very ironic when someone from this time period reads the situation because Huck shouldn’t be going to Hell for something like this. Huck is doing something very selfless and saving his friend. Huck thinks he is going to go to Hell for doing this but all the readers know that that would not be the case since he is actually doing a good deed which makes the situation of Huck going to Hell very ironic.

Humor, Allusion, and Sadness Found in the Feud

      The Grangerford - Shepherdson feud is very similar to the famous novel of Romeo and Juliet written by  Shakespeare. There are many elements that add life to this feud. One of those elements would be the literary technique of allusion. The whole fight is very close to Romeo and Juliet when one compares the backgrounds of both. The two stories involve two members of the opposing families to fall in love and create even more tension. Another more specific example of allusion besides the overall situation is the artwork of Emmeline who was a member of the Grangerford family that had passed away. " She warn't particular; she could write about anything you choose to give her to write about just so it was sadful"( Twain 105). She was very artistic. Emilia drew many pictures and wrote poems and the main subject was usually death. Twain puts great emphasis on how much Emmeline focuses on death. In a way it is an allusion to the Renaissance period where Gothic art was very popular and death was a main topic portrayed. 

      In addition to allusion, sadness was also a main component to the Grangerford -Shepherdson feud. When Huck thought he lost Jim who was the only person he was really close to he was devastated. Huck was left without anyone so the Grangerfords took him in when they came across him. He became very close to them and felt like he fit in. They treated him well and he was beginning to love each one of them. When he heard from Buck about the feud he was surprised they still fought it even though it was costing so many lives from both sides. When Huck came down one morning everyone was gone in the house because fighting broke out. "I cried a little when I was covering up Buck's face, for he was mighty good to me"(Twain 117). Huck had to witness so many deaths that day from the two families fighting with one and other. Buck got shot so Huck felt it was his duty to cover his face out of respect. It was very sad for Huck to see those that he grew close to die right in front of him.

      Another element that Mark Twain added to the feud was humor. In a way he was using satire to make fun of the novel of Romeo and Juliet. "Oh, yes, pa knows, I recokon, and some of the other old people; but they don't know now what the row was about in the first place"(Twain 110). This quote can be used as an example of the humor in the feud between the two families. Buck was explaining the relationship of his family and the Shepherdsons to Huck. Naturally Huck would be asking Buck questions since he had never herd of a feud before. One of the questions asked by Huck was how the whole feud came to be in the first place. Buck tried answering but he didn't know the answer. In fact, he didn't even know for sure if his parents knew the exact reason why the feud was going on. In a way it is very funny and almost somewhat ironic because there is so much hatred and lives being lost over a feud that no one even knows the reason for. Mark Twain incorporates allusion, sadness, and humor all into the feud between the Gangerfords and Shepherdsons.

Relationship Between Huck and Jim

                Huckleberry Finn and Jim have a very unique relationship for being two people of a different race. Jim is black and Huck is white, normally people of these races usually didn’t associate with one and other unless it involved the white treating the black poorly or giving them orders. That was not the case in their situation. Jim and Huck had a relationship that in a way resembled the relationship of a father and son. Huck did have a father that was a good role model so it made it easier for him to look up to Jim as a father figure on their travels together. When Huck was alone on the island after he escaped he was very sad and lonely as soon as he came across Jim his spirit was immediately lifted. Once he saw someone he knew he was instantly reassured and felt safe again. “Well, I did. I said I wouldn’t, and I’ll stick to it. Honest injun, I will” (Twain 50). This is what Huck said to Jim after Jim told him that he ran away from the widow. Huck promised not to tell a soul. They had an honest relationship and felt the ability to tell each other anything. Huck even told Jim about how he escaped his father and faked his own death. The two of them felt completely comfortable telling each other secrets as important as these because they knew the other was trustworthy.

            Another aspect that made their relationship seem like one of a father and son was how Jim felt it necessary to protect Huck. When the two of them went into the abandoned house that floated away they came across a dead body. Jim placed a sheet over the dead man to shield him from Huck. Jim didn’t want to expose Huck to something as frightening as that. Jim being the adult in the situation wanted to take responsibility and cover the body so it wouldn’t be a disturbance to Huck since he was so young and shouldn’t have to be exposed to things like that. Huckleberry and Jim also cared for one and other a great amount. “When I got all wore out wid work, en wid de callin’ for you, en went to sleep, my heart wuz mos’ broke bekase you wuz los’, en I didn’ k’yer no’ mo’ what become er me en de raf’. En when I wake up en find you back ag’in, all safe en soun’,de tears come, en I could ‘a’ got down on my knees en kiss yo’ foot, I’s so thankful” (Twain 89). Jim was so upset he didn’t even care what became of him when he thought he would never get the chance to see Huck again. He was so thankful he was crying when Huck came back after the two got separated in the fog. This quote shows how deeply Jim really does care for Huck. The two of them have a very strong and meaningful relationship.

Huckleberry Finn After the First 10 Chapters

Throughout the chapters one through ten of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn many things have been reveled about Huckleberry Finn.  One could consider him to be very intelligent. He is smart in his school work. Huck has learned to read, write, and do math which is very important because he is the very first of his family to be enrolled in school. “ And looky here- you drop that school, you hear”(28)? Once his father hears that Huck is in school he does not support it at all. He is not only smart in school but he is also very intelligent out in the wilderness. When he is trying to escape from his father to go run away to the forest he comes up with a brilliant plan to make it look like he got murdered and his cabin was robbed even though he just ran away and took all of their supplies.

Huck is not only brilliant but he is also full of bravery.  He had the courage to escape his drunken father and live on his own in the woods until he came across Jim. Huck found his own food and made his own place to sleep which take a lot of bravery to accomplish. The first ten chapters also make him out to be very superstitious. Huck tries to avoid anything that could bring him bad luck at all costs. If he happens to run into a situation that could bring him bad luck he becomes very paranoid. “ I didn’t  need anybody to tell me that that was an awful bad sign and would fetch me some bad luck, so I was scared and most shook the clothes off of me”(13).This is what Huckleberry said after he flicked a spider into a candle . The first ten chapters of this novel shows Huck is full of intelligence, bravery, and superstition.