Symbolism in Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Essay Sample

Introduction

Many authors have used symbolism to express certain sentiments, feelings, and ideas in circumspect ways. According to the definition in Dictionary.com, symbolism refers to the demonstration of addressing things using symbols. It also refers to the practice of attributing symbolic suggestions or enormity to articles, events, or associations. Mark Twain, whose is also known as Samuel Clemens has used quite a good amount of symbolism in his works especially, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" The novel is based on slavery during a time when it was one of the major parts of the economy of the antebellum south. The novels majors around a character called Huckleberry Finn and Jim and their efforts in seeking freedom as they float on a raft on the Mississippi River during their escape. Symbolism is used as Mark narrates the events that transpired before and after the civil war. He also uses symbolism to show how society then viewed slavery.

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Symbolism of the Mississippi River in "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn"

An example of a symbol that Mark uses in his novel is the Mississippi River. The river represents a symbol o freedom for the two escapees, Jim and Finn. The two sit on their raft happy that they will not have to answer anyone. Jim was a slave and he needed to escape to the free states. Finn, on the other hand, had an abusive father and was restricted by the civilization of St. Petersburg. The river carried them both to what they desired: freedom. After they find their freedom, they realize that the towns nearby had some influence and evils were happening around the banks of the Mississippi River. Their position on the paradise-like banks of the Mississippi River changes when they encounter wrecks and criminals on their voyage along the river. Also, they miss the Ohio river due to the thick fog that blurs their sight forward. The book progresses to show a different perspective: it ceases to be as serene as Huck knew it. The raft they use gets attacked by dauphin and the duke as both Jim and Huck move further south. They are forced to move ashore.

As Huck and Jim move further south, the duke and the dauphin assault the boat, and Huck and Jim must contribute more vitality ashore. Regardless of the way that the stream continues offering a safe house from bothering. Huck and Jim both escape southward, one in the greater setting of a constant buoy towards the Deep South and the other in the dove in oppression. The two moves away from the source of risk. This symbol of the river mirrors the trapped state of the South. As the journey of the two escapees progresses down the Mississippi River, which once gave off an impression of being a paradise and a wellspring of chance, ends up being just a flashing approach to get out that regardless pushes them even further toward hazard and pummeling.

Widow Douglas

Another symbol used in the book is the Widow Douglas. The Widow Douglas is a significantly respected individual from the St. Petersburg society. Preceding the death of her husband, her significant other had been a value of peace, and he was astoundingly regarded for repelling dangerous criminals, for instance, Injun Joe. The Widow is astute and liberal to needy individuals, and she had urged and offered haven to Huck even before she formally got him. Regardless, a dispute rises among Huck and the Widow Douglas since she's set out to 'illuminate' him. She needs him to watch the demanding social standards of the favored, go to a house of prayer, and go to class. To the extent concerns him, Huck needs to continue living like a transient, which he finds irrefutably logically pleasing. Huck escapes, yet Tom Sawyer convinces Huck to come back to her. Tom ensures Huck that he will empower him to join Tom's 'criminal band,' a social occasion of youngsters who play 'imagine' and envision they are burglars. Tom requests that Huck can join the get-together if he is an 'average' individual from society, so Huck agrees to come back to the Widow Douglas. She is a symbol that is used to civilize Huck. As the book proceeds, we see the significance of "civilizing" Huck. His ascent into manhood is represented by living with the Widow Douglas as shown by the phrase "It had all the signs of a Sunday school" (Twain, p.14).

The land has also been used as a symbol that represents bad things. The land represents the rot in society. From the land emanates risk and hid stunts that could be turned on Huck and Jim at any moment. All that they turn out aground, including animals, people, and vessels reliably bargain the relentlessness of Jim and Huck's enchanting conditions of living around the river. Strikingly, the River is the space of agreement and concordance. On the river, Jim is shielded from the people who pursue a runaway slave. Huck slants toward life on the river, appeared differently to land. Huck associates the land with bad thing that is why he is running from harm. Land represents evil considering the fact that he saw his friend Buck get butchered. Another perilous scene that develops around the land is when Huck prescribes that they set out a surrendered barge wreck. Huck is the more valiant and bolder of the two; simultaneously, Jim being the more sensible and cautious, is hesitant.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Mark Twain has used symbolism to draw and single out the theme of freedom. Huck and Jim can do anything they want as they escape from the norms of society. Exactly when they are intrigued about what's going on around, Huck just assumes the presence of a youngster and endeavors to get information: "I figured I would slip over to the stream and find what was going on... I turned up my trouser legs to my knees and got into it. Jim hitched it behind with the catches. I put on the sun-cap and tied it under my jaw... "(Twain, p. 54). This ingenuity by both Huck and Jim is the prompt result from the extra open door that they by and by have while they are on Jackson's Island, which is on the Mississippi conduit. They don't have to hold fast to the measures set by Miss Watson or some other individual; they are completely free. This open-door furthermore prompts the examination of various spots, for instance, the house in the conduit. Huck and Jim find the house drifting downstream and go inside to explore: "We paddled and jumped aboard clumb in at an upstairs window... we could make out a bed, and a table, and two old seats, and loads of things around about on the floor... "(Twain, p. 50).