Dealing with an abusive father, vicious dogs, being chased by a mob of angry southerners are among the many obstacles Huck Finn faces on his journey towards personal salvation, but more explicitly, the salvation of his friend Jim. During this journey, Huck experiences his own personal development, growing from a young rascal in a southern town to a mature young man, capable of thinking for himself. Throughout Mark Twain's novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the protagonist, Huck Finn, undergoes a climactic moral evolution generated by his rejection of societal values ​​and the friendships he forms during his journey. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Much of Huck's moral development is visible through his use of lies. He begins the story as someone who condemns the use of lies, but does so openly himself. He does this strictly for his own benefit. An early example of this can be seen in his conversations with Judith Loftus. He tries to convince her that he is a girl, hoping to gain information on the town's position regarding his disappearance. He performs this act only to help himself, without thinking of Jim's good, but only worrying about the possible consequences to which he could be a victim. Huck's relationship with lying changes when he encounters the thieves on the river. This event is the first instance of Huck lying for someone other than himself. He sympathizes with these criminals, eventually realizing that he must seek help for these thieves using his lie. His thought process is illustrated when Twain writes: “I began to worry about men…I began to think how dreadful it was, even for murderers, to find themselves in such a situation. I'm like, you can't tell, but I might end up killing myself, so how would I like that? Besides Huck's applauded example of sympathy, Huck uses empathy to help these criminals. He understands that he must lie because no one else would go this far to help the criminals. Huck understands that they are people and, although they have committed serious crimes, no human would deserve to face death staring them in the eye. This decision also brought a sense of pride to Huck. He understood the nobility of these actions, knowing that the Widow Douglas would be proud of him. He recognizes that he is beginning to become the person that Widow Douglas, one of the few examples of good beliefs in Huck's society, would like him to be. The final stage of Huck's development is seen when he lies for Jim. Huck, as many times in the book, comes to a crossroads on whether or not he should return Jim or not. He ultimately makes the decision to lie to two white men looking for slaves, a decision that could prove risky. When asked if the person on the next raft was white or black, Huck, after much discernment, finally replied, "He's white." Although this decision is not the first of Huck's selfless lies, it is truly the pinnacle of them, even if he does not even realize the positivity of his actions. He doesn't understand the nobility of his actions, which makes them all the more admirable. He sees no gain in this situation, knowing that none of this brings him any immediate benefit. Although lying is not morally correct, Huck demonstrates that using it for others can contribute to a person's goodness. As Huck's story progresses, he learns that he is notforced to accept the beliefs of the adults in his life, but can instead create those he personally believes to be right. This comes with his ability to discern what is wrong and what is right. He begins with an ability to question the beliefs of the people around him, but is not able to bring himself to go against these ideas and form his own until later in the novel. A specific example of this is Huck's encounter with the Granderford-Sheperdson feud. Even though the Grangerfords are considered fundamentally good people, due to the way they were raised, a flaw appears in their personal views. They see nothing wrong with this feud, brainwashed from birth that attempting to kill others for no specific reason is perfectly acceptable. Although feuding was not seen throughout society in the 1800s, this example shows that Huck was capable of seeing the flaws in their beliefs. However, the greatest example of Huck's rejection of societal beliefs is found in his journey to free Jim. Aiding a slave carried both prison time and a heavy fine, according to the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. While much of society believed that freeing a slave was wrong, Huck managed to overcome these corrupt ideas, deciding for himself that a person's well-being was far more important than any harmful laws. This idea was born from Huck's positive relationship with Jim. Jim provokes this internal conflict within Huck, leading him "to question whether to follow the laws of society or to follow the dictates of his own conscience." Ultimately, Huck chooses his conscience. Twain uses these examples to teach the reader to never succumb to the corruption of his society by displaying that independent viewpoints should be valued more than the consensus of the people. The friendship that Huck forms with Jim develops him. into someone who values ​​his friends over the values ​​his society valued at the time. The personal relationship between Huck and Jim had its share of pranks, all played by Huck on Jim. The three pranks performed increased in severity as they progressed. Eventually, they reached a breaking point. Huck realizes his wrongdoing, eventually reaching a point of maturity where he was able to stop. However, the nobility of his actions rests on Huck's recognition of Jim as a person, with feelings. He finally understands that his actions hurt Jim. Unlike the people of his time, he recognizes Jim as an equal and not as an object or property. Additionally, Jim's appreciation for the help Huck gave him contributed to their friendship. Huck did not realize, or refused to recognize, the great deed he was doing to Jim in helping to free him. Huck finally realizes his impact on Jim when he is told, “'Dah, go ahead, real old Huck; The only white gentleman to ever keep his promise to old Jim. » Huck remembers once again his sacrifice to Jim, a sacrifice that only a true friend would make. The quote is integral to Huck's internal conflict over whether or not he should turn Jim in. He understands that his society places great importance on escaped slaves. He understands that if he is caught, he could face persecution, both from the law and from those close to him. However, he realizes that he cares more about helping his friend than succumbing to what society would like. The final example of the change in Huck's attitude toward friendship is found in the climax of the story. Huck has learned that an alternative to reporting Jim is eternal damnation. His society has corrupted him in him?