Societal Flaws in Huckleberry Finn Essay

Throughout his adventure with Jim along the river, Huck encounters many different people and passes through many different places, gaining a new experience each time. From these experiences he gains, Huck realizes the several flaws in society and in human nature. One of these flaws is human gullibility. In his adventure, Huck finds himself in several troublesome situations, and in each dilemma, he takes on a false identity to get through it. While it is good that most of the people does not see through his lies, Huck comes to realize how gullible people are and how easily they can be taken advantage of. This realization is proven true when Huck lives with the Duke and the King, con artists who take advantage of peoples gullibility for personal gain. Although humans are the most intelligent animals on earth, they can still be extremely nave and gullible, and Huck knows this. It is this flaw that Huck sees in humans that makes him want to separate himself from society. It is these flaws that make Huck want to be separated from society.

Another flaw Huck sees in society and human nature is greed. Through his experiences with the Duke and the King, Huck realizes that money can change anybody. While there are many occasions where the King and the Duke take advantage of people to get their money, the most memorable one is when the King and the Duke pretend to be William and Harvey Wilks. In this scheme, they try to steal $6000 from the daughters of Peter Wilks. However, as Huck gets to know the daughters of Peter Wilks, especially Mary Jane, he soon realizes that this is wrong and decides to return it to the rightful owners. Although the King and the Duke did not get what they wanted, Huck did gain something. He learns what money can do to a person. He sees how low the King and the Duke are willing to go to get money. He sees how innocent, caring, nice people, such as the Wilks, can be victims to such crimes only because of the money they have. In Hucks eyes, money may be important to have, but it also causes people to do horrible things, which is why he does not want to remain in society and be civilized. In society, people need money to survive and strive, and Huck does not want to be dependent on money; he does not want to become like the Duke and the King, always wanting money and willing to do anything to get it, but rather be free from it and not let money control his life.

Another major flaw Huck finds in society and in human nature is the southern pride and honor. Huck learns this from his experiences with the Grangerfords. When a ship destroys his raft, Huck stays with the Grangerfords, a proud, aristocratic family from the South. While they are very wealthy and aristocratic, Huck chooses to leave to resume his life on the raft with Jim. But Hucks decision to leave is not because of the people themselves, but because of the blood feud between the Grangerfords and the Shepherdsons. This blood feud took many lives from both families, but neither the Grangerfords nor the Shepherdsons know what the row was about in the first place (pg. 100). They both shoot obliviously to protect their pride and honor. While both sides respect one another, they still kill each other for an unknown reason. Huck cannot see the logic in the feud, but only people being killed and the sadness it brings to the families. Instead of living in a society where people kill each other only to protect their pride and honor, Huck would rather live in a raft, away from society, where one feels mighty free and easy and comfortable (pg. 107)

After finding out that Jim is free, Huck is offered to stay at Aunt Sallys to be sivilized, but he refuses. He refuses this offer because of the flaws in society that Huck sees and experiences. In his adventure, Huck experiences many things, and through these experiences, Huck learns to distrust society. He sees the gullibility, the greed, and the pride that is common in all people of the south. It is these flaws that make other places seem so cramped up and smothery (pg. 107), whether it is Paps shack or the Grangerfords big house. In the end, there werent no home like a raft away from society.