Theme Of Coming Of Age In Huckleberry Finn

In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, the protagonist Huck Finn at the beginning of the novel is exposed to abuse and violence at the hands of his father, this damaging experience can destroy the innocence of childhood. But, Huck's coming of age is more a rejection of the hypocrisy of the society around him. The single most important development in his psychological and moral coming of age is viewing Jim as a human being, rather than a lesser slave. This particular example of Huck's coming of age takes place gradually, as their friendship builds over their journey north. In the instance that Huck is confronted with men looking for Jim on the river, he experiences a change in his morality that changes his character drastically. …show more content…
Huck lies to the men by saying Jim is his father afflicted with smallpox in order to prevent Jim from being caught, “because it’s pap that’s there, and maybe you’d help me tow the raft ashore where the light is. He’s sick—and so is mam and Mary Ann” (Twain). This represents the first of Huck’s transformation from immaturity to maturity. Huck determines that the bounty hunters are in the wrong and that Jim deserves his freedom as much as Huck deserves his. Although lying to the men may have seemed as a commonplace event for a young boy, it represents a pivotal decision that Huck made regarding his definition of right and wrong. Huck felt it would be wrong to send Jim back to a place of suffering because he himself was experiencing the same struggle. Huck established his personal beliefs much related to his personal identity for the remainder of the novel. This shaped the work as a whole because it showed that Huck finally saw equality between himself and Jim.
The bildungsroman novel, especially the moment when Huck comes of age, contributes to the motif of freedom in the novel. When Huck establishes his identity at that pivotal point, it separates him from the pretentious lifestyle that he was a part of and proves him to be a free individual. The action also proved beneficial to Jim’s freedom, the true meaning of the journey to northern land. By helping Jim obtain …show more content…
This important turning point allows for the development of the themes regarding freedom and equality. Huck's maturity development is evident in his understanding that Jim does indeed have the same emotions and relationships as all humans, although he remarks that it "doesn't seem natural". This is an important moment for Huck, and it sets the stage for his decision to "go to hell" instead of turning Jim in later. His decision to refuse the "morality" and “psychology” of society, and instead follow his own conscience is the very definition of