Last Huck Finn post

In these last few chapters the best example of social responsibility that I would was in chapter 31.  Here, Huck finally decides what he is going to do about Jim.  Huck decided that he was going to save Jim! Yay! Too bad all I could thing through this part was “took you long enough”… Through the entire book Huck has been disregarding his social responsibility; I had a feeling that Huck would make this decision eventually.  (especially since we all know Mark Twain is a supporter of abolition).  So I have been flipping through the pages reading the story thinking, ok so when is Huck going to let Jim go? Rather than is Huck going to let Jim go.

Another instance of social responsibility that is ignored by not Huck this time, but Tom, is when Tom did not tell the duo that Jim had been a free man for two months.  It appears to be a theme that the younger generation in this book ignore their social responsibility and (from our eyes of the future) make the correct decisions.  This reminds me of the age lens that was in my research paper about “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson.  Younger generations really do see social situations through more clear eyes.

And so the book ends, Jim is a free man and the white people seem to be nice to Jim.  Huck still has his Sally problem. (what was with Huck staying with her when his friend was shot?!?!?!?). Aunt Polly yells at the boys (good for her).  Pap is dead WOOOOO! That is great!  So how does everyone feel about the book?

Do you think social responsibility is good or bad?

Does Huck follow his social responsibilities in the beginning middle and end of the book?

Should Huck have followed his social responsibilities in the beginning, middle and end of the book?

Let me know what you all think!!!

Chapters 23-30

So again in these chapters I see that huck is ignoring the classic social responsibility of the times.  In chapter 23 the conmen finally get their shifty play all set up and ready to go. (woo, this should be fun).  The audience realizes that the play is not what it should have been and protest.  By the third night the conmen and Huck have run away with the towns people’s money.  Here , Huck is ignoring his social responsibility to be a (for lack of a better word) “clean” person.  Huck knows that these men are con artists and he decided that he is not going to tell the people in the town this. 

Also, Huck basically says that these men are expected to be con men.  That there status makes it expected and almost acceptable for them to be crooks.  This can be seen on page 179 in the conversation between Jim and Huck.  Once again, Jim seems to be the voice that is attempting to guide Huck down the righteous and kind path.  Jim understands what good social responsibility is, while Huck does not.  Then later, huck actually tells someone the truth and I was like WOAAA is Huck actually following social responsibility (of telling people the truth)?  I thought that was something good Huck was doing (four for you huck finn, you go huck finn).

When the con men have a fight later in the chapters, I was thinking that they were cons for too long.  They are even thinking about conning their partner.  And also, I was thinking that when a person is a con artist, criminal, gangster, and so on.  Do they have a responsibility to continue rejecting social responsibility?  It is a crazy concept but it makes some sense.