Dealing with an abusive father, ferocious dogs, being chased by a mob of angry Southerners are just a few of the many obstacles Huck Finn faces on his journey to personal salvation, but more explicitly, the rescue of his friend Jim. During this journey, Huck experiences his own personal development, transforming from a young Southern town scoundrel to a mature young man who can think for himself. In Mark Twain's novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the protagonist, Huck Finn undergoes a climactic moral evolution generated by his rejection of social values ​​and the friendships he forms during his journey. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Much of Huck's moral development is seen through his use of lies. He begins the story as someone who condemns the use of lies, but openly does so himself. He does it strictly for his own benefit. An early example of this is seen in his conversations with Judith Loftus. He attempts to convince her that he is a girl, hoping to gain some information on the town's position regarding her disappearance. He does this act solely to help himself, not thinking of Jim's good, but only concerned about the possible consequences he might fall victim to. Huck's relationship with lying changes when he encounters robbers on the river. This event is the first example 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 shown when Twain writes, “I began to worry about men… I began to think how terrible it was, even for murderers, to be in such a situation. I say to myself, I can't say it, but I could end up being a murderer too, so how would I like it? In addition to Huck's laudable example of sympathy, Huck uses empathy to help these criminals. He realizes he has to lie because no one else would go out of their way to help the criminals. Huck understands that these are people, and although they have committed serious crimes, no human being deserves to potentially face death staring them in the eye. This decision also sparked a sense of pride in Huck. He understood the nobility of these actions, knowing that the Widow Douglas would be proud of him. He recognizes that he is starting 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 of whether or not to report Jim. He ultimately decides to lie to a couple of white males looking for slaves, a decision that could prove risky. When asked whether the person on the next raft was black or white, Huck, after much discernment, finally responds, "He's white." While this decision isn't the first of Huck's altruistic lies, it truly represents the pinnacle of his lies, even though he doesn't even realize the positivity of his actions. He doesn't understand the nobility of his actions, making them that much more admirable. He sees no advantage in this situation, knowing that none of this provides him with immediate benefit. Even though lying is not morally correct, Huck demonstrates that using it for others can contribute to a person's goodness. As the story progresses, Huck learns that he does not have to accept the beliefs of the adults in his life, but can rather create those that he personally believes are right. This comes from his ability to discern what is wrong and what is right. It starts with the ability to putquestions the beliefs of the people around him, but is unable to go against these ideas and form his own until the end of the novel. A specific example of this is seen in Huck's encounter with the Granderford-Sheperdson feud. Even though the Grangerfords are seen as fundamentally good people, due to the way they were raised, a flaw is seen in their personal views. They see nothing wrong with this feud, they have been brainwashed since birth that trying to kill others for no specific reason is perfectly fine. Although feuds were not seen throughout 1800s society, this example demonstrates that Huck was able to see the flaw in their beliefs. However, the greatest example of Huck's rejection of social beliefs is in his journey to free Jim. Helping 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 it was much more important than any prejudicial law. This idea came from the positive relationship Huck has with Jim. Jim causes this internal conflict in Huck, leading him to “deal with the question of whether to follow the laws of society or follow the dictates of his own conscience.” Huck ultimately chooses his conscience. Twain uses these examples to teach the reader to never succumb to the corruption of their society by demonstrating that independent points of view should be valued more than the consensus of the people. The friendship that Huck forms with Jim develops him into someone who values ​​friends over the values ​​valued by his society at the time. The personal relationship between Huck and Jim has had its fair share of pranks, all played by Huck on Jim. The three pranks performed increased in severity as they went on. Eventually, they reached a breaking point. Huck realizes his wrongdoings, eventually reaching a point of maturity where he was able to stop. However, the nobility of his actions is based on Huck's recognition of Jim as a person, endowed with feelings. He finally understands that his actions hurt Jim. Unlike people of his era, he recognizes Jim as an equal, not as an object or property. Additionally, Jim's appreciation for the help Huck gave him contributes to their friendship. Huck did not realize, or refused to recognize, the great deed that Jim was doing in helping him free himself. Huck finally realizes his impact on Jim when he is told, “'There, all right, old real Huck; the only white gentleman who ever kept his promise to old Jim.'” Huck is again reminded of his sacrifice to Jim, a sacrifice that only a true friend would make. The quote marks an integral part of Huck's internal conflict over whether to turn Jim in or not. He understands that his society places a lot of importance on fugitive slaves. He understands that if caught, he could face persecution, both from the law and from those in his life. However, he realizes that he cares more about helping his friend than succumbing to what society would want. The final example of Huck's changing attitude towards friendship is seen in the climax of the story. Huck has been taught that one alternative to denouncing Jim is eternal damnation. His society has corrupted him into believing that he must ruin an innocent person's life, just so he can experience salvation. Huck, someone who rejects the values ​​that society imposes on him, decides his final decision by saying, "Okay, then I'll go to hell." He decides to put his own first?