Human beings long for freedom: for an escape from everyday life, from the iron grip of society or any other effect of life today. In Mark Twain’s book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, written in the late 1800’s, he clearly portrays the mighty Mississippi, the river that the story focuses around, as an escape from these sometimes brutal and controlling forces.
This is demonstrated by the facts that the main character of the book, Huckleberry Finn, feels free on the raft while he and the runaway slave Jim float down the river, by the fact that the river brings Jim closer to his physical freedom, and that the river provides a respite from whatever problems Huck and Jim recently faced. The river symbolizes freedom.
Huckleberry Finn feels free on the raft when he floats down the Mississippi river. While he and Jim float down the river, they enjoy every moment of it, as Huck explains in the book. Huck recalls “…drifting down the big, still river, laying on our backs looking up at the stars…” (p. 64), and “…we lived pretty high” (p. 66)-in other words, the trip down the river is a calm, peaceful, enjoyable time for both. He flat-out states that “You feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft” (p. 116).
The river brings Jim closer to his actual freedom, as he has escaped from his owner. After Huckleberry Finn agrees to help Jim escape to freedom, they use the raft to reach that goal. The two float down the river in an attempt to free Jim, and this becomes the main reason for their movement down the Mississippi. They continually become separated, then meet again at the raft and continue downward.
The river gives days of peace between the continuous harrowing adventures of the two, and between problems they always find the respite of the river. After a close escape, in which Jim is nearly found by those interested in the reward put on his head, Huck and Jim escape their hiding place and set of for the river, at which point they have a period of peace before the next adventure arises.
“Git up and hump yourself, Jim! There ain’t a minute to lose. They’re after us!”
Jim never asked no questions, he never said a word; but the way he worked for the next half an hour showed about how he was scared. By that time everything we had in the world was on our raft, and she was ready to be shoved out from the willow cove where she was hid. We put out the camp-fire at the cavern the first thing, and didn’t show a candle outside after that.
I took the canoe out from the shore a little piece, and took a look; but if there was a boat around I couldn’t see it, for stars and shadows ain’t good to see by. Then we got out the raft and slipped along down in she shade, past the foot of the island dead still-never saying a word. p. 62
In other instances, a close call sends them running for the raft-and for a short peaceful break. “It was the raft, and mighty glad was we to get aboard it again” (p. 72). In another instance, Huck says, “I was powerful glad to get away…” (p. 116). The raft and the river together bring them away from whatever problems and trials they may have just faced. The river is Mark Twain’s interpretation of freedom.
We can see this by the fact that the main character feels free when he is on the raft, traveling down the Mississippi, and by the fact that the river is carrying Jim out of slavery and both out of whatever trouble they may have found. Huckleberry Finn teaches his readers that they all must find respites as he has, stepping away from the shore and into the freedom of the river, whether it be the mighty Mississippi, or just a safe haven waiting to be populated.
