Introduction

One of the most renowned authors hailing from his literary era, Mark Twain , who was actually christened Samuel Langhorne Clemens , was born in the small river town of Florida , Missouri , on November 30, 1835 . This is where the Clemens family lived until the time that Samuel was four, which is when the family relocated to Hannibal in the hopes of attaining an improved standard of living. Growing up in Hannibal appears to have played a major role in concern to influencing two of Twain’s most renowned literary works, ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer’, and ‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’. Twain detested school from the earliest age, and his academic disinclination is reflected in as much as the fact that by the time that he had reached his ninth year, he had taken to smoking and leading a small band of pranksters. And while these are traits that are reflected within the character of Tom Sawyer ; the relativity of Twain’s early life to the character setting of Huck, in ‘Huckleberry Finn’, tends to be comparatively deep seated.

Twain’s childhood & that of his character Huck’s; Introducing Symbolism

This is something that is emphasized upon when considering it in light of the fact that Twain’s disinclination to school is a character trait that echoes his character Huck’s disinclination to be an active part of civilized society. Another of the instances of symbolism, moreover, that asserts itself when considering the character traits of the young Twain to that of his character Huck, becomes clear when considering Twain’s apparently inherent sense of adventure. Just as the character of Huck leaves behind the safety of civil society, Twain too, in his youth, is known to have left behind journalism after realizing an old boyhood dream of becoming a river pilot. Twain’s being a riverboat pilot, however, tends to be the most obvious connection to his character Huck’s character.

In addition to this, moreover, the diverse twists in the plot of Twain’s ‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’ can also be said to be reflective of the dramatic shifts in the manner of Twain’s life. It would also be apt to acknowledge here that the thematic integration of the river in ‘Huckleberry Finn’, which is something we will be discussing shortly, is also something that was induced by Twain’s actual experience. Twain spent a significant stretch of time working as a river pilot; indeed, his pseudonym, Mark Twain, was one that he derived from the riverboat terminology meaning ‘ two fathoms deep’ (GradeSaver, 2004).

Addressing symbolism within the book: The Mississippi River ; Huck’s character

One of the things that become exceedingly evident when considering the Mississippi River in terms of the symbolic relevance that it yields within the plot of ‘Huckleberry Finn’ is its illustration as a resort or escape from the throes of civilization. This is something that is of especial instrumentality to Huck and his companion, the slave Jim; it is via voyaging the river that Huck and his companion make majority of their expeditions from place to place in their quest for Cairo and the free states . And elaborating on this theme, it is also quite clear that the river, while symbolizing an escape from negativities of civilization, as perceived by Huck as well as Jim, also idealizes a channel of proverbial rebirth or rejuvenation. This, moreover, is a theme that is made even clearer when considering it in light of the various situations of tension from which Huck manages to extract himself as well as Jim via taking flight upon the river. Freedom, excitement, and nature are the most important ideas that the river symbolizes.

Another of the instances of Symbolism comes forth when considering the manner in which the Huck’s character traits are illustrated; Huck’s character, first of all, as has already been indicated, is something of a reflection of the author’s characteristics when he was at that age. In addition to this, moreover, the character of Huck can also be idealized as a symbol of the author’s perceptual and conceptual stance (s) in regard to the societal features and parameters prevailing during the particular era (Railton, 2004). The relevance of this, moreover, is enforced upon even more when considered in light of the fact that the settings for the plots of both of his particularly successful works, ‘Tom Sawyer’ and ‘Huckleberry Finn’, are echoes of the same socio-cultural traits that prevailed within the locations where the author spent his boyhood and youth.

The relevance of racism and the symbolization of Jim’s character

It can be said that in particular, Huck’s character acts as a canvas upon and via which Twain paints an intricately detailed picture of the various socio-cultural characteristics of the time. Take into consideration, for instance, the fact that Twain’s rendition of the environmental conditions surrounding the ongoing demise of Huck is something that is particularly tailored towards giving the reader an idea of the normalcy of racism within the era. And a good example of Twain’s stance on racism is rooted in the character sketch of portrayed Pap Finn, Huck’s father. While Pap is portrayed as a racist, an uneducated and an alcoholic that physically abuses his kid, Jim, on the other hand, who is a slave, is illustrated as a caring, loving father and a trustworthy companion to Huck. And while this is something that makes it quite clear that one of Twain’s goals was to portray the racism of the time as realistically as possible, it also brings us to the symbolic instrumentality of Jim’s character (Cope, 1995).

Take into consideration, for instance, that while Huck’s own father has no regard for his son that does not harbor on some form of mean self-interest, Jim, who has no blood connection to Huck, displays exceptional concern for Huck and Huck’s safety. Considering that this was a period in American history when African-American characters were depicted as fools [made clear within such literary reproductions as “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”], it becomes clear that Jim’s humble passage from being a simple house servant to Huck’s guardian and savior is an outline for the heroic figure. His embodiment of such qualities as loyalty, faith, love, compassion, strength and wisdom, all traits of the dynamic hero, can be interpreted as a symbol of Twain’s disinclination from racist theologies. The contrast of Jim’s willingness to sacrifice his freedom and his life for the two white boys to the character of Huck’s father establishes him, Jim, as a classically benevolent character.