The river frees Jim from the oppression and devastation of slavery, and allows him a chance at being a free man. For Huck the river is a safe haven away from the Widow Douglas and Miss Watson and society’s constant strain on appearance and manners which Huck has no intention in following. Huck’s displeasure with society could not be more evident, ”The Widow Douglas she took me for her son, and allowed she would civilize me but it was rough living in the house all the time, considering how regu

lar and dismal the widow was in all her way; and so I couldn’t stand it no longer I lit out”(3). Here Huck establishes his opposition to civilizing, which seems natural for a young boy, what isn’t natural is him to act on it. Huck has lost all patience with society this is an obvious cry out for something different, he longs for some kind of transformation. “All I wanted was to go somewhere; all I wanted was a change, I wasn’t particular” (4). Here Huck is itching for a change he is on the edge of escaping his restrictive and confined society as he knows it and entering nature and a world of adventure. Huck and Jim have to divert from all kinds of civilization to avoid capture and imprisonment. Huck and Jim continue to travel down the river towards the south, ”I made two mile and a half, and then struck out a quarter of a mile or more toward the middle of the river, because pretty soon I would be passing the ferry landing, and people might see me and hail me” (35). This quote truly reveals the contrast between the freedom of the river, and the restraints of society which keep Jim from being a free man and father to his children, just nearing land brings Huck and Jim into danger of being captured and entering back into their oppressed way of live.

As the story progresses Huck and Jim each reject society and take their freedom. The river then floods causing the danger of society to intrude on the freedom and hope of the river. Huck and Jim encounter criminals, wrecks, and stolen goods. Nature throws another curve ball at the two when a thick fog causes the group to miss the mouth of the Ohio River, which was their route to freedom. The two take advantage of the flood and rummage through the wreck, “We paddled out and got aboard climbed in an upstairs window” (49). Huck and Jim’s ransacking of various shipwrecks once the river floods parallels corruption flooding onto the river. They gained many valuable resources from the wreck that will latter come in handy, “And so, take it all around, we made a good haul” (50). Huck and Jim make a good bounty of all the goods the

Some topics in this essay:
Huck Jim, Widow Douglas, Tom Huck’s, Mississippi River, Sally Sillas, Duke Dauphin, Huck Jim’s, Deep South, Ohio River, Miss Watson, huck jim, duke dauphin, river huck, freedom river, huck realize, middle river, truly freedom, society huck, jim free, river floods,