Huckleberry Finn Theme

Theme A broad idea, message, or lesson that is suggested by a text. The message may be about life, society, or human nature. Themes often explore timeless and universal ideas and may be implied rather than stated explicitly

Theme What is the theme of Huckleberry Finn? Race? Freedom? Moral choice? Responsibility? A boy’s adventure book that got out of hand?

Struggle between freedom and slavery Jim fears the slavery of African Americans in the 1840’s South Huck fears the captivity of his behavior while he is with Miss Watson and Widow Douglas (regular baths and schooling) Huck also fears the abusive captivity of his father Jim and Huck find freedom in nature, on the river.

Phony romanticism, hypocritical Christianity Twain suggests that Southern Christianity, known for the Biblical idea that all believers are equal before God, is hypocritical, since they engage in slave-owning. Although Twain uses the “N” word to refer to Jim, he also brings the character to life, showing the reader that he is a real person.

Hypocrisy of Civilized Society Huck fails to see the logic in becoming civilized (getting an education) if “civilized” people don’t even protect him from his abusive father The Judge allows Pap to keep Huck, even though Pap is physically abusing Huck. The Judge is supposed to be educated, civilized.

Theme Find a sentence in the novel that is synecdoche (a part stands for the whole). What sentence “stands in” for the novel? Example: “You feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft” (116). Does this sentence reflect one of the themes? Finding a synecdochical sentence and relating it to a theme from the novel will earn you participation credit for this lecture.