The Land vs. The Rive in Huckleberry Finn - 2339 Words

Contrast of the River and the Land in Huck Finn In the novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain it is apparent that there are two different types of lives that can be led- the â€Å"sivilized† life on land or the free life along the river. Living on land is a more socially accepted way of life where there are a lot of opportunities, both good and bad. Life on the river is a lot simpler. Huck and Jim find their new lives to be free of conventional rules and regulations and they decide to live the way they want and not bow to societal demands. Twain contrasts life on the wide river to the often problematic life on the land through Huck and Jim’s experiences and adventures. â€Å"Twain’s†¦show more content†¦He looks for comfort and safety, so he makes his way to the river. In the article Huck, Twain, and the Freedman’s Shackles: Struggling with Huckleberry Finn Today, Tuire Valkeakari emphasizes the fact that the river is a place where both Huck and Jim can be at ease. She states â₠¬Å"Life on the shore and Huck and Jim’s life on the water have come to represent binary opposites. Huck and Jim have witnessed terrible tragedies and encountered lethal hazards on the shore, but their interracial existence on the raft-their oasis- has become something of a semi-democratic arrangement† (Valkeakari). Compared to the outrageous incidents that occur onshore, the raft represents a haven from the outside world, the site of simple pleasures and good companionship. Even the simple food Jim offers Huck is delicious in this atmosphere of freedom and comfort. Huck and Jim do not have to answer to anyone on the raft, and it represents a kind of comforting life for them. They try to maintain this separation from society and its problems, but as the raft makes its way southward, unsavory influences from onshore repeatedly invade the world of the raft. For example, the meeting between Huck and Jim and two con men, nicknamed the King and Duke. Huck and Jim are hailed d own by these two men as they are chased out of a