Despite being written 44 years apart, Mark Twain’s novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn shares many thematic similarities with Ralph Waldo Emerson’s ideas presented in ‘Self Reliance’ regarding personal morality. Twain’s protagonist is a nonconformist who finds himself out of place in society, constantly coming into conflict with societal rules, such as with Widow Douglas and his father. Through the novel, Huck begins to question society’s treatment of African Americans, culminating in him treating Jim, a runaway slave as an equal. In this essay, I will argue that Twain’s characterisation of Huckleberry Finn as a freewheeling adolescent parallels Emerson’s ideas of self-reliance and nonconformityin an unjust society.
In ‘Self Reliance’, Emerson calls for individuals to practise self-reliance in the form of nonconformity. He writes:
“No law can be sacred to me but that of my nature I am ashamed to think how easily we capitulate to badges and names, to large societies and dead institutions.” (Emerson 63)
Emerson argues one’s “nature” is the most important, even over the “sacred” laws which are created to govern over individuals. Furthermore, Emerson’s allusion to “large societies” alludes to argumentum ad populum. In other words, Emerson claims that the opinion held by the majority, that is, society, is not always right. Hence, individuals should stay true to one’s self and disregard the expectations of society.
Twain’s portrayal of Huck’s nonconformity embodies Emerson’s ideas on nonconformity exactly. The Widow Douglas, Huck’s foster parent, personifies society’s expectations of him. She tries to instil law and order in the boy, to “sivilize” him into a well-behaved boy who would fit into society (Twain 2). The Widow scoffs at his habit of smoking, claiming that it is “a mean practice and wasn’t clean”, forbidding him from doing so (Twain 2). Her description of tobacco smokers, containing the words “mean” and “wasn’t clean” has an underlying connotation of being dishonest or unscrupulous. To the Widow, their habit of smoking tobacco is a symbol of dishonesty and disregard for the rules of polite society, which is why she prevents Huck from becoming like them.
However, Huck refuses to conform to the Widow’s desires. He rebels against her by secretly smoking from his pipe at night and escaping from the house. In Emerson’s words, Huck refuses to “capitulate” to the Widow’s expectations of him to fit into polite society. Huck’s childish naivety guides him to follow his desires and instincts, hence upholding his individualism over society’s wishes. Hence, the characterization of Huckleberry Finn embodies Emerson’s ideas on nonconformity to society.
Twain’s protagonist Huck can be characterised as a struggle by a young boy to maintain his individuality against an unfair, uncaring society. It is the same society which thrusts Huck into the hands of his abusive father, because of the ignorance of a judge (Twain 22). Adult society has not been kind to Huck. First, he is placed in the hands of the Widow Douglas, who forces him to conform, then he is placed back in the care of his alcoholic, violent father. Twain’s portrayal of Pap is skeptical, to say the least, of the merits of conforming to society. It is easy to see why Huck chooses to escape from Pap and society. Only by escaping can Huck be free to live as he likes, free from the influences of society.
Twain’s excessively negative portrayal of adult society certainly comes in line with Emerson’s ideas: “Society is a joint-stock company, in which the members agree to surrender the liberty and culture” (Twain 62). Emerson employs the use of metaphor, calling society a “joint-stock company”. He implies that society is callous and profit-oriented, calling for its members to give up their morals for the service of the “company”. For Huck, he gives up his “liberty”, where he is forced to stay with an abusive father, as well as his “culture”, with the Widow Douglas’ attempts to “sivilise” him. Twain’s portrayal of society as being unjust and stifling is antithetical to Huck’s personality.
Twain’s characterisation of Huck then fully embodies Emerson’s philosophy of self-reliance when he defies society to stay true to his values. After Huck and Jim reunite at the Ohio River, Huck defies society by apologising to Jim after lying to him (Twain 89). American society at the time would certainly have frowned upon Huck, a white boy, apologising to Jim, an African American runaway slave. Yet Huck apologises to Jim and “warn’t ever sorry for it afterward, neither.” (Twain 89). He does not regret apologising to Jim. Huck’s use of the words “ever” emphasises that his apology was not made in the heat of the moment.
Huck’s statement is given greater gravitas when we take into account the fact that the story is narrated to us in the past tense by Huck. Huck does not regret apologising “afterward”, from when he apologises to Jim to the moment he narrates the story in the novel. Huck hence openly defies societal norms by apologising to Jim and acknowledging him as a fellow human being with emotions.
Huck’s willingness to go against society, relying on his “nature” parallels Emerson’s description of children: “Their mind being whole, their eye is as yet unconquered Infancy conforms to nobody” (Emerson 62). Huck, like other children, has a mind that is “whole”, capable of comprehending what he sees. His “eye” is “unconquered”, meaning that his perception is not influenced by societal values. Emerson’s usage of the word “unconquered” conjures up war imagery, personifying the “eye” as an object that society aims to subjugate. Huck’s “eye” sees through the injustice and bias of society in their treatment of Jim. Hence, he can do things like apologise to Jim and treat him as an equal, things that American society would have abhorred. Hence, Huck embodies Emerson’s philosophy of self-reliance when he openly defies society, staying true to his personal morals by treating Jim as an equal.
By comparing Emerson’s ‘Self Reliance’ to Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, we find that they contain thematic similarities regarding morality. Primarily, Emerson espouses nonconformity to societal values in an unjust society, which Twain’s protagonist embodies by running away from St. Petersburg alone, away from his abusive father and the controlling Widow Douglas. Huck then practices Emerson’s value of self-reliance when he looks to his morals in his treatment of Jim. He does not view him as a slave, as society would intend, but as a fellow human being.
Works Cited
Emerson, Ralph W. “Self Reliance”. HL1006 Introduction to American Literature Course Reader AY2019-2020, edited by Christopher Peter Trigg, Nanyang Technological University, pp. 61-75.
Twain, M. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. New York, Penguin Books, 1994.