In the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry , by Mark Twain, the main character enters into a transitional period of his life. This character, Huck Finn, faces many situations in which he is forced to deal with decisions that foster with in them the ability to bring about change. Since transition is the process of entering change, Huck is searching for an identity which is truly his own. In determining his self image, Huck deals with conformity and freedom, trying on different identities that do not belong to him, and enveloping and shaping these new found attributes into an identity which best suits his “deformed conscience.”
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn begins with Huck under the care of Widow Douglas. Since Huck is so used to being unencumbered, “He sees the widow Douglas’ protection solely in terms of confinement”(WHIT 156). This is unacceptable to Huck because he, “loses his freedom amid ‘the bars and shackles of civilization”(WHIT 156). According to Susan Harris, “the sensory world exists beyond the narrow conventions of the human community and it is the place for the regeneration of the soul”(78). To put it in simpler terms Huck belongs out under the stars where he will not be bound by the community.
The next impedance in which Huck is faced with is the untimely return of his drunkard father. His father was merely stopping through to steal money from his son. So since he did not care for his son much, Pap did not feel the least bit inclined to treat his son with any respect. So Huck once again faces confinement, except this time it is in a log cabin. This time, “the only release is escape, flight and effacement of the identity through which bot…
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…s own, and enveloping and forming these new found attributes in to a an identity which best suits his “deformed conscience.”
III Body
Huck versus Conformity-Freedom
* 1.Huck’s stay with Widow Douglas
* 2.The flight from Pap
* 3.The Raft
Trying on Different Identities
* 1.Huck’s “Death”
* 2.The beginning of Huck’s quest for himself
* 3.Other examples of characters from the novel
Deformed Conscience(Good vs. Bad)
* 1.Huck’s religion
* 2.Huck and Jim
* 3.Huck needs a family
IV Conclusion
Huck encounters various situations in which he learns to adapt and react to each situation in a way he feels suitable. Through these experiences Huck learns and overcomes boundaries. Huck combines his learned knowledge into an identity which suits him and thus creates a conscience with which he is comfortable.
Portrayal of Marriage in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Portrayal of Marriage in Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice portrays varying attitudes to marriage. “The intricate social network that pervades the novel is one that revolves around the business of marriage”. Through her female characters the reader sees the different attitudes to marriage and the reasons that these women have for marrying. These depend on their social status and their personal values. The reader is shown the most prevalent and common view of marriage held by society in Austen’s time, and through the heroine, a differing opinion of marriage is explored. We are shown how marriage is viewed by the very wealthy and the values they emphasise in marriage. Through the characterisation of these women and use of irony, Austen has influenced the reader’s opinions on the characters attitude about marriage and that of their contemporaries.
Charlotte Lucas’s views on marriage conform to those of contemporary society. For Charlotte, ‘ situation’ is all. She requires no emotional motivation, only a willingness to participate in the arrangement.
marriage had always been her object; it was the only honourable
provision for well-educated young women of small fortune, and
however uncertain of giving happiness, must be their pleasantest
preservative from want.
She does not need even a pleasing manner from her husband, as is evident from her choice in Mr. Collins. She does not believe that love is necessary for marriage and thinks that a woman should take the first opportunity offered to her in marriage, and, possibly it could lead to love. This is evident from her comments to Lizzie in reference to Jane and Mr. Bingley.
When she is secure of him, there will be …
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