Elizabeth Janeway once said, “Growing up human is uniquely a matter of social relations
rather than biology.” In other words, a person develops his conscience through social
interactions. This holds true in the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and the
novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. While Huck learns to make his
own decisions as he realizes the true meaning of friendship, Nick preserves his morality
when he is better acquainted with his friends and relatives.
Set just before the civil war, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn depicts the journey of a
thirteen-year-old boy. In the beginning of the novel, Huck is an uncivilized and socially
inferior boy who blindly follows the usual custom of the society. But when he escapes
from the society, he learns to make his own judgements and decisions. When he is better
acquainted with Jim, he realizes that humanity has nothing to do with race. He realizes that
Jim’s frequent acts of selflessness, longing for his family, and friendship with both him and
Tom symbolize compassion and nobility. When a group of slave hunters wishes to check
Huck’s raft for runaway slaves, he decides that he should do something what he considers
is morally right; he saves Jim by lying to the slave hunters. Huck’s relationship with Jim
leads Huck to make tough decisions. As Huck’s journey along the Mississippi River – an
ultimate symbol of freedom – progresses, his growing relationship with Jim leads him to
question many of the teachings that he has received, especially regarding race and slavery.
