As Huck and Jim get closer to what they think is Cairo, Jim grows increasingly excited and Huck grows increasingly anxious. Huck feels an extreme sense of guilt as it kind of dawns on him that he is essentially helping a criminal, from society's point of view. On page 113, Huck is thinking to himself and finally decides what he truly thinks about the situation. "S'pose you'd a done right and give Jim up. Would you felt better than what you do now? No, says I, I'd feel bad-I'd feel just the same way I do now." Either way Huck is going to experience guilt and, for now at least, he chooses to continue on his journey with Jim.
In Chapter 18, Huck stays with the Grangerford family for a while. I thought this part was interesting because he meets this family and the first thing he finds out is that they are in a feud with another family, the Shepherdsons. Because the feud has been going on for so long, each family feels like they have a social responsibility to kill the other. It doesn't matter why the feud started any more-they are bred to hate each other and are taught that it is the right thing to do. When Sophia Grangerford runs off with a Shepherdson boy, it causes such a stir that it results in a full-on battle and the death of two Grangerfords.
These two specific scenes show social responsibility in a different light than you would usually expect. The technical "right" thing to do in both situations is not necessarily the obvious choice. Turning in your friend and killing people you have a grudge against are both examples of what specific societies felt are a responsibility, but they're things that our modern day society would definitely consider wrong. And because Huck has never cared much for doing things just because he is "socially obligated" to do so, he enters both of these situations with a different point of view (that is actually more similar to a modern point of view), and he is the one who would be considered wrong for the decisions he is making.
3 comments:
I noticed all of these things!!! Another thing that I found really interesting related to Huck's stay with the Grangerfords is how much attention he paid to all of the details of the house. For a couple of pages, he just goes on and on about all of the different decorations in their house. I found this related to Huck's social responsibility because Huck isn't used to all of the family-oriented things. Huck never had anything growing up, such as family pictures or art inherited. Huck has nothing, and he's amazed by all of the memorabilia in the Grangerfords' house.
Hi Erin! In my blog I focused primarily on the aspects of Pap and Huck in terms of their responsibility to society, so it’s interesting to read about the Grangerfords vs Shepherdsons. I didn’t really think about how they feel a responsibility to kill one and other and defend their family. I actually looked at it as the Grangerford family feeling a responsibility to take in Huck since he is a child in need. Anyway, you also made a comparison about modern society’s views in comparison to Huck’s society, “Turning in your friend and killing people you have a grudge against are both examples of what specific societies felt are a responsibility, but they're things that our modern day society would definitely consider wrong.” I said how modern society views child discipline as child abuse. Anyway good job! Bye Erin!
I completely agree. It didn’t matter what the current Grangerfords or Shepherdsons thought, they fought because they had to. In Huck’s society, you have to think like everyone else. Well, actually, not only in Huck’s society but also in every society, even in ours. Societies don’t like different thinkers. Our social responsibility is not to ask questions and to do what we are told. If we are told something is bad or how something is supposed to be, then the members of the society follow it. Those who do not follow it are cast out and looked down upon, like Huck. Since Huck is mostly on his own he did not pick all rules of society. Huck was told about religion, manners, and white superiority. However, Huck doesn’t completely understand all of these things, so I believe he will be able to form his own opinion.
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