1. Consider the quotation below from Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Self-Reliance" (anthology, p. 164 [38 of the source text]) aand reflect on how it might relate to the econunter of Huck and Jim with the Duke and the King, or of the latter two with the Wilks' family in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
"Our reading is mendicant and sycophantic. (anthology In history, our imagination plays us false. Kingdom and lordship, power and estate, are a gaudier vocabulary than private John and Edward in a small house and common day's work; but the things of life are the same to both; the sum total of both is the same. Why all this deference to Alfred, and Scanderbeg, and Gustavus? Suppose they were virtuous; did they wear out virtue? As great a stake depends on your private act to-day, as followed their public and renowned steps. When private men shall act with original views, the lustre will be transferred from the actions of kings to those of gentlemen."
2. Is Huck Finn self-reliant? In what ways / when?
11 comments:
Carolina Amaro
Huck Finn may be considered self-reliant, showing independence in survival, moral decision-making, and critical thinking. We can see this in his escape of his abusive father, faking his death, and thriving in the wilderness through his resourcefulness. Huck also rejects societal norms, for example when he helps Jim, a runaway slave, despite believing it’s morally wrong by societal standards, famously declaring, “All right, then, I’ll go to hell.” His quick thinking and clever lies help him navigate dangerous situations, demonstrating adaptability.
However, Huck’s self-reliance is not absolute, he also relies on Jim for companionship and moral guidance during their journey.
1) Huck and Jim's interactions with the Duke and the King are, as I see it, a symptom of what prof Larsen called a "colonial nostalgia" of which slavery is a remnant. The latter two claim in an absurd and admittedly hilarious scene to outrank the others, one being the legitimate heir to a title, and another the son of Louis XVI. Self-reliance disregards any claim to social hierarchy when it comes to voicing and formulating one's opinions, and that opinions' value, which we can see when Emerson (much earlier in the text) says "Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members. Society is a joint-stock company, in which the members agree, for the better securing of his bread to each shareholder, to surrender the liberty and culture of the eater." By rescuing nobility from an European past, the two are trying to establish an authority and a right to be served. As it were, the true way to learn and develop oneself is to read and learn for our own benefit, and not to try to impress others, which is what Duke and King are tirelessly doing (the latter, not the former, of course). This is particularly clear when they try to quote Shakespeare - in particular, Hamlet's soliloquy - making a mismatched speech of three or four different plays, completely nonsensical. But it is impressive, because surely, it must be Shakespeare. And it is impressive because it comes from a Duke's memory. Of course, at this point, Huck has already figured out that these two are pure swindlers, but you can see the claim to authority throughout the "adventures" that follow.
Sorry, I forgot to sign! Beatriz Simões
Throughout “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”, Huck shows not only a fair amount of self-reliance, but also self-governance. He doesn’t let social rules and expectations dictate his actions and comes up with successful plans to aid him in his journey, escaping Pap’s house and intelligently faking his own murder, later managing to survive far from home in the wilderness and using his quick thinking to get through tight situations, such as when he told two men his family had smallpox to avoid them spotting Jim.
He does, however, also occasionally rely on others for help or guidance, being unable to come up with ways to get out of certain situations or not managing to lie well enough to convince people of what he is saying.
In the last chapters of the book, he allows Tom Sawyer to go through with his overly complicated plan to rescue Jim and follows what he says (even deciding to do so before they even came up with their plans) instead of doing what Huck himself thinks is easier, showing not a complete lack of self-reliance, considering Huck did come up with his own plan, but an obedience which contrasts with the rest of the novel.
River Santiago
2)Huck can be considered self-reliant in several aspects due to his journey in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and these characteristics reflect with Emerson's ideas in Self-Reliance. However, Huck's concept of self-reliance is more practical and intuitive than Emerson's transcendentalism.
Huck demonstrates being self-reliant when he survives alone in difficult situations, such as when he escapes from his abusive father or when he travells and lives on the Mississippi River with Jim. He demonstrates being naive, but adapting to his environment and creating solutions to practical problems, such as building shelters and tricking people to avoid that he and Jim would be caught. This demonstrates his independence.
Huck challanges the racist and slavery norms imposed by society by helping Jim, though he believes it would make him a “sinner”. He follows his interior morality rather than society's laws or values.
Emerson writes that we should listen to our “inner voice” and be true to it, even if it means defying convention that seem to be always what we need to belive and follow, and Huck, when deciding that he would “go to hell” rather than betray Jim, exemplifies this kind of authenticity and moral bravery.
2- In "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn", Huck Finn shows that he is very self-reliant, both in how he survives and how he thinks for himself. Since Huck doesn’t have much support from adults (his father is abusive, and Miss Watson and Widow Douglas try to force their strict beliefs on him) he learns to take care of himself and make his own decisions. This independence is a big part of who he is.
Huck’s ability to survive on his own is clear when he escapes from his father’s cabin. He carefully plans his escape, making it look like he was murdered to keep anyone from looking for him. On the river, Huck is also very resourceful. He catches fish, hunts for food, and adapts to whatever challenges come his way. These moments show that Huck can handle himself without depending on others.
Huck is also independent in how he thinks. He often questions the rules and beliefs that society teaches him, like the idea that helping Jim escape is wrong. Even though Huck feels guilty and thinks he might go to hell for helping Jim, he decides to follow his heart and do what he thinks is right. This shows that he doesn’t just accept what people tell him, he makes his own choices.
Even though Huck relies on Jim for friendship and teamwork, he is still very self-reliant. He uses his instincts and critical thinking to survive and do what he believes is right, even when society disagrees.
Cristiano Araújo 164943
2) Huckleberry Finn is an incredibly self-reliant character, both in a practical and moral dimension.
An overview of the climatic moment when Huck decides to tear up the letter he had written to miss Watson, reveals substantial ethical self-reliance. He states “All right, then, I’ll go to hell” and tears it up. This autonomous usage of his inner moral compass, completely defying a civilization that supports slavery, is a microcosm of the self-reliant moral judgement visible throughout the entire story. From believing that aiding a runaway slave is sinful (conformance/dependence to society’s corrupt morality) to not bowing to these societal arbitrary conventions, Huck evolves in intellectual independence.
Huck’s “outlawsish” status in helping Jim, as the repetitive resolution to his moral dilemma, by itself showcases courageous self-reliance. His moral triumph emergent from inner turmoil heavily demands this trait, especially in a slave state (Missouri) with opposite moral teachings. He can only be heroic to our eyes because he is self-reliant.
Now, there are also several simpler occurrences exhibiting the typical practical self-sufficiency. Let’s list a few, shall we?
- When Huck fakes his own death to escape his father, he carefully stages a murder scene (spills the pig’s blood). The way he plans and executes the escape shows reliance on self-resourcefulness and meticulousness to flee his perilous captivity: “(…) I pulled out some of my hair, and bloodied the axe good (…) Then I took up the pig and held him to my breast with my jacket (…)”.
- Huck’s ability to outwit and expose the con men (the Duke and the King) is a testament to his reliance on a specific set of skills, including quick thinking, cunningness and wit.
- After Huck becomes involved with the feuding Grangerford and Shepherdson families, he realizes that the situation is too dangerous. He decides to leave the area on his own, rather than staying involved in the violence. Huck doesn't wait for anyone to tell him what to do or offer help. Instead, he uses his judgment to extricate himself from a harmful situation, relying on his own instincts and survival skills.
Is Huck Finn self-reliant? Absolutely. The entire moral journey of the protagonist presupposes an abundance of this particular trait: Huck certainly needs to rely on his own moral compass in a world where society dictates right from wrong incorrectly. Besides demonstrating, on the several occasions pointed above, a practical self-reliance (as seen is in his survival in the wilderness), he also displays tremendous intellectual self-sufficiency.
Matias Castiel
2. Huck Finn can be considered, to some extent, self-reliant. He escapes his abusive father by creating a creative plan where he fakes his own death. Hides in an island, finds food and shelter demonstrating good survival skills. He has a great capacity for survival. Huck seems to not need anyone to help him make decisions, and therefore it could be argued that he is extremely self-reliant. But we see that he is not truly self-reliant because he lives conflicted with societal expectations, he almost turns Jim in as that is what he thinks he should do. If he was self-reliant he would not care about societal expectations, and would do what he thought right without feeling guilty or feering he was going to hell because of it. In conclusion, I believe that in terms of practical skills he is very self-reliant but not in the moral sense.
Carlota Lopes
1.The duke and the king’s swindler ways in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn stand in stark contrast to Huck’s road to self-reliance. Whereas Emerson demands that we trust our abilities and moral integrity, the Duke and the King use lies and manipulation to prey upon others. Their cold plot to pose as the mournful brothers of Peter Wilks in order to swipe an inheritance is a repudiation of the honest, self-reliant life Emerson extols.
At the same time, we see But Huck’s progress in his moral development. Huck is initially guided by the social norms of his tim. However, as he grows closer to Jim, he becomes more willing to trust his own instincts. The pivotal act that he ultimately chooses to do: helping Jim escape — even though he believes that’s against the law — is an act of loyalty to his own inner moral compass over the expectations of society.
The Duke and the King’s behavior is a foil to Huck’s growth. Huck’s acceptance of values like honesty and idependance is a role model of Emerson’s philosophy of self-reliance as Twain emphasizes the virtue of adhering to one’s moral beliefs and rejecting both exploitation and corruption.
Ana Beatriz Gonçalves
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