Wednesday, November 14, 2007
fate versus self-determination
In the early going, Huck and Jim are clearly subject to social and historical forces which are beyond their control. Jim is a slave beholden to the whims of his master, and Huck has to contend with an abusive and neglectful father, not to mention the "sivilizing" influences of the Widow Douglas and society. Neither character has much control over their destiny (these overwhelming, controlling "forces" can be refered to as "determinism," or as "deterministic forces" or even by the term "naturalism." When Huck and Jim join forces on Jackson's Island and embark on their journey down the river, they begin to exercise greater control over their fates--they begin to "self-determine" their fate and their future. By the end of the novel, the journey to self-knowledge and indepence, or from slave/object to individual subject is complete. Huck decides "sivilization" is not for him and is heading to the western territory. Jim, it turns out, is a free man who can now go and reclaim his family out of slavery. Comment on this progression as one of Twain's most important themes in the novel. How does the doctrine of human freedom (or the evil of subjugation) fit in with the author's view on America? In what ways have our most sacred documents and institutions (the legal/judicial system, the U.S. Constitution, the Dec. of Independence, the Bill of Rights, the doctrine of Human Rights, Life, Liberty, the Persuit of Happiness, etc) been compromised/trashed by the institution of slavery and by base human corruption (greed, neglect, poverty, etc.)? As you make connections to other parts of the text, consider this idea of self-determination vs. Determinism (overwhelming social forces, circumstances beyond our control) in terms of your THESIS idea.
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20 comments:
A lot of this "fate vs. self-determination" is shown in the you cant pray a lie chapter, when huck decides that he wasnt brought up to be the kind of person that would sincerely pray that prayer and write that letter to Mrs. Watson. Actually, I dont beleive this is an example of fate vs. self-determination, but an example of how huck uses his self-determination to change his fate.
This novel really makes you reconsider the foundations of America. We say we are, "The land of the free." However, we are really not Jim is obviously not free, until the end but will he ever really be free? Huck is never really free. he always seem to be weighed down by society and in the begining by adults. It's an American lie. Sure we can vote, but is that really freedom? Souldn't freedom be more than just voting, shouldn't you be free to make the right desions and not be afraid of punishment.If that's what freedom, then no character is truly free. They are weighed dowm by the chains of bolded items. It's an American lie what this country sands for. It's hypcritical
i also beleive that huck uses self determination in order to determine his fate. he realizes early on that he needs to leave his home, because he did need a new start. Away from his abusive father was the only way to get a better life! He does struggle even when he comes across the Duke and the king, and Jim. They do help him but he still has to hold his ground and keep moving forward. Without his determination he wouldn't have left his home and changed his life for the better. He did that all on his own. He could have stayed at home, hating life, or move on. He obvioulsy choose to move on, and this changed his fate.
I think that 'fate vs. determination' has a lot of effect through out this chapter. All the documents of america saying that you have the right of life, libery and property, and the home of the free seems to not deal with huck and Jim. Both are not free, and if people find out where they are they both especially Jim will have to go back to their life of control. I have to say that that Huck uses self determinaton to get through all the hard problems in his life. He is determined to leave his home, determined to escape from his abusive father, and determined to fight for freedom and the freedom for Jim as well. Without this determination Huck would not be free.
Patrick Roderick
The reverse of Huck's and Jim's situation is a huge element that Twain implements. Not only is Huck trying to escape civilization but Jim is trying to enter it as something other than an object. Both are fights for freedom and liberation which bring our two unlikely companions together. With these two combined forces they now have the power to grab hold of freedom and then see that what they grabbed hold of was never freedom but actually just a conscience of what freedom really is.
Jody Putnam
Huck has realized that Jim is a real person and not just a slave. This change is a huge deal because of the society that Huck has grown up in. Blacks are supposed to receive no respect and are placed under whites. Huck has developed a friendship with Jim. Even though Huck is still struggling with his decision of turning Jim in and helping him go free, Huck has still made an effort to see things outside of the views of society.
Huck is finally relizing that Jim is a real person
This book shows that even though we might say that we have complete freedom, we are never free from the boundaries that the world puts on things.
i agree with you that throughout the story huck has is influenced by the code of the white people in regard to treating blacks
J3SS3 M1CHALSK1
I agree with Laura on this one, that he uses self-determination to discover his Fate. Huck knows what he needs to do and he can make perfect quick decisions, and knows where he wants to be. This is also proven obviously because Huck knows that he is determined to get his friend to freedom otherwise he would have turned Jim in a while ago and go where it would be best for him, but he wants to do this and hopfully the good fate will come by doing the right thing.
America is known as the land of the free and we can see clearly that Jim is not free. He is under the control of his master and of the morals of society. Because of society he feels unsafe everywhere that he goes. Thats why he is running away. The slave holding society is basically getting rid of the freedoms that everyone was meant to have in America. They are basically contradicting themselves. Another part is of following the crowd. There had to have been some people in that society that knew slavery was wrong, but they did not say anything. They just went along with everyone else because they did not want to be ridiculed or looked down upon.
michelle oswald
America is today considered to be "the land of the free," however it was not always free, espeically for people coming from teh same backgroudn as Jim. However, through self determination, our country essentially became free. I think Twain ties that broad concept into his novel by showing how Huck uses self determination to set Jim free. When Huck goes against all the determinisitic forces and lives his life based off of what he feels is right, he ends up getting Jim freed. I believe this represents the basiss of the freedom in our country today.
I think that by having a strong sense of self determination, anyone can overcome determinism. The fact that Huck and Jim did have that urge to embark on their journey allowed them to break free from what they would have become. If they didn't have that strong urge, the overwhelming forces that they were surrounded with could have turned them into a person just like anyone in their society. Huck would have had to deal with the widow and his father for the rest of his life and Jim would have had to stay in the grasp of his master and not be able to do anything to help his family. However, Huck and Jim's strong sense of self determinaiton allowed them to make themselves what they wanted to and disregaurd the overwhelming forces around them. This is just how other slaves came to be free. Along with the help of determined people to make them free, slaves themselves could change their current destiny and become free men with their own sense of self-determination in their hearts.
throughout the book huck is going on a journey and his goal is to bring jim to freedom. but through doing this huck himself is becoming free. he is no longer held down by the widow, his pap, or tom sawyers rules for playing. he is also free in the sense that he comes to see jim as a human and is no longer held down by the idea that he is merely an object
jessie kamachaitis
The book does start out with Huck and Jim having their lives controlled by societies. Neither or them had much control over their fates; their lives were already made up for them. As the story progresses, they start to strip themselves of their old lives and begin creating new ones of their own. Twain uses this to show a main theme of progression. But i think he also wants to show the reader that man will never be able to fully progress. Jim might never be completely free, he will always be black and there will always be someone to deiscriminate against him. Huck will never be able to full avoid the pressure of society and is mostly likey to fall for it every once in a while. Man will always have more followers then leaders, and will always naturally be cowards. So i think Twain is trying to say that people can determine their own fates, but it will take a lot of internal strength, and is pretty close to impossible to stray from natural human weaknesses.
Adam Krop
Throughout the novel Huck and Jim sruggle for freedom and liberation. This is what creates there inseperable bond as they both are imposed upon by society. Through the novel self determination is what fuels their efforts. I think through this struggle Twain shows his idea that freedom at one point had to be earned and you are not always born with it like it is stated in the Constitution. He showed that the journey to freedom can be a struggle and once it is achieved are we still completely free? Therefore Huck in a sense shanges his fate through self determination.
D 2 the amian
I think that all the documents in our history about our freedoms and rights really comes out in this book especially starting at chapter 26 or so. This is b/c we get the freedom of being our own individual, yet jim is a "runaway slave", instead of being able to not worry about things, he has to make sure he doesn't get found by someone. "Fate Vs. DETerminaTion" has a lot to do with this chapter, and i agree with laura and amie. Huck is determined to make the right decision and what is right from wrong by on the other side he is risking fate b/c depending on his decision, he could risk getting in a lot of trouble. HIs determenation to keep on moving and get through all of this and come out on top is really starting to show in this chapter.
Mark Twain is definatley poking fun at America and it's beliefs. The idea of setting a free man free is obsurd. This does not take common sense for the reader to understand. However, when people were reading this book when it originaly came out they were too oblivios to realize that this was the exact double standard that was persent in America. Mark Twain surley makes a statement about teh influence of society on a person's life. He illustrates the struggles Jim has to go through becuase his furture plans do not correspond with those that have already been planned for him. In the end the difference comes down to the people around you and the will power you have.
Mark Twain visualized a society where "all men were created equal", where the differences of race didn't matter but the fact that we are all human beings did and still does. I guess you can call it fate that made Huck run into Jim on the island. There was also self-determination in both of them. Jim was determined to rescue and reunite with his family, while Huck was determined to rescue Jim from the Phelps since Jim was his friend. Overwhelming social forces or circumstances beyond Huck and Jim's control would be in chapter 30 when Jim "disappeared". Huck and Jim couldn't have prevnet this from happening because they didn't konw and the two frauds didn't tell Huck since they knew he would go against it. Our most sacred doctrines have been trashed by society because here "all men are created equal" when the slaves are actually inferior to others, all whites. Moreover, kids in school were taught or brought up on the idea of white supremecy, which was totally unfair to people with a different race.The equality and friendship between races is one of Twain's most essential themes in the novel because it puts asides our differences in ethnicity, etc. and joins us together as one equal nation with similarities as human beings.
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