Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Symbolism of the raft
At the end of Chapter 18 Huck says, "I was powerful glad to get away from the feuds, and so was Jim to get away from the swamp. We said there warn't no home like a raft, after all. other places do seem so cramped and smothery, but a raft don't. You feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft. " What does this scene/quote say about 1) the longing for freedom and the expression of human desire, and/or how does it speak to Twain's vision of the conditions that are necessary for Democracy to thrive. You might also consider the symbolism of the raft in general. Compare the kind of relationship Huck and Jim are able to build there (transcending their differences, racial or otherwise) to the corruption found in society/on the shore. Again, how does this constitute twain's blueprint for an enlightened society?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
37 comments:
the raft does symbolism there frenship as it growes
Patrick Roderick
On the raft Huck and Jim live in a sheltered society of just the two of them. When they leave the raft however they meet all the prejudices of white society. The freedom that Huck expresses on the raft is actualy not new. At the very beggining of the book Huck ran away in order to be free. At the same time however Huck has another emotion that he expresses a lot at the start of the book: Loneliness. Having Jim around to comfort Huck makes the raft a complete package of free and easy living.
Shelby Gluck
The raft is metaphorical for a different world for Jim and Huck. They don't have to deal with troublesome people or have any responsibilities (that is, before the King and Duke). They sleep and eat whenever they want. The raft almost completely separates them from the real world.They can escape from all their problems: Huck's father (who he believes is alvie), people looking for runaway slaves, etc.
I think that for Huck and Jim, the raft is a place where they can put aside the differences that would separate them in a real life social setting and really get to know each other on a personal level. I think it also represents Twain’s vision of true democracy, a system where everyone is valued not for trivial things such as race or religion, but for their ideas, and opinions. But even though they become close, Huck still doesn't realize that Jim should not be property. I think this is Twain's way of showing the system is still flawed, though improving.
personally i think the raft shows diffrent ways of symbolism.After leaving the raft they are forced to depend on each other for more than what they had to in the beginging now everything is depeneded upon eachother. Which helps make them stronger together throgh the rest of the book.
Shelby Gluck
This quote also shows how Huck wants to be free from the world, able to make his own decisions. Previous to their experiences on the raft, Huck was controlled by his father or Mrs. Watson. Huck wants many things: freedom, friendship, and comfort. He finds all these on the raft with Jim. This stays intact until the King and the Duke enter the story. They force him to lie, act, and are bad to Jim. This shows that absolute rulers are corrupt and repress their people, and explores Twain's view of democracy being neccessary.
Huck and Jim are enjoying living in a sheltered place of just them two. When they get off the raft they meet different people. Huck didnt experience any freedom really he already has felt the freedom before. Huck is also feeling alone and now that Jim is with him it is easier for Huck to get through and have somebody to talk to all the time.
Christine Blice
The raft on which Huck and Jim traveled was the place where they could get away from all the other controversies that they were surrounded by and let everything out. They really didn't want to deal with the issues between blacks and whites at the time. This raft was the place where they didnt have to worry and could actually grow a relationship with eachother. Once they stepped back into society they were faced with all these disputes again. Even though they were different in many ways, they didn't have to worry about it when they were on the raft. It shows just how Huck is beginning to learn that Jim,a long with many other slaves, were some whatlike him. They had problems with family and feelings just like Huck.
the raft does show the symbolism of their friendship as it groes. Justus miller
On the raft, Huck and Jim have their own separate world. They don't have to worry about anything happening in the real world. While they're on the raft Huck and JIm have time to get to know each other and Huck realizes that Jim is a real human being.
I think that the raft symbolyzes Huck and Jims lives coming together as one. It also symbolizes the boys ability to escape from the world. The raft seems to be very comforting to both of the boys.
the raft symbolized a new life/freedom. before huck ran away, he always told how slaves didn't have feelings and aren't worth anything. When huck lives on the raft with jim, he is able to have this freedom and get away from all the worlds conflicts. he feels independent which makes him feel happy.
The raft symbolizes a new life/freedom. Before Huck ran away, he was always told how slaves didn't have feelings and aren't worth anything. When Huck lives on the raft with Jim, he is able to get away from the worlds conflicts. He has a chance to get to know Jim, which slowly makes him realize that slavery is wrong.
The raft is a safe haven for both Jim and Huck. Even though the world is telling them how they should be acting towards each other, they rebel against that and the raft is where they can go. It acts as a neutral zone or a way out from the world, where Jim and Huck go to forget about their worries.
JESSE MICHALSK1
The raft I think, resembles Huck and Jim's friendship and adventure to Freedom. The raft is where their relationship grew, and where they can get away from the World. Huck and Jim have learnded many things about eachother out there on the raft. They also learned about how important their friendship is to one and another. Jim learns when he saves his freedom that Huck does care about Jim. And Huck learns that a black man does have a feelings especially twoards his only friend Jim.
The raft is where Jim and Huck travel together and their friendsship grows. When they get off the raft, they experience all types of challenges and the raft is the only place where they are actually safe from reality.
On the raft Huck and Jim have been able to overcome the major differences that they have in their society. They have passed the fact that they are of different races and that one of them is a slave. Huck and Jim basically are "owners" of the raft. No one else is there to criticize or force them to do anything that they don't want to do. They can make up their own rules and govern themselves. They are surpressed by laws or people telling them how to act, talk, dress, etc. It shows that they want to lead their own lives. The raft is basically a place where they can have peace and be safe. On the shore they have to run away and be constantly in fear of getting caught. Also on shore they have to deal with the fact of slavery. On the raft Jim is essentialy equal to Huck and is Huck's friend, but on shore Huck probably wouldn't have even talked to Jim or thought of him as his friend.
The raft is Huck and Jims escape from the prejudiced southern society. The raft portrays freedom, because there are no slave boundaries , there is no racism, and they are able to express themselves with no interferance. As their friendship grows, Huck begins to see the flaws of society through listening to what Jim has to say. Although he sees the flaws he does not fully respect the idea of a slave owning property or being in control of his own life. Twains idea for democracy is improving however not complete.
In this scene i think that the raft symbolizes their saftry from society. It seems that everytime they get off the raft everything seems to go on, and once they are on it, everything is going smoothly. The scene where they run into the frauds makes Huck realize that they can't escape the problems of this world. The raft seems to build Huck and Jims relationship. Through out the book they solve several differences between theselves. Such as when Huck tried to confuse Jim by saying that him and the raft never left eachother and that Huck was with him the whole time. THis speech from Jim makes Huck realize he had really been hurt. It also makes Huck realize how much Jim is like Huck.
On a raft you are away from society. Which, prevents you from being weighed down. Instead you are free. The consition claims that we are free.Which we are when society isn't pressuring us. It's not the government fault that they were not free. It was society fault which is determined by the people. If Huck in Jim had just stayed in there little town then they wouldhave never developed a friendship.Society says you can't. So,how is that being free. The raft is a "gettaway spot" where they can be free to have their relationship flourish.The raft is everything Huck says it is.It's a place where they can be"mighty free and cofortable." The raft symolozes what American society should be.
I feel that the raft represents peace and tranquility for Jim and Huck. This is because at first Huck and Jim run into numerous problems on land but life on the raft is simple and easy. The raft and the Mississippi river are basically there refuge from the outside world chaos. However, Later in the story there hiding place becomes vulnerable as it is penetrated by the king and duck as well as the doctor. This shows that are peace and tranquility can be infultrated at any time by chaos and corruption.
I think the raft is a place where Jim and Huck could get away from everything going on. They didn't have to worry about how blacks and whites didn't like each other. This gives time for Huck to notice that Jim isnt just a slave, hes a real human and eventually one of Hucks friends.
Rachel Thurman.
Based on the essay that we read today in class the farther down the river Huck and Jim go the farther away from freedom they truly are. Huck and Jim are constantly getting further into trouble. The symbolism in this is that the heart of man is fundamentaly corrupt and even the good people in this world still suffer to it.
As the raft moves down the river and grows it symbolizes Huck and Jims relationship growing.
the raft symbolises the true character of Huck. as he had left his society to be free as said by patrick. he is also trying to help Jim to be free as well. as they go down the river trying to get to freedom huck has to deal with the social problems he has. for example when huck think he should turn jim in he also thinks this is a friend he has been traveling with in the raft. the raft itself is the bridge to there freedom and friendship. as they spent more and more time together they relize they are becoming more and more of friends. even huck starts to see jim as a human instead of an object.
The raft kind of symolizes how Huck prefers a home that dosent tame him or tell him what to do. How he likes being on his own with Jim and how he can do almost anything he wants and nobody to tell him otherwise.
I absolutely agree that the raft is symbolic of life outside the borders of normal society. But as many of you have said, it's an escape.
Just as a "white gentleman's society" is not a just representation of southern life, neither is a sheltered existence contained to a raft. However racist and corrupt life may be outside the raft, it is a reality that he must face. He lives (as of now) in Southern America and must learn how to do so.
These risky experiences are essential to the development of Huck's character, as is the raft and its independent society.
Natalie Hockey
The quote is saying that freedom is defined differently by everyone. It demonstrates that democracy is only what we define it as and the conditions needed to create it rely solely on the attitudes and relationships of the people.
The raft is also symbolic of the ideal world. It is a world were society is not encroaching on one's beliefs or behavior. The raft represents a place where Huck and Jim can just be without the world of guns, slaves, new orleans, or worries.
Jessie kamachaitis
The raft is mainly sylmbolizing peace in a non-prejudice environment. It is a place where Huck and Jim can escape to to get away from slavery as well as troubles at home. The calm and easy lifestyle of riding down the river demonstrates a type of overall peace where the outside world no longer matters. When the two friends are not on the raft, they tend to run into problems such as racial segregation, lying and cheating, even moral and emotional strain. But when they board the raft all of those conflicts seem to drift away.
jessie kamachaitis
i also agree with Nicki Scott who said that this passage shows Twain's view of a strong democracy. When on the raft Huck and Jim are not nessecarily bothered by the fact that they are of two different and conflicting races. They are more interested in eachothers ideas. That is what a good democracy is based around; everyone can be equal and their ideas and values will matter more than their physicality.
michelle oswald<3
There is a lot more to the raft then it just phyiscaly being Huck and Jim's "home." I think Twain uses the raft to symbolize a sense of freedom that they both acquire when they are on it. They can always depend on the raft whenever they need to get away from troublesom situations. It free's them, in a sense, from all the conflict they have to face other places. Huck andJim are always very relaxed on the raft, and it;s probably the most free they have felt throughout the entire novel.
Malagari fo sho...
The raft symbolizes a lot in this book because things that happen on the raft are very important to Huck and Jim. Huck and Jim decide just about everything on the raft, like decisions, they talk about slavery, and everytime the raft goes down or up the river, there on their way to freedom. They have become such good freinds from the raft because they are capable of talking about just about anything. What twain's trying to state about democracy and to thrive about the society is that, this raft shows how much freedom Huck and Jim actually have and their desire to be on that raft as much as they can shows that the society is very bad, and makes Jim and Huck very scared, because their democratic views do not follow what Jim and Huck believe.
Mark Twain's vision is basically
"all men are created equal", slave or slave owner. Equality is necessary for Democracy to thrive because we can't let our ethnicity, religion, nor any other of our differences influence our similar or rather same views on life. The raft in general symbolizes freedom from slave hunters greedy for rewards, confrontations or conflicts, and the friendship developed between Huck and Jim, where their race and station doesn't matter. Huck is aware of their friendship and finally decides to help Jim even if that means he's going to hell. On the shore, Jim has to continuously hide on the raft for hours as a "sick Arab" while Huck, the duke, and the king are meandering through villages trying to raise lots of money. This shows how slaves' freedoms were limited.Again, Twain envisioned a society where people were actually created equal.
Have you ever been asked the question "who would you want to be stranded on a island with?" Mark Twain shows us a scenario like this. However, not many white teenage boys of that time would be content spending so much one on one time with a black escaped slave. As the story progresses, Huck and jim learn about eachother and they learn to respect eachother. There are two important monents on the raft:
1. When Huck apologizes to Jim
2. When Jim tells Huck about his daughter
Both od these moments, Huck takes a moment and loks at jim as a real person on the same social level as him. But Huck and Jim both have to depend on eachother as they travel from town to town. Just like in a jungle, they try to keep a low profile and combine their heads to get through sticky situations and make decisions together.
Gretchen Heine
I think this quote says alot about the human nature and desire to be free. A raft is capable of feeling like a home, and it's not anchored down to anything. A raft is free as far as its adress, on a raft nothing is tieing you down. On the raft Huck and Jim don't have to necesarily worry about what society says about their friendship or anything else for that matter. On their own raft they are free to be whoever they want to be. I think this constitutes Twain's blueprint for an enlightened socitey because on the raft, Huck and Jim are completely obliovious to the corrupt white socitey on the raft. Twains wants this to happen in society as a whole, everyone is unaware of one another's skin color.
On the raft Huck and Jim are free,With no responsibilities its what they both wanted since the beginning of the novel. In a way Huck is confused about letting Jim become free. The raft is helping to develop a lasting relationship between the both of them.The raft is like a different location for them they have no worries and depend on eachother.
the raft acted like an island for huck and jim. it was there own little place in the middle of no where, were they could do whatever they want. they were absolutly free. there was no such thing as whites vs. blacks. and right and wrong. they could just be friends without society judging them. Huck and Jim could go wherever they wanted, and no one was stopping them. i agree with shelby when she says, "The raft is metaphorical for a different world for Jim and Huck" this statement is so true. they were in a whole new setting when on this raft. all of their problems and responsibilities just go away.
Post a Comment