[paper/課程論文/論文] 美國文學/ Civilization and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

The civilization in Huck Finn’s world, is to follow the majority’s moral code in the society— hypocrisy on truth seeking, support for slave-owning, and the dress-code matching your social gender. However, Huck was rebelling against the expectations. Although he is not a stern “non-conformist,” as Thoreau would encourage him to do so, Huck Finn is always skeptical whenever he receives the messages from other people. 

Looking back at the very free moments when he travels on Mississippi river with Jim, a slave who befriends with Huck. In Chapter 18, Huck draws a conclusion, “You feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft” (112), was also foreshadowing that the happiness will be deprived once he finishes this journey. In the last chapter, Huck has suddenly become experienced and confides his opinion for the society he was living in, “I can’t stand it. I been there before” (278). 

Mark Twain criticizes the fact that we follow the majority’s moral code in the society, and encourages us to find our freedom in the Nature as Huck and Jim have done. The argument reminds me of The Tempest by Shakespeare. The characters of the play, out of surprise, have a chance to reconnect, reframe their relationships, and reconcile on a savage land. The similar plot happens in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn for Huck and Jim to develop their true friendship and have determined to back each other up.

The Tempest is enclosed with people returning to the “civilization” as a happy ending, but I do not think the returning is an absolute good ending, just as Huck’s suspicion on Aunt Sally’s “civilization” after his journey into Nature. Although my definition on civilization, which is more artificial and about intellect, is different from Mark Twain’s, I am also skeptical about the “brave new world” Huck is going to envision himself after the adoption. 

The reason I would like to have my definition of civilization and being skeptical about returning to a society is because I believe in the power of knowledge and thinking. When I was in high school, I was suffering from Depression (and I didn’t know anything about Depression), however, reading at that time protects me from being an outcast from the society and kept myself company. I read a lot of books of psychology, literature, and philosophy. It was the moment I started to sincerely appreciate the power of knowledge, because knowledge is not an approach to grow you fame and wealth, but to save a life. And that was the moment I wanted to study in English Department. And I feel I can save even more when I teach literature, including my students, the community who are unseen and unaccepted, and cultivate the future leaders who can make the world humane enough. 

Literature, at the same time, embraces and empowers a person, and that is my kind of civilization.

For me, it is hard to live without knowledge, so, even if I agree with Mark Twain’s critic on the fakeness of the society, I don’t think I can complete my “civilization” with either the self-reliance in Nature as Emerson, or give myself all to the sublime feelings when I look down from the mountain as Kant. Through reading, I was set free. And I guess this was the subtle, similar feelings with Fredrick Douglass’s when he can read, write, and finally controls part of his life even if something dreadful is always hovering. 

I guess my idea for civilization is more of an Emily Dickinson’s mode of living, reading and writing, being alone but not lonely. It is kind of old-fashioned but I guess it is a space of peacefulness for me when the majority of the society might shrug and recognize it as boredom.