Huck's Development

I think that Huck does develop morally over the novel in some ways. When we first encounter him he doesn't seem to have a lot of moral direction. He borrows (pun intended) his moral attitudes from others. This is common, children grow up looking to others, specifically those parental figures in their lives, for guidance; to know what is right and what is wrong they must be corrected and taught. His father believes that he is owed by the world, and that he should do whatsoever it is that benefits himself, no matter how it affects others. When Huck's father teaches him that stealing is really just "borrowing" the things which one desires, Huck takes on this moral rule for himself, and feels no guilt in applying it to his life. This form of adapting to other's belief of what is rigthand what is wrong continues throughout the novel. When Huck is being "sivilized" by Miss Watson, she teaches him the laws of behavior that are socially and religiously acceptable. Huck adapts to this system of belief, as seen when he feels guilty for disobeying the laws of the land in not turning in Jim; in fact he comes very close to turning Jim over to the authorities many times. Huck also steals the money which belongs to Mary Jane and the other orphans from the king and duke. He says, 'I felt so ornery and low down and mean, that I says to myself... I'll hive that money for them or bust" (226). His guilt motivates him to do what he knows is right, instead of what is best for him. This is the first time that we see Huck questioning the moral belief system that he has been fed by Miss Watson, who says it is wrong to steal, and his father, who would have either taken the gold for himself or stayed out of the duke/king's way to insure his own profit. Another instance of this questioning is when Huck writes the letter to Miss Watson to inform her of Jim's whereabouts. He feels good about coming clean, but he cannot shake the feeling that it is ultimately the wrong decision. He cannot decide between the laws and religion, and what he feels is his moral obligation to his friend Jim. Huck does not turn in his friend, ultimately deciding that he would rather go to hell. This decision is a turning point for Huck, a huge step toward moral independance. But we never see him lean on his own beliefs fully. He relies upon his father's system of what is right until someone with a higher sense of conviction corrects him. He then picks and chooses the parts of religion which suit him and still tends to fall back upon his father's teachings until Tom's convictions convince him otherwise. Huck says of the things which he took, "I called it borrowing, because that was what pap always called it; but Tom said it warn't borrowing, it was stealing" (279). From this point on, Huck refers to the action as stealing, not borrowing. But there is still no guilt because a higher authority, namely Tom, has declared it "right" (279) to steal in the name of a prisoner. Huck does not make this distinction himself, but he does choose to trust and follow Tom's system and discard his father's. In the end it is unclear where Huck is going. He could be headed back to Miss Watson, to continue his "sivilization," but I like to think that he will "light out for the Territory ahead of the rest" (320), and continue to develop his own moral system by "borrowing" parts he finds helpful from those around him.