One of my favorite parts in Huckleberry Finn is in chapter 14 when Huck and Jim discussed the story of King Solomon. The story Jim and Huck talk about is the story of the child. Two mothers were arguing over who was the true mother of the child. King Solomon decides that the best way to solve the problem is to cut the child in half, that way each of the mothers could have some of the child. However, his true reasoning was that the real mother, upon hearing that the child would be killed, would allow the child to go with the other woman so that it may survive. Jim seems to take this story very literally, “missing the point.” He sees no point in cutting the child in half because it serves no purpose. Huck continuously argues with Jim telling him not to take the story so literally, but to no avail. Jim argues that a man such as Solomon with hundreds of children considers them dispensable, while someone who had one or two wouldn’t willingly allow their child to be cut in two. Huck believes more along the religious viewpoint, digging deeper into the story while Jim takes the story more literally. This attests to the theme of religion versus superstition in Huckleberry Finn. Religion is nothing more than a set of beliefs that people live by, but so is superstition. Jim believes in superstition because that’s all he has ever learned and makes the most sense to him. Who is to say who is right in this argument? Like any good literature, King Solomon’s story can be looked at from many different angles, superficially or deep.
In addition, what is Huck's reaction to his exposure to religion? (the Moses story and his "prayer" experiences) Are his reactions to biblical stories the same as or similar to Jim's? What does this show?
ReplyDeleteIf I'm interpreting your question correctly, I think Huck reacts in a very superficial and almost selfish, immature manner.
ReplyDeleteWhen Miss Watson tells Huck the story of Moses, she also mentions that Moses is dead. Huck naively wonders why he should care about someone if they are already dead. I can see where Huck is coming from, but it strikes me as immature because Moses is a prolific figure from the Bible and in Christianity, as well. Pretty much every Christian knows the story of Moses parting the sea and helping the Israelites escape Egypt. Huck openly undermines Moses' importance to the religious world, ultimately mocking him.
Also, Miss Watson explains to Huck that he should always pray for other people and not for himself or material things. Huck reacts negatively, seeing no point in praying for things that will not benefit him. This too strikes me as selfish and naive. However, this is Huck's first real exposure to any principle of Christianity or religion, as he did not grow up with these ideals taught or instilled in him because he had no parents or figures to guide him.
I think, in these instances, Huck's reaction is similar to that of Jim's (I'm thinking of Jim's reaction to King Solomon). As I stated, Jim reacts to the King Solomon story very superficially and literally. Huck reacts to the biblical stories in much the same way. He sees no deeper meaning to them other than how they might benefit himself. The entire morality and principle of the stories is disregarded.
I think the Bible is more of a teaching tool, or an example of how to structure one's life, much like Ben Franklin's virtues were in his autobiography. That being said, I think Jim and Huck look at the Bible more as a story book or novel rather than a non-fiction piece of literature. To Huck, the story of Moses is hardly any different than any of the stories Tom reads and passes along to him.