Character Development in Mark Twains The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay Example for Free

use Development in Mark Twains The Adventures of huckleberry Finn EssayWriters usually make use of and incorporate certain literary agents into their figments in align to make character development possible. literary elementsConflict, Theme, and Symbolismwere employed by Twain, Austen, and Potok in varying levels as well as executed using their deliver literary styles and techniques in order to show the characters development and growth throughout the novels. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Huck braved that eras social conventions (including his own personal prejudices) by associating with a black man and later helping that person bilk from slavery. Jane Austens Emma is a lighthearted story close to a young womans disastrous foray into the pursuit of romantic matchmaking. It shows how Emmas saturnine presumptions plunder conflict with the real intentions of the people whose lives she meddles with, and how her misguided actions can create unfavorabl e results. In Chaim Potoks My line is Asher Lev, the young man, Asher, was embroiled in the clash amongst his passion and the sensibilities of his family and religious congregation. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn presents social conditions and attitudes during the late 1800s in America, particularly that towards racism. It chronicles the adventures and misadventures of Huck wherein he faces numerous incorrupt and ethical plights. And just like Twains novel, Austens Emma is a get word on the sensibilities and social norms of her time. It dictates the story of Emma, a rich and beautiful girl with a lot of promiscuous time on her hands. Although she lives a trouble- innocent(p) life, it is un eveningtful and devoid of excitementshe is a woman, hence, she has no lawful c beer prospects. But whence Emma discovers that she has a knack for matching couples.She discovers that this endeavor provides her with great amusement so she goes off pairing up the people to a greater ext ent or less her. Lastly, Asher, in My Name is Asher Lev, struggles as he is confronted by two cultural influencesthat of the Orthodox Jewish subculture that he grew up in, and that of the pervasive, secular Western culture. He is presented with the dilemma of choosing between art and his religion. Just like Hucks and Emmas stories, Ashers story chronicles his quest for truth and self-discovery. Many authors use the element of conflict to bring about and affirm certain facets of a protagonists character. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck faces the conflict between the societys expectations and what his conscience tells him is right when he is given the opportunity to help Jim, a black man, escape. He struggles to put on beyond the black stereotypewhat the society has taught him to be right. In the end, Huck chooses to follow what his conscience dictatesthat Jim is a human being who deserves the same rights as everybody else. He admits about Jim I do believe he cared just a s much for his people as white folks does for theirn (Twain, 1999, p. 141). In the end, Huck developed a pure, undiscriminating sense of morality that many people of that era did non posses. In the novel Emma, the conflict lies in Emmas inability to understand the true desires and intentions of the people around her, including her own. Emma does not top this, and fancies herself as a good matchmaker, and as Austen describes in one episode, Emma was amusing herself in the consideration of the blunders which oftentimes arise from a partial knowledge of circumstances, of the mistakes which people of high pretensions to judgment are for ever move into (Austen, 2003, p. 89).Ironically, what Emma thinks of other people (as evinced in the previous sentence), actually applies to her. In the end, Emma brightens that its no good making decisions for others and manipulating their lives because only when they know and at that placefore should decide whats best for them. This discovery al so leads her to mature and develop emotionally, and in the end, makes her realize what her heart truly desires. In his novel, My Name is Asher Lev, Potok portrays the kind of pain and emotional anguish one can carry when one chooses to embrace those things that come in conflict with ones upbringing and religious ideologies. In a lecture wherein he reveals the analysis to his novels, which included My Name is Asher Lev, Potok states Ideas from this secular conception inevitably impinge upon an various(prenominal) born in a church community or a synagogue community, especially when that individual embarks on a college experience (Potok, 1896, par. 7).As a young boy, Asher tries to break free from the conservative Hassidic community that shuns the very thing that he was passionate aboutart. However, his dream is met with condemnation from almost everyone around him, including his family.The following litany succinctly expresses the kind of backlash and emotional turmoil this confli ct has brought upon him So strong talking to are being written and spoken about me I am a traitor, an apostate, a self-hater, an inflicter of assault upon my family, my friends, my people also, I am a mocker of ideas sacred to Christians (Potok, 2003, p. 3). Another point of conflict deals with Ashers family relationship with his father. Amidst the weight of the conflict bearing down on him, Asher chooses his own path and tries to discover his own truths. By confronting these issues, he grows as a human being, artistically and emotionally. One dominant field of study in the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is that of racism and slavery. The novel is set in a time where blacks are considered to be no more than property. As the story develops, so does Hucks character and value-system.Eschewing the societal and cultural norms of the time, he adopts a different moral outlook towards the people around him, especially when he decides to help a black man escape from slavery. I n a climactic episode, Huck writes a letter to Miss Watson, Jims owner, to tell her where Jim was, but hence tears up the letter and says to himself All right then, Ill go to hell (Twain, 1999, p. 193)here, he at long last decides to ignore social convention and help Jim. Marriage is a major theme in the novel, Emma. In the 1800s, marriage was one of the most important concerns for women, especially since they were financially dependent on men and could not have their own careers. Emma takes this into consideration when planning her match-ups and decides on unions which will yield the best material realize for both parties. However, Emma eschews the idea of marriage for herselfwhen her father tells her not to do any more match-making, Emma replies I hope you to make none for myself, papa but I must, indeed, for other people. It is the greatest amusement in the world (Austen, 2003, p. 10). But in the end, she realizes that she too can fall in love, after all. One important theme i n My Name is Asher Lev is that of Individualism. This was explored in the context of Ashers adolescent struggle to assert his identity in an surround that rejects the very thing that makes him stand out. When an uncle compares his work that of Chagall, he replies No, my name is Asher Lev (Potok, 2003, p. 313). Asher is a visionary and has prodigious video skills, but he is pressured to conform to the conventions of his society. He tries to discover his role as an artist and reconcile it with his religious beliefthis paves the way to his personal development, not to mention the realization of his gifts significance. In Twains novel, the Mississippi river figures greatly in the story. It is apply to symbolize life the rivers ebbs and flowsits movementshows the ever-changing nature of life. The changing tides causes Huck and Jim to come in jot with different people and situations. It represents mans capacity to changethe same way Hucks attitude and personality changed to embrace th e greater morality regarding human existence. Its also a symbolic representation of freedomin the confines of the raft, they are safe. They are in a world where laws do not apply, far from the reaches of society. Huck says We said there warnt no home like a raft, after all. Other places do come out so cramped up and smothery, but a raft dont. You feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft (Twain, 1999, p. 107). In Emma, charades and word games are symbolic of the misunderstandings in the story. The same way that its hard to guess the intimations and desires of the other characters in the novel, word games are meant to be involvedone can easily go wrong and perceive a totally different meaning. In a gathering, Frank makes words for the ladies to decode, but each lady attaches different interpretations to them.Such is Emmas situation she does not perceive everyones feelings correctly so she makes a lot of false assumptions. This is more evident when she tries to hook-up Har riet and Mr. Eltonshe construes Mr. Eltons words and actions as proofs of his adulation for Harriet, when in fact it is Emma the he is interested in. When she finds out, she woefully reflects The pictureHow eager he had been about the pictureand the charadeand an hundred other circumstanceshow clearly they had seemed to point at Harriet (Austen, 2003, p. 106). Symbolism, particularly those in paintings, also plays a significant part in the novel, My Name is Asher Lev. Paintings were used to convey the abstract and impalpable asset Asher said I worked for what? How could I explain it? For beauty? No, Many of the pictures I painted were not beautiful. For what, then? For a truth I did not know how to put in words. For a truth I could only bring to life by means of colour and line and texture and form (Potok, 2003, p. 369) In his controversial painting, Asher uses the crucifiction scene as a symbolism of his mothers sufferings, much to the chagrin of his religious community. But eve n with all the antagonism towards art, he feels that painting was but a natural way to express his feelings. Literary elements give writers the means to project the qualities as well as develop the personalities of their characters. All protagonists in the aforementioned(prenominal) books were presented with points of conflict that each of them must address and contend with. Various symbolic representations, those that attribute certain intangible meanings to things, events, and other sensuous manifestations, were also utilized in order to highlight the protagonists personal issues and struggles. Thematic concepts tell what the stories are about and help reveal how each character progresses.ReferencesAusten, J. (2003). Emma. New York Oxford University Press.Potok, C. (2003). My name is Asher Lev. New York haphazard House.Potok, C. (1986). On being proud of uniqueness. (J. Gladson, Ed.) In La Sierra University website. Retrieved July 24, 2006, from http//www.lasierra.edu/ballen/po tok/Potok. unique.html.Twain, M. (1999). The adventures of Huckleberry Finn. New York Oxford University Press.