In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck frequently examines and re-examines his own moral values. In what ways has society shaped his moral...

In Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck frequently worries about the fact that he's helping Jim, a runaway slave. Through Huck's musings and fretting, we ascertain that the society in which he was raised taught him to agree with the classic racist assumption that African Americans are inferior to whites, and so he believes it's shameful for a white boy to befriend a black man. 

One of the most obvious places we...

In Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck frequently worries about the fact that he's helping Jim, a runaway slave. Through Huck's musings and fretting, we ascertain that the society in which he was raised taught him to agree with the classic racist assumption that African Americans are inferior to whites, and so he believes it's shameful for a white boy to befriend a black man. 

One of the most obvious places we see this idea at work in Huck's psyche is in his agonized debate about whether or not to free Jim after the duke and the king sell Jim back into slavery. Huck wrestles with his friendship with Jim and the stigma that society places upon associating with African Americans. In the end, Huck decides to save Jim, although he assumes he'll be sent "to hell" (210) as a result. Huck's assumption that he'll go to hell for helping a black man shows just how racist his society is.

I can't answer how the society you've been raised in has taught you different lessons than Huck's society, but I can provide an example by reflecting on my own experience. While my society is not as focused on equality as many people would like to believe (the tensions around race in the last few years have proved many racist attitudes are alive and well), there is at least one key difference between the way my society shaped me and the way Huck's society shaped him. In my familial community, I was always taught that everyone is equal, regardless of race, gender, religion, or any other characteristic. This idea was not present in Huck's society, as racist attitudes were clearly the norm. As such, while my society at large still struggles to embrace differences between its citizens, the personal community that I grew up with always encouraged me to regard everyone as equal. Hopefully, this reflection will give you an idea of how to reflect on how your own experience with modern society can compare to Huck's experience with his society. Good luck!