HemingwayhadoncesaidTheAdventureofHuckleberryFinnwasthebestnovelinthehistoryofAmericanliteratureatthattime.IadmirehimsincehehadwontheNobelPrice,asymbolofkindofauthority.FromtheInternet,IalsolearnedthatthestoryofHuckFinissopopularinU.S.thatseveralmoviesaboutithadbeenreleased.Itisonlynaturalformetoholdhighexpectationtowardsthebook.
Whenreadingthenovel,iwasastoundedbyHuck'sfreewillandhistypicalcharacter.Hehatesto"sivilized"bytheconventionalmoralityandwouldratherliveinthewildtoexplorethetruthofthenature.
Inmyreallife,mostofusareobedientinthepresenceofsocialnorm.Thecommunityistheplacewherewewerebroughtupandwherewewillflourishorgodown.Ittaughtustoknowtheunderliningrulesinthedailylifewhensophisticationishigh-praised.Afraidofbeingalienated,wetrytoassimilateourselvestoadjusttotheenvironment.Intheprocessofseekingrespectandacknowledgement,wegraduallylostourindividualityandbecomeinterdependent.Thecollectivisticculturedoeshavegreatinfluenceinourlife.Sometimesitisjusttoo"harmonious"thateverythingturnstobeunnaturallyunified.Ourcountryisnotdevelopedinmanysenses,inordertogetbettercontroloverthemass,theimpressivehugepopulation,oureducationhadoncebecometheindustrytoproducestandardizedproducts.Criticalthinkingwasignoredanddenied,fordisobediencemightresultindisorder.Howluckyfortoday'syoungsters,tobreathethefreeairtotheheart'scontent!Wecangaininformationfromvariouschannels,andtovoiceourselvesfreely,atleastintheInternet.
Ourhero,Huck,whosymbolizesthecharacteroftherisingemigrantsonthenewcontinent,isdaringandunconventional,keepingpursuingfreedomandindividuality.Hissympathyfortheslave,Jim,finallyovercomespreviousprejudice.Andthisshowsanewtrendofthought,auniversalequalityrecommendedbythenewnation.Underthepremiseofnothurtinganyone,heisinpursuitofhisfreedomtothegreatestextent.HowIenvyhisbroadmindandunrestrainedness!Theveryindividualisticorientedculture,whichmakesU.S.suchaprospersenterprisecountry,isdistinctivelyrevealed.Thepeopletherelovechallengingtasksandwelcomethecompetitiveindustriallife.ItisestimatedthatonaverageAmericanschangetheirjobseveryfouryears,yetinChinamanypeoplepreferrelativelysteadyoccupation.(Atypicaloneiscivilservants.Thesedaysmanypeoplejumpattheenteringfortheexamsofnationalpublicservant).Clearly,itisournationalcharacter,tolookforacautiousormoderatewayinbehaviouranddecision.However,theageischangingrapidly,thenewgenerationhasbecomemoreboldandflexible.Andiamalsocuriousaboutwhatourcountywillgrowtobe.
Besides,thelanguageofthebookisalso"unsilvilized",itiscomposedwiththedialectamongblacksinthesouthernstates.Asanauthenticpresentationofthelifeofsoutherners,thewordingiscoherentwiththestyleofHuck:freshandunspoiled.
ThethemeoffreedomalsocanbeperceivedfromthedepictionofJim.Nobodyisborntobeslaveorinferior,ifhebehavesuncivilly,thatisbecausesocietyfailtocultivatehim.TodayBarackObamahasconqueredthewholenationwithhiswisdomandcharm.AndheisthevividillustrationofracialequalityinU.S.
Thisanageforfreedom,andourMarkTwainhadsensitiv