moral dilemmas in huck finn

Smith 1

Devin Smith
Mr. Hughes
English 10 6th hour
31 October 2007


Moral Dilemmas in Huck Finn

In the adventures of huckleberry finn, huck faces a number of moral dilemmas which reveal much about his character.
One moral dilemma huck finn has is he doesn’t know if he should turn Jim in or help him escape to the free states where he can be free and work, and one day be able to buy his family from the slave master. This is an example of one of hucks moral dilemmas because if he helps Jim escape he could be convicted of helping a slave escape and then he goes to jail, or he could turn him and go about his business and maybe get money because he turned him in. so he really doesn’t know what to do, so he has a moral dilemma.
Huck’s decision to help Jim escape was the right thing to do. This was right because he is being a good friend and is not breaking his promise that he would not tell anyone that he knows where a runaway slave is or going. This also was the right thing to do because in the long run he will feel good that he helped someone. And since he helped someone else besides himself he will “reek what he sows” and in this case it will be a good thing.
“People would call me a low down abolitionist and despise me for keeping mum- but that don’t make no difference. I ain’t agoing to tell, and I aint agoing back there anyways”. (Chapter 8 page 32, paragraph 9). Huck says this promising that he wouldn’t tell anyone about Jim being a run away.
Huck fin had a moral dilemma in deciding to either to turn Jim in or helping him escape. He choose to help him and escape and he did the right thing.