The basis of morality

Twain forms a very effective commentary on the basis of morals with this book. Huck is a boy brought up without religion in a society that condones slavery, and yet he does the moral thing every time. <br><br>You can see the two sides of Huck conflicting with each other throughout. On the one side, he has been told that slaves are property and he is concerned for Jim's owner's rights. On the other side, he sees that Jim is a human being, a man like any other, and treats him as such. Huck sees himself as a bad person because he is helping a runaway slave. The irony is that Huck is doing what is right. It is only society that tells him it is wrong. This is a stinging criticism of religion and its exclusive claim on morals. <br><br>Huckleberry Finn is not a children's book. The lowest grade I would recommend reading it would be 10th (15-16 year olds). There are many subtle jabs at society inserted by Twain that apply even today. It was definitely a worthy read.<br>

It's funny that it can be quite controversial (depending on the "ethnic" demographics of your "students") to use the book for teaching since the language is so inflammatory in today's .....puritanical........educational.....society. Unfortunately the social commentary and the message are good ones.