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Megan Johnson
Mrs. Everett
Honors English 11.3
24 Feb. 2016
The Battle Between Morality and Conscience
In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain uses his characters to illustrate the
battle between conscience and morality; society creates and influences conscience while the
individual constructs his or her own morality. If at odds, the conscience, through the influence of
society, will overpower an individuals morality, causing an individual to disregard his own
opinions and views in favor of the socially established conscience. Twain uses the interaction
between the characters Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer to depict the fight between conscience
and morality. As an embodiment of the social conscience of the time, Tom continuously impedes
Hucks moral development, illustrating the ongoing battle between conscience and morality.
Tom is a representation of the societal rules and opinions that shape Hucks conscience.
Tom unquestioningly adopts the rules and ideas he sees in society. When Tom, the leader of the
band of robber boys, decrees that the gang must ransom and kill people, he justifies his rule by
citing books, which he says inform of the correct thing to do (11). Toms unwavering
adherence to the rules dictated by members of society show how he is a pawn to the societal
conscience. It is this adherence to societys rules that prompts Tom, when questioned about the
policies of the gang by another member, to assert, Do you want to go to doing different from
whats in the books, and get things all muddled up? (10). This statement illustrates Toms
refusal to stray from what he interprets as societys guidelines.

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Toms views, and the views of society, influence and impact Hucks decisions. In the
beginning of the novel, Tom convinces Huck to return to the Widow Douglas and become
respectable in exchange for acceptance into Toms robber gang (1), illustrating Toms power
over Huck. Hucks dislike of living with the Widow Douglass ultimately proves weaker than his
reverence for Tom, and Huck returns to the Widow. Under the leadership of Tom, Huck
disregards his own opinions and wants. When Huck and Tom argue about genies, Tom states
genies have to follow anyone who rubs their lamps, but Huck questions Toms statement,
reasoning that since genies are huge and powerful, they could not be forced to obey humans;
Huck then to attempts to summon a genie like Tom described (15). Hucks attempt to accomplish
what he believes to be ludicrous because Tom says it is the truth again emphasizes how Huck
disregards his own opinions in favor of Toms. Tom negatively influences Hucks choices and
morality, convincing him to participate in activities he would not otherwise do. When Tom
pranks Jim, a slave, by hanging the sleeping Jims hat in the tree above his head in an attempt to
make Jim believe he is haunted, Huck allows Tom to do it (7). Toms disregard of Hucks moral
opinion and his insistence that the two of them go through with the prank demonstrates how
Toms actions continue to impede Hucks moral growth.
Without Tom, Huck defies his socially constructed conscience and follows his own
morals. Hucks reaction to the impending death of murderous robbers marks the beginning of
Hucks moral development. Upon realizing that murderers were stranded on a sinking wreck,
Huck empathizes with them and pities them (70), a thought that contradicts society's rules of
who deserves compassion. In the absence of societal pressure, Huck grows morally. When Huck
pulls a cruel prank on Jim, Huck is able to apologise, even though it takes him a while to, ...
work [himself] up to go and humble [himself] to a nigger (84). Society, through Toms

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actions, taught Huck that playing pranks on slaves was acceptable, an idea that Huck was able to
disregard without Toms influence. Hucks disregard of societal views on slavery is exhibited
again when he does not tell white slave hunters that Jim is on the boat with him, even though his
conscience tells him he is doing a terrible thing and stealing Jim from his master (89). Hucks
disregard of his conscience illustrates the development of his morality. Without Tom, Huck
defies the societal norms pressed upon him by his conscience and acknowledges Jim as a person,
a belief society tells him is wrong. Huck shows this defiance when he considers sending a letter
to Jims old master, who would come free Jim from captivity but return Jim to slavery (205), and
ultimately decides to help Jim escape (206). Hucks ability to make this decision based on his
own moral judgement illustrates his moral growth throughout the novel, progression that only
occurred once Huck was separated from Tom and was therefore able to develope his own moral
compass.
Toms reappearance influences a regression of Hucks morality and leads Huck to follow
societys conscience and Toms instructions once again. When Tom arrives, Huck defers to
Toms judgement and ideas. Even though Huck has already found a simple quick way to free
Jim, Tom insists they must find a more arduous option (223). Huck consents and thinks to
himself, ... I knowed very well where the right plan was going to come from (223); Huck
assumes Tom will come up with the right plan. Hucks immediate relinquishment of all planning
and decision-making power to Tom illustrates how Huck defers to Toms judgement, and the
societal conscience, over his moral intuition. After Hucks initial relinquishment of power, he
continues to listen to his conscience and Toms opinions more than his morality. Tom insists that
Jim have a rope ladder, refusing Hucks suggestion of a cheaper and less-wasteful hickory-bark
ladder, and convinces Huck that they must get Jim a rope ladder because it is part of the

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regulations (231). The regulations Huck feels forced to comply are based on the actions of
characters in books Tom has read which Tom interprets as the right and only way to free Jim
(251). These regulations are also a symbol of conscience and the societal rules that Huck must
obey while in the presence of Tom; these rules often do not align with Hucks moral judgement.
The rope ladder needed to free Jim requires that the boys steal a sheet from Aunt Sally, an act
Tom influences Huck to do (232). Tom acknowledges that they are stealing the sheet but says its
is right to steal to help a prisoner escape (232). Toms justification of stealing hinders Hucks
moral growth because it confuses Huck, leading him to believe that stealing is a righteous thing
to do, if done for the right reasons. Another regulation that Huck allows Tom to impose on Jim
without protest is that prisoners must sleep with spiders, rats and snakes, an idea that Jim is
fervently against (252). Hucks disregard of Jims opinion at Toms insistence reveals that Huck
is once again following Toms judgement and direction.
The development and then regression of Hucks morality throughout the novel depicts the
never ending battle between conscience, molded by society, and morality, developed by the
individual. Twain uses Hucks moral growth in his time separated from Huck to show that
morality has the ability to overcome conscience but only when removed from the oppressive
views of society. However, Hucks deference to his conscience over his moral judgement at the
reappearance of Tom reveals how conscience can overcome personal morality. The growth and
defeat of Hucks morality illuminates the constant battle between morality and conscience, as an
individual develops personal integrity.

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Works Cited
Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. New York: Bantam Books Classics, 1981.
Print.