For the small period of time Huck lives with the grangerfords, he seems "normal", largely due in part to the fact that he is around reliable adults and people his age that live under reliable adults in a nuclear household (opposite of Tom). It's almost as if the lack of normal socialization in his life and the "freedom" he has is his biggest constraint in terms of direction and thinking in life because he has no one reliable that acts like a normal person(cross Ms. Watson and her sis, Pap, and Tom off of that list).

Everyone Huck spends time around is either narrow minded, delusional, or of poor moral character(usually all three of these characteristics are grouped or paired with one another, as they are in the characters that Huck spends much of his time with). The person who Huck seems to like isn't even able to be an intentional or unintentional role model or guiding figure(yet) for him because he is a black male in a society with a slaved based agricultural/economic system, something Huck is conscious of(Jim's label). This stigma within the society as a whole is something that Huck has not yet taken down from a point of validation although he displays some feelings, thoughts, and actions that are often against the grain. I think it is important to note that the empathy and change of heart that Huck is capable of is partially due to his lowly position in society and the unsystematic life that he leads.

 Most people you come across are sheep. You are probably one and you might not even realize it, saying, "I'm not like them, I'm not like those people. I'm different".

Yea right.

Sherburn's speech on human nature highlights a very basic but common problem in the actions of people in this 1830's society, those before it, and those after it- the mob mentality. The sheep conversation is one for another post or medium, but it is easily comparable to slavery. People aren't really questioning what they are doing. Of course the (probably not)near lynching occurrence is different from slavery in a number of ways(resistance, incentives, etc.). Huck is one who in this limited way, not adopting a mob mentality. This might be normal for human beings, but in the abstract, nuanced(although not impossible to understand at a decent level), following the heard becomes dangerous(especially when you think you're leading your own way or aren't away you are being hearded, sheered and butchered for resources(sounds nice right)). Not only is it/will it be for the mob, but anyone outside of the mob who gets used as an animal for labor(slaves here). When no-crap-taking shurburn speaks if human nature, he speaks of an all well to known human constraint.

(2 Constraints pictured above is a less lazy(peep earnings) and more comfy(peep pillow and plush animal shoes that were made but some person in a factory who gets paid sh☺t) sheep.)

Instead of revisiting the other topics as I suggested I would, I'm going to go a long with the current of the novel. The developing relationship between Huck and Jim, starting with their run in on the island, is an interesting one to watch in chapters 6-15. Previously after being held captive by his father, Huck hears his father's tirade about slaves and the "govment". As I read what Pap was saying, I began to question what effects these words would have on Huck's psyche. Would he replay his fathers words in his head in an ordinary situation or an odd one in which he has to make a difficult decision? Huck treats Jim as a companion, however up until he apologizes to Jim(or maybe not even at that point), he views Jim as a being not worthy of sincere communication, seen when he says," It was 15 minutes before I could work myself up to go humble myself to a nigger". In reading this I realized that although Jim is no longer physically enslaved, his only interaction with another human because is in the form as if he was one.

Huck Finn 1-5 | Freedom and Enslavement

In the beginning of this novel there are many different levels and forms of freedom and enslavement that some characters seek to attain or escape, while there are other characters that are content with the form of slavery that constrains them (conscious or unconscious of that slavery).

I would like to avoid comparing everyday constraints that are normal in and outside of civilizations. The limit of you knowledge and education is a constraint. Living under someone else’s roof and rules is a commonality and a constraint as well. This barely compares to the forced labor and relations to someone who treats a person as property and an object, a tool to be used, instead of a living, breathing, shitting, and  complex human beings we all are. So as a precursor to further discussion of the novel and its relation to the theme of Freedom and Enslavement, I think automatically treating a desire for Freedom or the hindrance of it to be a result of being enslaved or enslaving someone would be misguided and should be avoided.

Some interesting things I would like to note about this segment of the novel is that, Ms. Douglass is a slave owner and a Christian. I previously stated that I would like to avoid comparisons between everyday constraints and slavery, however religion, in this specific case Christianity, has aspects that can be compared to slavery. In a human to god relationship, the human is subservient to God, and commanded to follow certain rules. There is a punishment if you do not do what is commanded (hell, which seems a bit worse that lashes from a whip) and there is a reward if you follow the commands (you end up in heaven where you basically worship a being to no end for eternity). In this way the relationship of a believer to the believe in deity, if assumed to exist, is slavery in the sense that the believer has to do what is commanded, otherwise they are punished, with no say on the matter. What they receive for obeying rules is an occupation of worshiping a being and doing the will of this deity (again with no say in the matter). If the reality of the believer is assumed to be true, the options of a human being are to obey commands and be rewarded with a forced occupation or role (“labor”) or to be punished (whips, death), for eternity.

I would like to explore the relationship of the two sisters and the idea of slave ownership from their perspective in another post.  I do not yet have an opinion of their intentions with, and views on slavery, as another human being (if they don’t already view them as less than/a lesser human being).

In the next post I will also discuss Huck’s actions with and comments on Jim, and Tom’s view on Jim, and Huck in relation to his treatment of Jim.