The novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, is a complex and witty commentary on the social and moral injustices that existed during the period in which it was written. Although ostensibly intended for children, the novel introduces and explores issues such as racism, sexuality, and coping with difficult moral dilemmas. Mark Twain tells the story of a young boy who helps an escaped slave along the Mississippi River and his moral development during and because of this journey. He tells the story realistically, providing accurate Southern and social dialects, a truthful view of society's attitudes toward race and class, and even detailed descriptions of the Mississippi River landscape that he studied so fondly and meticulously throughout his life. . He describes Huckleberry Finn as an extremely serious but understanding child who rarely smiles and always chooses the path that makes the most sense to him, regardless of social concerns. He is grounded in reality and thinks and acts logically. On the other hand, Tom Sawyer, used by Mark Twain as a foil to Huck, is a character rooted in idealism and imagination. He often relates things to stories and books he has read and often mistreats people because he is so concerned with recreating these romantic ideals. Twain's use of an extremely realist style coupled with the juxtaposition of Tom and Huck's behavior serves to expose the moral confusion that pervades society and perhaps provide a model for making moral decisions. A scene that helps illustrate the realism Twain wants to achieve occurs when Huck is mistaken for Tom by Tom's aunt, Sally. He's trying to make up a story (with the practical purpose of freeing Jim instead of "having fun" as Tom Sawyer... middle of paper... no hidden tricks for dealing with moral decisions. Some people pretend the problems don't are real by writing stories with a happy ending and some people manipulate others into believing that the problem doesn't exist at all because it's easy through Huck, a boy who relies on his own belief and common sense reasoning Twain provides a solution to this problem that is encased in the murky, mysterious waters of the Mississippi River When Huck is caught between the dilemma of giving up on Jim or lying, he does what he truly feels, saying he will "always do whatever is practical at the moment" (127). Inner turmoil, the struggle between right and wrong, is a problem that everyone faces, and Twain believes in standing up and doing what is "most practical" - what is morally correct in that moment for the individual, regardless of that. that others might say: it's the only thing that can be done.