Chen Fong, Jannile Williams, Xiaoli Ma, Xinli Gao
The hashtag that we came up with is #MorallyRich. This hashtag should be used at the end of tweets when money affects a character’s decision to do one thing over the other. In the novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, people choose to do the unethical for the sake of attaining money while a minority chooses the morally correct thing over money. Throughout the novel we see a person’s morality is often challenged by the need and desire for wealth.
The need for money is very prevalent in the novel. It is the main motivating factor behind the actions of characters such as Huck’s father, the duke and king. Money is not just a resource for survival in the minds of these characters; it is a driving force to fulfill their materialistic desire for alcohol. In the pursuit for money, they do not hesitate to lie, steal, or harm another person. This theme is important because, although money doesn’t interest Huck at all, it is constantly around him. There is a clear contrast and division between the reasons behind Huck’s actions and those of his father, the duke, and the king. Huck does not allow money to be an influential factor behind his decisions. He is inclined to do the right thing over profiting from the wrong.
The father, duke, and king do not consider the ethics behind their actions. Their sole purpose is to accumulate as much wealth as possible, no matter the cost. In the beginning of the novel, Huck’s father returns only because he learns that Huck is rich and owns six thousand dollars. He tries hard to squeeze every penny from Huck to fulfill his desire of alcohol by beating and threatening him. “Pap” also goes to Judge Thatcher numerous times in order to get Huck’s money from him. It is clear that he does not morally care for his own son, and he views Huck as monetary property. The duke and king also value money over morality. They run cons no matter how big or small they are for the quick buck. The major con in the novel is when they posed as Mary Jane’s Uncle Harvey and Uncle William. Their greed leads them to steal Mary Jane’s rightful inheritance, sell her slaves, and attempt to sell all of her land. This con almost cost the duke, king, and Huck their lives. It went this far because their desire for money drove them to try and steal every last dime from Mary Jane. They didn’t care that they were ruining other people’s lives.
On the other hand, although Huck stands to gain money from different situations, that does not stop him from doing the ethical thing. Huck is the one that exposes the duke and king’s con on Mary Jane because he cannot morally accept the fact that not only will her family be ruined, but the slaves family’s as well. He takes into consideration the consequences of this con on those that are being deceived. It is more important for Huck to reunite the slave family and to protect Mary Jane. Huck can live without money, but he cannot live with doing an unethical act.
The line between right and wrong is different for each individual when money is factored in. There is a level of complete immorality where someone would lie, steal, and even kill for money. Greed has the power to blind a person’s ethical judgment. It takes a head strong individual to overcome this overwhelming desire. That person’s values consider the differences between right and wrong.
