At the beginning of the novel Huck has more money than any person in his town, let alone a boy his age would ever want. Huck is completely disconnected from the idea of materialism that everyone else seems to fully subscribe to. The society is so materialistic that Jim even sees himself as a material. He sees himself, his wife, and his child as someone else’s property. Jim’s dream is to run away to the north make some money and one day buy his wife and child; the fact that this even needs to happen in this society is sickening. The Grangerfords are a perfect example of materialistic excess, and are happy because of it. When Huck stays with the Grangerfords he for a short while is happy as well, but not because of the materials there; he was happy because he had a friend and enjoyed the companionship.
While travelling on the raft with Jim, Huck explains that he wants to help him with his dream. Huck has enough money to buy Jim’s freedom 7 times over. Huck has enough money to buy Jim’s freedom, buy him a house, and buy his wife and child’s freedom as well. Huck is so disconnected from the idea of materialism that he completely neglects the simplest answer that’s right under his nose. In a society ran solely on materialism there are those whose needs dispel their wants. They don’t allow themselves to be engulfed by monetary gain and worldly desire. The theme of materialism plays an underlining role in the novel Huck Finn, Huck’s need to be free and surrounded by nature allows him to be nondependent on money which may play a role into why his is so disconnected from the idea of materialism.
Huck understands that people are materialistic and can see why they are, but on a subconscious level he doesn’t agree with their ideals. The fact that he completely ignores the obvious solution to Jim’s problems reflects the fact that he couldn’t care less about money. Whenever money is present in Huck’s life it usually is a negative thing. If it wasn’t for the $6000 Pap would have never come back, and even when the men on the skiff give Huck $40 all it does it make him feel worse about what he’s doing. If it was up to Huck he’d be living in the woods hunting and fishing all day. Huck if anything connects more with nature than with society. He doesn’t care for money, or fancy clothes, or religion. Huck just wants to be free.
Everyone in Huck’s world sees people at face value, while Huck seems to see people on a different level. While there are occasions where Huck is attracted to material goods, or how attractive people may be like when he first meets Col. Grangerford, and when he meets Mary Jane he has the ability to see through some of the veils people put up. Huck is fully capable as seeing Jim as a person, and not just as a runaway slave. The fact that Huck can almost completely disregard the idea of money, but completely buy into what money can get you is very interesting. It shows that can only really take things at face value, and that he doesn’t believe in the things that he can’t see. The underling paradox which we see in Huck is that though he doesn’t care for money, he takes stock in the effects it has on people and the actions they take on acquiring it. He doesn’t put a value on the things he finds important in life but he knows that they are of value to someone else.
