The question of morality is at the forefront of Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Throughout the text, Finn is presented with conflicting ideals about what is moral and socially acceptable. He learns that civilization expects a set of moral principles and, as a young man, he is raised to believe that this is right. As he grows older and gains life experiences, he learns that the reality of life is not as morally right as he expected, given society's focus on morality. The tension between what is declared right or wrong, versus what is actually deemed acceptable is an important issue in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and highlights the irony of hypocritical morality. This tension, which generates both internal and external conflicts, is stimulating and helps define the text, given the time period in which it was written. Finn is given multiple opportunities to decide for himself what is and is not moral. His experiences mirror those of Jim to some extent. Each of these opportunities offers Finn a chance to examine the difference between what meets society's ethics – what he has been told is right – and what he believes is right, based on his feelings and empathy. The main backdrop to this examination is Finn's relationship with his father and Finn's decision to stay with Jim during their respective escapes. In both situations, Finn goes against what he has been taught to believe. Both times, his struggle is internal, due to the external source of society's moral code. In both cases of struggle, Finn focuses on doing what is right – the question that arises from the definition of right. Does society have absolute control over what is right, or is it just a… means of paper…? His father (almost like a slave), desires freedom for the sake of self-preservation. While this is wrong, he justifies it because of the element of self-preservation. Faced with the question of whether or not to free Jim (who is supposed to be a sinner, one of society's justifications for slavery), Finn recalls his quest for self-preservation. This hypocrisy and tension provides an interesting dialogue within Finn that remains relevant today, and was certainly more so in Twain's time. Works Cited Smith, David. “Huck, Jim, and American Racial Discourse.” In the Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Nina Baym. Volume C. New York: Norton, 2012. Pp 317-319.Twain, Mark. "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." In the Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Nina Baym. Volume C. New York: Norton, 2012. Pp 130-309.