Man & Religion (miranda gray)
Religion plays a key-role in shaping the characters. Those who are religious are often illustrated as overly optimistic and characterized by manipulation by their religion. Twain organized religion in opposition to his central anti-racism theme by how Huck feels like he has to renounce religion in order to help Jim escape to freedom. The expression of religion first shows up in chapter one when Huck narrates by explain that Miss Watson "After supper she got out her book and learned me about Moses and the Bulrushers, and I was in a sweat to find out all about him; but by and by she let it out that Moses had been dead a considerable long time; so then I didn't care no more about him, because I don't take no stock in dead people" (3). Huck never preferred religion because he does not take interest in following a book about how to live life from a bunch of dead men. Even when Huck was on his long adventure, he came across another perspective of religion. He described, "We had the sky up there, all speckled with stars, and we used to lay on our backs and look up at them, and discuss about whether they was made or only just happened. Jim he allowed they was made, but I allowed they happened; I judged it would have took too long to MAKE so many. Jim said the moon could a LAID them; well, that looked kind of reasonable, so I didn't say nothing against it, because I've seen a frog lay most as many, so of course it could be done" (153). Unfortunately, Huck was missing the entire point. He failed to recognize that most of his thoughts about the natural world are religious in nature, such as his debate with Jim over how the stars appeared.