Bailey HakalaMrs. VukmanicHonors English 10, 4-AApril 22, 2014Exceeding ExpectationsIn The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain writes about Huckleberry, a young boy living in the era of slavery, who decides he would rather go to hell than give up Jim, a runaway slave (Twain 249-50). This decision to completely abandon everything he has ever known and learned to save Jim encapsulates Huck's moral growth throughout the novel. Twain's novel illustrates elements of the psychological perspective based on Lawrence Kohlberg's theory of moral development and, in doing so, demonstrates that true morality does not succumb to societal pressure. Therefore, this novel belongs to the Western canon. At the beginning of the novel, the reader is introduced to a young boy who is unwittingly educated and refined by Miss Watson. Mark Twain uses Miss Watson to symbolize society and its demands: “She tells polite lies that choke Huck's mind” (Marx 365). Huck shows hatred for life in Miss Watson and what she thinks life should be; she constantly pokes and prods the way Huck behaves. For example, Huck gives examples of how Miss Watson treats him on a daily basis: “Miss Watson used to say, 'Don't put your feet up there, Huckleberry'; and 'don't get upset like that, Huckleberry – straighten yourself up'” (Twain 5). Huck, being an impressionable young boy, obeys what Miss Watson says to avoid getting into trouble. According to Kohlberg's theory, this reflects preconventional morality, most often found in young children who do not have a clear idea of ​​what morality is; an individual follows rules to avoid punishment or to be rewarded (Daeg de Mott 436). Huck has no idea why he should act like Miss W...... middle of paper ......ry as the final statement of moral foundations in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, allowing his exodus to resemble a final detestation of society's morals. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain does indeed belong to the Western canon. Throughout the novel, the psychological perspective based on Lawrence Kohlberg's theory of moral development is fulfilled. Huck begins as a young boy who thinks nothing of slavery or other moral standards set by society and ends as a boy who has realized that the institution of slavery is morally unacceptable. Once he declares that instead of doing what society deems right, that he will completely defy what he has been taught, choosing to go to hell if that's what it takes to Whether his beliefs are implemented, Huck achieves a state of moral conscience that many people never reach in their lifetime. Huck exceeds moral expectations.