Published in 1884 but set in the pre-Civil War Mississippi Valley, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn follows a young boy and a runaway slave as they journey downriver on a quest for freedom. Though technically a sequel to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Twain’s novel stands alone as a deeper, more mature work that tackles complex moral questions. Through Huck’s naïve yet perceptive eyes, readers witness the contradictions and cruelties of a society built on slavery.

The novel revolutionized American literature with its use of regional dialect and vernacular language. Twain’s ear for authentic speech brings to life a colorful cast of characters—from the well-meaning but misguided Widow Douglas to the comically corrupt Duke and King. As Huck and Jim encounter these figures along the Mississippi, Twain crafts a satirical portrait of the antebellum South that exposes its pretensions and hypocrisies with both humor and horror.

At its core, Huckleberry Finn is the story of Huck’s moral awakening as he chooses friendship with Jim over the values of his society. Despite believing he’ll be damned for helping a slave escape, Huck famously declares, “All right, then, I’ll go to hell”—choosing his own conscience over societal norms. While controversial for its use of period-specific racial language, the novel ultimately delivers a powerful anti-racist message that continues to challenge readers to examine their own moral courage and complicity in systems of injustice.