Thoughts on Twain and the Trinity

{River Reflection 1}

Never would I ever sign up to canoe down the Trinity River for four miles. 

And yet, on September 18, I took up my paddle and did just that.

Our trek through the mysterious waters of the Trinity was by no means easy.  Rachel and I spent the entire time determined not to be last.  This mission was made more difficult by our attempts to photograph our journey through the Trinity while simultaneously trying to keep our canoe on a relatively straight course. 

‘Twas no easy feat. 

The worst part of the trek was definitely the sharp pain in my arms and shoulders the following night.  However, it’s hard to decide which part of our long journey down the river was my favorite.  I was able to experience a side of Fort Worth I had never seen before in my 16 years of living here.  It was new, and like most things that are new, it was coupled with an adventurous sort of excitement.  There was a spirit of perseverance and bonding.  It was a way of experiencing nature and a glimpse into what Huck and Jim might have felt upon the Mississippi.

I asked a couple of our guides from the Rec Center which previous expeditions of theirs were their most memorable.  One answered with a 32-mile canoe trip that she went on the previous year.  The other replied with a mountain climbing journey that required they sleep in wigwams. 

Their responses had two things in common.  First, they both admitted that these also happened to be some of the most difficult endeavors.  This made me realize that sometimes the most challenging journeys are the most memorable.  In other words, our toughest battles often lead to our biggest victories. 

Second, they both remember having great times bonding with the people they shared these adventures with, much like the companionship that began on the Mississippi River because of the trials that Huck and Jim encountered.  In Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, a theme of friendship is found upon the water.  Huck and Jim become friends and depend on each other while on the Mississippi.  Because of this, Huck begins to see Jim more as a person than as an escaped slave.  In fact, his respect for Jim grows and Huck finds himself willing to risk his eternal damnation by not exposing him as a runaway slave.  With nothing but a raft, the river and each other, Huck and Jim built a strong relationship where they constantly protected one another from harm

The more I think about it, the more I realize these two things are the same.  How could you not become closer friends with someone who you endured controversy or conflict with?  Such trials test the strength of friendships and good friends can withstand hardships.  Basically the whole “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” concept applies.

With Huck and Jim, what started as a convenient alliance of companions on the Mississippi River transformed into a deeper sense of loyalty for one another.  In chapter 16 of Huckleberry Finn, Huck has resolved to do the “right thing” and turn Jim in as a runaway slave.  His plan is thwarted when Jim calls out to Huck that he is his only friend and the only person to keep his promise.  Because of this simple show of friendship, Huck remains loyal to Jim and uses his impressive improvisation skills to turn those searching for escaped slaves away.  However, Huck continues to internally struggle with his conscience and what society has taught him is right.  His friendship with Jim is positioned in the center of this struggle in constant tug-of-war between these different perspectives of what is moral.

It is at this turning point when Jim confesses of friendship that Huck decides to let his conscience be his guide instead of conventional morality.  This is a huge stride forward in character development for Huck as he decides to act according to his conscience.

There is something that feels right and beautiful about being on the water and quieting the world so that you can see the trees and city skyline as you pass.  While canoeing, I was able to slow down what I before had merely driven pass in a blur.  This beauty is somewhat tainted by the litter and overall greenness of the Trinity River.  Regardless, I think it is important to slow down and be still on occasion and to take time to notice the beauty in nature. 

Huck is referring to this idea of feeling right with the world in his quote in chapter 18, “Other places do seem so cramped up and smothery, but a raft don’t. You feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft.”  Whether it be the chaos of classes and meetings and extra curricular activities or the contradicting society of the South during the 19^th century, it’s important to remember what makes you feel “mighty free and easy” in life.

I also feel it appropriate to point out that in the same passage in chapter 18, Huck claimed that “there ain’t nothing in the world so good, when it’s cooked right” as the supper he had with Jim over their conversation on the raft.  Food also makes the world feel right.

I learned a lot from the trip down the Trinity River: to try things I would never think of trying by stepping out of my comfort zone and that sometimes the best adventures and best friends are made in the most challenging of times.