"Let the cold world do its worst; one thing I know- there's a grave somewhere for me" (134).
When we are born, there is one thing we are assured: death. As life progresses, we are molded by family, religion, and other influences. This whole journey represents Huck's life where Huck's mindset is the river that separates his two major outside influences, Pap and the Widow Douglas with Miss Watson, on either shore. Of course some may have a good or affluent upbringing, yet some like Huck Finn suffer from childhood abuse and no proper education or role models. That is why many people commit suicide, to relieve themselves of the misery that life bears upon them. Instead of seeking death, Huck finds his relief or freedom by going on the raft with Jim. He gets away from the influences of Pap and the widow, to live his own life.
As said earlier, the raft is an escape from society and the troubles of life. Here Huck and Jim can be free, and they will do whatever to make that peace and freedom remain. Huck does not bring up to the two new men that they are lying in order to preserve the peace on the raft. This goes to show how important freedom is to Huck. He will go so far as to lie to these men, who are complete strangers who were being chased for some wrongdoing, and even serve them as they order Huck and Jim to address and treat them as royalty. As Huck mentions, this is due to his upbringing: "If I never learnt nothing else out of pap, I learnt that the best way to get along with his kind of people is to let them have their own way" (137). Huck has been so affected by pap during his childhood that he will maintain his freedom at any cost.
Vocabulary:
"and then rip comes another flash and another sockdolager" (140).
sockdolager- n. a conclusive blow or remark
"they've left dead fish laying around [...], and they do get pretty rank" (130).
rank- adj. strong or offensive in odor or smell
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