The theme of escape in Twain's Huckleberry Finn and Ellison's invisible man

Abstract EN

The paper presents a comparative study to the theme of escape in two novels namely Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884), and Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man (1952).

Each text reflects its own period and circumstances.

Consequently, the theme of escape undergoes a different meaning, and reading as a result of the political, social, and moral changes.

The paper is divided into four sections: Section One presents an introduction to the significance of the theme of escape for the two novelists, and their novels; Section Two tackles the escape journey of a boy named Huckleberry or Huck from the false civilization of the town to freedom in Mississippi River with the slave Jim Turner, and analyses the implication of escape in the novel.

There are two runaways—one from an abusive father, and the other from slavery—went straight to the heart of the question: what does it mean to be free? Section Three studies the escape journey of the nameless invisible young man who suffered racial discrimination, and deception towards self-assertion, and the discovery of the self.

He undertakes a journey of searching for his personality when he becomes aware of his invisibility before himself firstly, then before society.

Section Four presents the conclusion which brings the important points of the study to light.