Rough draft of Dan's paragraphs

       Entering into public school and meeting all kinds of different races and creeds, teens are faced with a decision that a lot of them do not know they will have to make. To think for themselves, or to allow others to think for them. Most adults can recall back to their teenage years when they were told “hey, don’t talk to Terry, he’s weird.” or “I heard Margaret eats her own toenails, stay away from her.” Some may be deterred and will make that judgement on Terry and Margaret based off of assumptions that what they are told is completely true.Until they go and check for themselves they will never know the truth. In The Adventures of  Huckleberry Finn, this was the case for most white people in society in the late 1800s. They assumed that because everyone was treating African Americans as objects that don’t really have families or, feeling for that matter, they can treat them as such. Huck being forced (in a way) to be on this raft with Jim made it possible for him to see this side of an African American that most couldn’t , or simply didn’t care to see.
    Water played a crucial role in the growth of Huck’s character in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn without most of its readers knowing it. Huck’s Travels on this river with Mrs. Watson’s slave Jim, allowed Huck to understand that African American’s were not objects and that they had families and real emotions. The use of water in this novel, in the form of a river, is to show growth over time in Huck. As the two continue on their adventure Huck’s eyes are opened more and more the further down the river they go. Marking his feeling on Jim in the beginning, Huck makes it clear he doesn’t really care about Jim too much and really doesn’t think much of his intelligence. When Huck and Jim get into an argument about language, and Jim seems to be making valid points, Huck just dismisses the argument altogether saying “I see it warn’t no use wasting words - you can’t learn a nigger to argue. So I quit.”(Twain 179). Huck was dismissing the conversation because he felt that he didn’t really have to respect Jim enough to validate anything he is saying, (even though he was making a valid point.)
       Towards the middle of their journey things seem to start changing within Huck. Jim begins to confide in Huck, telling him that he wishes to gain his freedom so that he may save money to free his family as well. Huck listens, but still seems as if he doesn’t care much for Jim. The ultimate test comes when the two are nearing the town of Cairo. Huck encounters men looking for Runaway slaves. Huck wants to turn in Jim, but can not for some reason. He tells the men that all that is on the raft is his sick father and family,and makes sure that they know that they are white. He even tells the men that the sickness is contagious so that they will not search. The marks a change in huck for the reader. Huck is showing a sort of allegiance to Jim instead of his fellow white man. He is actively choosing to protect Jim instead of doing the easier thing and turning him in and possibly getting some money for him.
    As the two move down the river there seems to be a  peaceful bond  made between the them. The calmness of the river and the idea of  sharing this small raft with one other person for so long brings them together.  Huck describes this river as a being “perfectly still” saying “Not a sound, anywheres-perfectly still-just like the whole world was asleep”(202). Having this feeling of stillness with just one other person can bring anyone together. Huck is no exception. As him and Jim get to talking, a spark of maturity is shown from Huck. They have a conversation about the stars and the sky, and they have differing opinions on whether they were created or if they naturally happened. “Jim he allowed they made, but I allowed they happened”(203). Judging from their earlier argument one would expect this situation to end in same dismissive way. Huck dismisses the conversation because of  Jim’s ” inadequate” opinion and they continue on. Huck isn’t so resist this time however. He explains that “Jim said the moon could a laid them ”(203) when speaking of the stars, and actually respecting his logic this time says “Well, that looked kind of reasonable, so I didn’t say nothing against it.”(203). Though Huck may not have noticed it, his time with Jim was starting to change his way of thinking.      
        At the end of the trip down this hypothetical  river of growth,  Huck shows a complete transformation from what where he was at the beginning. Jim was sold for money by the Duke who could care less about him. Huck does however, and when he realizes that he is really Jim’s only friend in the world, and weighs all of the options, he is forced to make a decision. Does he leave Jim to be someone's slave, does he write a letter to Miss Watson, or does he go back and save him. Surprisingly he chooses to save Jim. The most surprising is that he is willing to risk going to hell to do so. Making his final decision not to send the letter to Mrs Watson, Huck says to himself “All right, then, I'll go to hell”(Twain 262). Huck is showing a conscience switch in his personality. Huck is now willing to risk his afterlife to save someone one that others would deem as not even human. A far different person than the one that won’t even continue a conversation with Jim because he doesn’t respect him enough. The Huck that the reader knew at the beginning of the story, on land before the river, is no more by the end of his trip. Huck comes out on the other side of the river as a more mature, and understanding person.  The theory of the river being a symbol of growth  proves that though Huck was physically the same, by the time he gets to the final destination, he has been mentally changed.