Describe the role that Huck’s conscience plays in the first half of Twain’s novel.

To describe the role that Huck's conscience plays in the first half of Mark Twain's novel, we need to analyze Huck's moral conflicts and how they influence his decisions.

Huck's conscience is portrayed as a struggle between social conditioning and his own sense of empathy and justice. On one hand, Huck has been raised in a society that promotes slavery and upholds oppressive norms. This societal conditioning compels him to regard Jim, a runaway slave, as mere property and to view his assistance as morally wrong.

However, Huck's conscience also prompts him to question these societal values, as he develops a growing friendship with Jim. He recognizes Jim's humanity and begins to empathize with him, raising moral dilemmas within himself. Huck faces an internal battle between following societal norms or listening to his conscience and doing what he believes is right.

Throughout the first half of the novel, Huck's conscience is depicted through his actions and thoughts. For instance, when he first encounters Jim on the raft, Huck wrestles with the idea of turning him in as a runaway slave. His conscience tells him that assisting Jim is wicked, but his growing connection with Jim causes him to question and doubt this societal morality.

Huck's conscience continues to play a pivotal role as he engages in various moral struggles and resolves to protect and help Jim instead of betraying him. Despite the risks and consequences, Huck starts to follow his conscience's call to do what he believes is morally just, even if it means disregarding societal norms.

In this way, Huck's conscience serves as a catalyst for his personal growth and moral development in the first half of the novel, pushing him to question and challenge the values and beliefs ingrained in him by society. By highlighting this internal struggle, Twain explores themes of moral courage, the conflict between personal conscience and societal expectations, and the potential for individual change and growth.