Cicero, a Roman politician, said, “The strictest law often causes the most serious wrong.” This quote is very important because it implies that some laws cause more wrong rather then good. This correlates with the theme, “Society’s laws and values can be in conflict with higher moral values,” which is frequently exhibited in the story, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. This theme is exemplified in the actions of Huck and Jim towards each other and towards other characters. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, characters show higher moral values than the values of society through the exposure of fraudulents, the rejection of slavery, and through self-sacrifice.

It takes great character for one to negate the gains of others that would also result in a gain for oneself. This is shown when Huck undermines the Duke and Dauphin’s con games. The Duke and Dauphin con people into giving them money, which would also benefit Huck since they must travel together. However, one example of when Huck shows great character is when he steals the money that the con artists steal for themselves. Huck intends to give it back to their owners but he loses the money due to the fear of being caught. Huck found out that, “They took and shoved the bag through a rip in the straw tick that was under the featherbed”(177). He then sneaks his way into their room and “had it out of there before they was halfway down-stairs”(177). Huck frequently does actions to contradict the values of the Duke and the Dauphin in order to satisfy his own high moral values.

The rejection of slavery is a key action of Huck’s that truly shows that his own moral values were in conflict with the laws of society. The accepted law of all southerners was to return slaves to their owners. However, Huck disregards this law and the both of them, Huck and Jim, travel down the river together, white and black. Huck and Jim both meet up on a deserted island. Jim is a runaway slave and Huck has escaped his drunken father, Pap. Huck knows the laws of the south and contemplates of turning Jim into the authorities. His conscience comes into play and he decides to allow Jim to travel down the river to freedom with him. Huck told Jim that, “People would call [him] a low down Abolitionist and despise [him] for keeping mum-but that don’t make no difference. I ain’t going to tell, and I ain’t a-going back there, anyways” (43). Huck refuses to turn Jim into the authorities unlike what most other Southerners would do.

Jim is a big contributor to the theme of moral values often contradicts society’s laws. Jim exhibits his exceptionally high moral values by showing himself to the doctor who must take care of Tom after being shot. Jim must decide between helping Tom survive and gaining freedom. Jim chooses to sacrifice his own welfare to save Tom’s life. As a result, Jim’s “karma” works for him and he is able to “win.” He saves Tom and the Doctor says in his behalf, “ I judged he must be a runaway nigger…he was risking his freedom” (285). His captors set Jim free, even though he was free from the beginning. Jim values his own morals and disregards society’s laws on slavery.

Huck and Jim are both exceptional characters that know between right and wrong. Huck, on many occasions, saves Jim from slave hunters. He also follows his conscience and thwarts the plans of the Duke and Dauphin. Most slaves would be resentful towards whites, however, Jim helps a white man in order to save his life. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn teaches us to believe and follow in our high moral values because sometimes our values are more right then society’s laws.