The Mississippi River is the primary symbol in THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN (1884) by Mark Twain. For Huckleberry Finn, the Mississippi River represents an escape route from life with his abusive father. For Jim, the slave whom Huck helps run away, the river is a means of traveling to the free states. Despite their original supposition that the river, as a conduit to freedom, must be inherently good and safe, Huck and Jim learn slowly and painfully that it is ultimately not as much a means of escape as a temporary buffer against reality.