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Lee, Bok-ki. “The Problem of Hospitality in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” Studies in English Language & Literature. 40.2 (2014): 117-136. Mark Twain's novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, has been stood in a spotlight because of its usage of politically incorrect terms and the objectification of slave character Jim in recent years. Besides the debate on the usage of the racist term, the long debates have been going on about the ending of the novel. The critics defending and offending the ending have ignored the important theme of hospitality and ethics in their interpretation, which obviously is expressed all through the novel. The acts of hospitality depicted in the novel can be categorized into two types: conditional hospitality and hospitality intending to absoluteness. The acts of hospitality performed by Widow Douglas, Miss Watson, and other Southerners share a strong intention to capture and thematize the other, so are conditional hospitality. On the other hand, in their acts of hospitality Mary Jane and Huck welcome the others as they are and become friends of the others, so are categorized as hospitality intending to absoluteness. Huck, though, passes through some inner struggles in his decision of welcoming a run-away slave, Jim, and fails in the ending scene by objectifying Jim. This shows that his hospitality is not absolute one but one which orienting to absoluteness. The ending scene also ironically manifests that the freedom Jim is allowed to is a simulacre which reveals that the emancipated former slaves are still living in a large prison called white supreme society. (Chonbuk National University)