The trope of freedom versus slavery is fairly clear-cut in Jim's case. He is trying to reach the "free states" and escape the evil that is chattel slavery. This represents freedom at its most basic level. The ostensible plot of the story revolves around whether Huck can, and will, help Jim get to freedom. The deeper - and far more compelling - theme, however, concerns the issue of whether Jim can help Huck escape his own slavery. In what ways can Huck be considered to be enslaved? This question strikes to the very heart of Twain's view of human character and its formation. In the nature versus nurture debate, Mark Twain came down squarely on the side of nurture. For him, character is entirely shaped by one's social environment. As he wrote in Pudd'nhead Wilson: "Training is everything. The peach was once a bitter almond; cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education" (Bartlett 678). Huck has been conditioned to see slavery in the same way that his society does, as something perfectly right and natural. His perception of African Americans is tinged with his culture's prejudices. Even his self-image has been conditioned by a society that views him as "white trash." Hence, he views himself as "ornery" and "low down" and, ultimately, as going to Hell, even though the reader can see him as an essentially good person. This is the great paradox of Huck. Though he may be physically free on the raft, he is psychologically in chains. The question is whether Jim can help him break those chains.