“The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain is a classic novel set in the mid-19th century in America. During this time, racial tensions and slavery were at an all time high. Throughout this novel, Twain exposes the flawed and corrupt system that encouraged owning, trading, and selling African Americans was a normal act. *theme statement here idk yet* Twain’s pessimistic tone is evident throughout the entire novel. He does not offer any easy solutions or hope for change, which does not give society much room for growth. Twain’s portrayal of some of the characters in the novel are often bleak and unfavorable. He shows how people use religion and social conventions to justify their mistreatments of others. For example, when Huck and Jim …show more content…
Huck Finn’s father, Pap Finn, is one of the most prominent examples of hypocrisy in the novel. Pap Finn is known for being an abusive, racist, drunk who has been arrested multiple times. After he is released and gains custody of Huck he goes on this long racial tangent that ends with him trying to murder Huck. “He chased me round and round the place with a clasp-knife, calling me the Angel of Death, and saying he would kill me, and then I couldn’t come for him no more” (pg 31). This is extremely hypocritical because Huck’s father is an immensely flawed human being with a lot of issues. Anyone with eyes can see that Pap is not a good person nor a good father, but is released to take care of Huck anyways. He is given so much privilege just simply because of the color of his skin. Another example of hypocrisy is when the Duke stated how all black men were thieves when he himself is a thief and a con artist. “Because Mary Jane ‘ll be in mourning from this out; and first you know the n***** that does up the rooms will get an order to box these duds up and put ‘em away; and do you reckon a n***** can run across money and not borrow some of it?” (pg
In the sixth chapter of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain manipulates the reader’s opinion of racism by using Pap, an antagonist to display his attitude towards the subject. Twain expertly uses the character Pap to explain his viewpoint using circumstance and the structure of his speech to make the idea of racism distasteful, uncomfortable, and even absurd to the reader. Before the initial speech Twain sets up Pap as a horrible father, a chronic alcoholic, and a liar. These qualities followed by Pap’s actions establish a permanent animosity towards the character and what he stands for leading the reader to inherently disagree with everything he says. Twain introuduces Pap at the beginning of chapter 6 by with him attempting to steal
In this society, African Americans are looked down upon because they are seen as inferior. People see them as the help and not actual human beings. Also, society does not seem to care about them, so playing tricks and embarrassing them is okay. So when Huck plays a trick on Jim, he does not know the effect of how it makes Jim feel. As soon as Jim figures out what really happened he is hurt.
Huck Finn 's sarcastic character perfectly situates him to deride religious belief, representing his personal views. In the first chapter, Huck indicates that hell sounds far more fun than heaven. Later on, in a very prominent scene, the prince, a liar and cheat, convinces the religious population to give him money so he can convert his literary pirate buddies. The religious people are easily led astray, which mocks their opinion and devotion to
Throughout the novel, instances of rules trumping logic are prevalent. When Judge Thacher grants custody of Huck to Pap, he does so because Pap has the legal right, not the moral right and not considering the safety of Huck. Huck’s custody battle is aptly representative of slave treatment: slavery exists because that’s what the rules are in this civilized society, despite the inhumanity of the practice. Organized religion is often practiced for the wrong reasons. Taken under Widow Douglas’ wing, Huckleberry Finn is fed logistics about practicing Christianity and how helping people will send him to heaven.
Twain illustrates the critical tone by including words and phrases such as cover up, n*gger, and people could tell. The phrase cover up and n*gger illustrate the fear Huck has which develops from the ideals of his society. Huck acknowledges that his Antebellum society thinks that harboring Jim is bad judgement on his behalf so he tries to hide Jim so no conflicts rise due to his race. People could tell is incorporated in the quote in order to illustrate that the thoughts and ideals of what others think does have some wright to it and that he is not in a position to fully take care of someone else, especially when that someone else is a runaway
While some students may be able to handle these themes, others may not be on the maturity level of others and are not ready to read Huckleberry Finn. Some of the themes include abusive parenting and animal cruelty. For example, Huck's father, Pap, is a drunk who beats on his son. He tells Huck that he will "tan [him] good" (Twain 21) if he catches Huck around the school. Twain uses satire to mock Pap and his abusive relationship with his son, but a student who doesn't understand the satire may misinterpret what Twain is trying to convey.
Pap is presented in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as a character who will go to any extent he can to get what he wants. He is portrayed as authoritarian, and the type to be feared. He regularly puts himself first before others. He is willing to go to any measures to get what he wants, which further proves he is a selfish person. Huck is now recalling how his father used to treat him, and how widow Douglas had to step in to take care of him.
Mark Twain juxtaposes opposites in many ways and one of theses ways is through his belief on society. In the middle of the book Huck begins to second guess himself about if helping Jim is really a good idea or is it really a sin. Huck begins to explain,
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn subverts racist beliefs through the development of Huck’s friendship with Jim and through Twain's satirization of the KKK. Mark Twain subverts racism through the development of Huck and Jims friendship in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The two form such a close friendship, leading to a father son bond. In the novel, Huck enjoys spending time with Jim; he comments how “‘This is nice,’ I says. ‘I wouldn’t want to be nowhere else but here’”
This is evident in the way that he portrays Jim --who is a good man-- a slave, who would “call [Huck], so [he] could go on sleeping;” although the citizens believe they are following the traditional protocol of capturing slaves, this is not considered humane to use other lives to support their own. Twain makes the society appear as a hypocrite in order to undermine slavery and expose their flaws demonstrating that a society that makes up civilization does not always depict civilized decorum. He directs the piece to the Confederates because the piece is written about racial problems even after the Civil War: he calls out for abolition when even Huck decided to “go to hell” to save his dear
Huck belittles and humiliates Jim after Jim has been more of a father figure than Pap ever was. Huck apologizes but doesn’t think he had to because of his racial color. Him being a “nigger” doesn’t make him a regular being to Huck. When the boy says “I knowed he was white inside,” (Twain p.279), about Jim making a selfless decision for helping Tom, the less racist Huck fades. Huck believes he is wrong for helping a black man.
Song quotes “Whose bed have your boots been under, and whose heart did you steal i wonder...and who did you run to, and whose lips have you been kissing, and whose ear did you make a wish in, is she the one that you’ve been missing baby, and whose bed have your boots been under.” -Shania Twain “So don’t call me baby unless you mean it don’t tell me you need me if you don’t believe it” -ed sheeran “And you weren 't just talking last night with denece.” -Shania
Pops, although poor and inferior to most whites, still portrayed superiority over blacks. Remarks such as these became a part of Huck, who he was, and how he thought and made
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is an American classic, it was the starting point for all great American Literature. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been awarded all of these honorable titles because of its abnormal and controversial plot line. During the time period when the book was written, it was unacceptable to view African- American’s as anything other than slaves. They were viewed as inferior to whites and were treated like property, they had no rights. The main character of the book, Huck, disagrees and disobeys these norms and pushes the boundaries of society when he becomes friends with a slave from his childhood; Jim.
In the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the reader gauges morality through the misadventures of Huck and Jim. Notably, Huck morally matures as his perspective on society evolves into a spectrum of right and wrong. Though he is still a child, his growth yields the previous notions of immaturity and innocence. Likewise, Mark Twain emphasizes compelling matters and issues in society, such as religion, racism, and greed. During the span of Huck’s journey, he evolves morally and ethically through his critique of societal normalities.