Examples Of Satire In Huckleberry Finn

Satire in Huckleberry Finn
Satire can be described as the use of humor and wit by an author, poet, or artist with critical irony, ridicule or sarcasm in order to bring out exposing faults and frailties of the activities of mankind, such as vice, folly, and stupidity. Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn makes use of satire to mock numerous and varying aspects of the contemporary world. Throughout his escapade down the Mississippi, as well as prior departing St. Petersburg, Huck comes across a wide array of people and experiences that are intended to scoff at the American populations. Twain satirizes various aspects of the American life to paint a picture he intends in the mind of the reader. An important aspect worth mentioning is

Sherburn and Boggs’ incident is example of satire that addresses human nature. The moment Sherburn kills Boggs for constant harassment, the town feels the need to kill Sherburn for his misdeeds. This is a direct satirical style, juvenalian type, and diminution device. He is seen coming out, wielding a gun in his hand, and crazily engages the crowd in a lecture where he attacks their nature and the manner in which they lack in capacity to stand against him if they were not a group of people. He attempts to drive his point home that as individuals, they are essentially cowards and are not justified to attack him. Through Sherburn, Twain effectively satirizes the whole thought of lynching as well as that of human nature of the influence and the power mob psychology as opposed to what every individual believes and thinks. After this speech, the crowd realizes their unjustifiable reason to lynch Sherburn and walks away. Colonel Sherburn yells, “The idea of you lynching anybody! It’s amusing. The idea of you thinking you had pluck enough to lynch a man!" (Twain, 149). Twain satirizes greed as well in Pap’s, Huck’s father, actions of returning, only harboring intentions of grabbing the wealth belonging to Huck. Also the dauphin and the duke commit fraud a number of times in an attempt to get rich. The reader derives fun in the manner in which Twain satirizes ‘civilization’ throughout the book. Huck’s inability to return to the widow’s house, Jim and Huck coming across a number of murdered people all through their adventure, and Huck’s marveling at human rough treatment towards one another as the dauphin and the duke are feathered and tarred are all fantastic