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How Does Mark Twain Use Satire

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In Grangerford episode The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain uses satire to attack the Grangerfords by exposing hypocrisy in their way of life. Twain does this to criticize the behavior of the slave-owning plantation families in the South. One of the best examples of this is the feud the Grangerfords have with the Shepherdson family. The Grangerfords are perceived as being of high social class, but by the end of the episode, Twain makes it apparent that they are awful people. When he first meets them, Huck describes the Grangerfords as “a mighty nice family” (100) with a nice plantation to match. The Grangerfords are the aristocratic owners of a plantation of over 100 slaves. The head of which, is the Colonel Grangerford, the quintessential Southern gentleman who has a fresh shave every morning and wears clean linen suits “so white …show more content…

Twain writes that “The men took their guns along [to church], and kept them between their knees or stood them handy against the wall. The Shepherdsons done the same.” (110). Once in the church, they listen to a sermon “all about brotherly love” (110). Twain goes on to explain how the church goers appreciated the topic and discussed it on their ride home. This is outrageously ironic on a number of levels. First, just the concept that the Grangerfords would be at war with a family that is so similar to them that they go to the same church. The irony in the two families being so warlike that they bring their weapons into their place of worship. Lastly, how out of all possible topics, the sermon was about brotherly love in this particular situation nonetheless. Not to mention that even after reflecting on what they heard in church the families continue to engage in a battle later that day. Twain is trying to prove that overly powerful people like the Grangerfords or the Shepherdsons are either foolish or

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The men took their guns along, so did Buck, and kept them between their knees or stood them handy against the wall. The Shepherdsons done the same. It was pretty ornery preaching—all about brotherly love, and such-like tiresomeness; but everybody said it was a good sermon, and they all talked it over going home, and had such a powerful lot to say about faith and good works and free grace and preforeordestination, and I don’t know what all, that it did seem to me to be one of the roughest Sundays I had run across yet.” This text shows how society is corrupt, for multiple reasons. Not only are families who kill each other going to a sacred place together under a temporary cease-fire, they are also hearing a preacher speak about brotherly love and saying that it is a good sermon.

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I cried a little when I was covering up Buck’s face, for he was mighty good to me.” (Twain 119). This passage shows how Twain makes fun of the feud between the two families. Even though they didn’t have a clear argument on why they fought, they still did, due to past family rivalry they had. Even though it was long over, they still fought, which led to the deaths of their children.

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It continues in the next paragraph of another clergy member Goodman Gray asking,”are you sure it is our Parson,” this is even more shock being displayed. At this point people could not believe their parson, and thought he was crazy. This happens today on the news you see a riot or protest to any change, especially if they don’t know why the change was made, they will either agree or disagree. It wasn’t until Mr. Hooper told the clergy in his sermon, which had a dark tingling feeling to it as he referenced secret sin and all sad mysteries we hide from our nearest and dearest. Now that the clergy know the veil represents sin, it reminds them of their own sin and makes them uneasy of that feeling.

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