Satire In Huckleberry Finn Essay Sample for English Literature Students
Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is an example of satire. It has many humorous moments but also deals with serious topics such as racism and slavery. The tone in the book changes depending on the subject matter, which can be confusing for some readers.
This essay will explore the satire found in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to illustrate how it impacts not only readers but also society as a whole.
Essay Example on Satire In Huckleberry Finn
Introduction – Satire In Huckleberry Finn
One of the famous English literature satire in Huckleberry Finn that incorporates the twain uses to illustrate different aspects of the society and this is a novel that describes the adventures. The novel describes two characters in adventures are Huckleberry Finn and Jim illustrated by twain with the help of satire.
One of the Finn characters is a young boy and the other Jim, a black slave. Twain uses satire throughout the novel to reflect the stereotypical mindset that prevailed in the state and with the help of the character of Finn, he describes the religious discrimination that exists throughout the state.
Main Essay Body – Satire In Huckleberry Finn
The Nobel based on the real-life problems faced by black and amuse the reader with the social evils present in the society. The ugliest social evil that existed in the society is racism and this novel describe the society’s stereotypes mindset and religious hypocrisy between white and blacks.
The main focus of Twain’s novel is religion and throughout the novel, he describes various instances of religion and one such instance is Grangerfords and Shepardsons to mock belief in religion. The novel uses satirize throughout the novel to reveal religious hypocrisy in the state and describe the situation.
He writes that dispute is worthless when he saw a man with gum between his knees. Such a scene was pointless and against his conscience. Such conflict started long ago that no one knows from what point on what point the feud started. But what is the point of such a prayer in the church that after a few minutes the same person goes out and kills each other? Does it worth or it is just for the sake of being good in the eyes of the community? Twain expresses the same with religious sentiments and concluded that such human does not pray from a pure heart and not for religious purpose but just for being good.
There are several other examples that Twain in its writing exhibit and another such instance is when Watson took Huck in the closet and prayed. But didn’t get anything and Twain in its writing cite such examples to mock various religious beliefs. And with this religious belief, Huck concluded that it is pointless to pray to God as nothing is obtained from it.
Moreover, in the novel Twain focussed on the stereotypical mindset of blacks in the white society. In the novel, the teaching of slavery is reflected from the born and brought up of Huck. Because huck’s upbringing teaches him that slavery is part of the natural order and this is the reason it is common for him to be a slave to others.
Twain in its novel how blacks were treated differently from the whites in the society and how much wrongly interpreted that black can be recognized from a long distance because of his perception of blacks. He believes that he can judge the person and speculate that whites are smarter than blacks and one of the most common and usual examples of that time in the state as regards stereotypes. Most of the people think in the same way as Huck and in this novel Twain
In the novel of Twain, he uses satire for spreading the humor of Huck’s death whereas, on the other hand, some think that Finn did it himself. Moreover, some doubted Jim for the death of Huck but Jim does not have any motive or intention to kill Huck rather it’s pap’s motive for succession or inheritance.
Twain with the help of this incident tries to portray that how innocent black people at that time were blamed for ant wrong. Not only this, twain uses many examples to reflect such superstitious thinking that existed at that time in society. From the time Huck meets Jim till the end of this novel, there are a variety of superstitions.
Twain attempts to explain to Jim about such superstitions and to do so, he plays a trick on Jim by hanging his hat above the tree and state that witches present therein, which will ride him and set him under the trees. Twain tries to connect the superstitions with such supernatural powers and one such instance was that handling a snakeskin represents bad luck for the person.
He compels the person to take a dead snakeskin as the sign of bad luck and birds as the sign of rain so If any bird comes along and flying a yard with lightning that it might be rain that day. From all such instances, Jim starts thinking that there is an indication for all things around us.
The novel contains a lot of satire to describe any situation, events, and thought process of the person at that time. Moreover, it also represents the religious belief, stereotypes, and supervision mindset that ridicule society.
Conclusion
The use of satire in Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is an example that demonstrates how great writing can be used to make a point. The story’s main purpose was to challenge slavery, but the way it did this was through humor and exaggeration. It seems clear that using satire was one of Twain’s writing techniques because it remains an effective method for writers today when they want to get their point across or tell a story with humor and sarcasm.