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Examples Of Hypocrisy In Huckleberry Finn

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Hypocrisy in Huckleberry Finn Although The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is an exciting and seemingly light-hearted story, Mark Twain wrote the book to expose the systemic flaws in antebellum American society. One of its major themes is hypocrisy. Twain used a satirical approach to uncover the racial and religious hypocrisy of the South. Arguably the most prevalent and obvious types of hypocrisy found in Huck Finn is racism. During the time when the book was set (1845), slavery was a common practice, especially in the south. In fact, many characters in the book owned slaves (Miss Watson, the Grangerfords, the Wilks’, the Phelps). Black people were made out to be inferior to whites, which made it easier to justify such a gruesome system. Even Huck, whom Jim called his “best friend”, believed this lie. He said, “It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger,” (42). He even debated his conscience about whether or not he should turn Jim in, seeing as though he was technically the property of Miss Watson. “Here was this nigger which I had as good as helped …show more content…

Although he was uneducated, drunk, racist, and abusive, Pap believed he was inherently superior to most people. He was repulsed by anybody who had more than he did, especially somebody who was black. He said, “Thinks I, what is the country a-coming to? It was 'lection day, and I was just about to go and vote myself if I warn't too drunk to get there; but when they told me there was a State in this country where they'd let that nigger vote, I drawed out. I says I'll never vote ag’in,” (34). Pap detested a biracial professor for having opportunities equal to those of whites. He even suggests that the government “put him up for auction and sell him” (35). Pap’s belief in innate white superiority displays his hypocritical character: despite his complete lack of character he still believes he is more worthy than the biracial

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