Examples Of Satire In Huckleberry Finn

Mark Twain’s publication of The Adeventures of Huckleberry Finn in 1883 stood as a groundbreaking novel for its time. The book definitely shocked quite a few people, and many were offended by Twain’s criticisms of society. Fast forward over 100 years, and Twain’s book has found itself banned in several areas after being accused of being a racist novel. However, not many realize that Twain’s portrayal of other races in Huckleberry Finn was through a satirical and ironic lense. Twain himself criticized society for several things, but some large critiques of his were of the gullibility of people and of the foolishness of slavery.

In Mark Twain`s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn chapter 5, Twain demonstrates satire through Pap`s return. For instance, when Pap sees Huck he says “Starchy clothes- very. You think you’re a good deal of a big bug don’t you?’ which demonstrates Pap`s hypocrisy through ironic language. This is exemplified by Pap judgment on Huck`s “new” way of dressing which leads him to believe that Huck is becoming better than him. Even though, that most parents would want the best for their kids, pap finds this as a bad thing, almost as a disgrace. Another example is when pap also says “you think you`re better than your father, now don’t you, because he can`t [read]?’ which demonstrates Pap`s disbelief in needing an education if it means that Huck will become better than his father (14). Whereas, parents now stress about needing an education in order to be successful.

In chapters 1-4 of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Twain's characters tend to get worked up over the silliest of superstitions. In the second chapter, when Huck accidentally flicks a spider into a flame, he, “Was so scared and most shook the clothes off [him]” (Twain 3). He counters the burden that the dead spider will bring by performing plenty of even more odd acts like turning around while crossing his breast and tying up a lock of his hair to ward off the witches. Huck is still anxious because he hadn't been told that any of those counter charms were good for removing the penance of killing a spider. Most superstitions throughout these chapters stem from one person telling another of an

In Mark Twain’s Novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn there are many controversial topics that he mentions but uses satire as a way to make them seem funny. One of the main themes that are being satirized in the story in the theme of religion. He satirizes this topic through the characters in actions and thoughts. Religion doesn’t not determine the type of person you are; the importance of religion is very debated even today. Other source satirize religion with example of making money, shown in many TV shows today.

satire. Satire is the use of irony, humor and exaggeration to criticize and show the foolishness in

The use of Satire in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn In his novel the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, published in 1884, Mark Twain uses satire frequently as a medium to display his feelings on a range of issues related to society at that time. Throughout the book he ridicules many aspects of society, including the prevalent views on slaves and religion, and their social structure. Even though the novel was set fifty years before it was published, the themes still held true for contemporary society. This led to the novel being criticised widely as a result of it condemning the very society it was presented to.

Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is a book about a boy who travels down the river with a runaway slave. Twain uses these two characters to poke fun at society. They go through many trials, tribulations, and tests of their friendship and loyalty. Huck Finn, the protagonist, uses his instinct to get himself and his slave friend Jim through many a pickle. In the book, there are examples of civilized, primitive, and natural man.

Devices like mockery, irony, parody, and sarcasm make the use of satire effective . Satirists typically use these devices when hoping to expose, or even humiliate an individual or a society. Writers also use satire when creating social change as well as preventing it. Well known satirists include Mark Twain, Jonathan swift, and many other extarident authors. Every satirists uses different methods or devices to get their point across and effectively at that . Satirists use many different methods and devices like mockery, mock-heroic, and others to use satire effectively and gain an audience's attention.

Many authors use satire to discuss issues in society that they have opinions on. These authors express their opinions by mocking the issues in a subtle way in their writing. Throughout The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain satirizes many societal elements. Three of these issues include the institution of slavery, organized religion, and education.

According to Ernest Hemingway, "All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn." Along with Hemingway, many others believe that Huckleberry Finn is a great book, but few take the time to notice the abundant satire that Twain has interwoven throughout the novel. The most notable topic of his irony is society. Mark Twain uses humor and effective writing to make The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn a satire of the American upper-middle class society in the mid-nineteenth century.

Much of the book focuses on the white people, which seems to make them the protagonists and therefore the “good” people but Twain actually makes the white people “bad” overall.  In general, the white people of the story show many bad qualities including being prejudice and selfish.  Right from the beginning of the story, one of the worst characters is introduced as Huckleberry’s dad, Pap.  Pap is both egotistic and prejudice.  He only comes to find Huck because he wants to take all of  Huck's’ money for himself.  Although Pap is not able to take all of Huck's money, he does force Huck to give him small increments of money from time to time.  Once Pap is kicked out of the town, he kidnaps Huck to impose what he thinks is the correct lifestyle on Huck.  Not only is Pap a bad influence because he is always drinking or drunk, but he also

Huck's father is absent until he finds out that Huck has found some money.  Pap is an outcast full of hate for blacks and pretty much for all of society.  Huck, as a product of his society, speaks the language of his society.  By choosing as his point-of-view a young boy from the slave south, Twain is able to present and challenge the values and assumptions of this time.  Among the assumptions and values of the time that the reader encounters in the book are the strict definitions pertaining to Huck's world and the people who inhabit it:

One of the ways Twain exposes the folly of the negative attitudes toward blacks is through describing the whites' cruel and pointless acts of hatred directed toward Jim. The least severe of the cruel acts toward Jim is that whites often ridicule him. Another dehumanizing act is when Jim is made to hide his face in the daytime. The most foolish and ignorant idea of the whites, however, is when Silas Phelps locked up Jim. Another demonstration of the whites' folly is when Pap, Huck's father, violently objects to the granting of suffrage to a black man. Pap does not take into consideration that this man is an educated professor; he believes that he is superior to this black man simply because of the color of his skin. In actuality, however, Pap is an uneducated drunk. This adds to the irony of the white's actions.

These examples are necessary for historical accuracy. So Mark Twain had to display Jim’s treatment in this manner even if it was not the way he felt. Huck however does not treat Jim as most whites do. Huck see Jim as a friend and by the end of their journey disagrees with society’s notion that blacks are inferior. There are two main example of this in the story.

Mark Twain satires society and portrays it as being uncivilized with drunkenness (Nyirubugara). As mentioned in the beginning of the novel, Pap is the first person introduced as being a drunk. Pap did not like the fact that Huck was becoming smarter than him and when he regained custody of Huck he made sure that Huck stopped going to school. Since Huck was no longer in school, he spent most of his days protecting himself from his drunken father’s abuse, so once he ran away it was not hard for him to shift into adulthood.