How Does Twain Use Irony In Huck Finn

Twain feels that by making Huck do this Twain is poking fun at Huck's intelligence. Not his nature intelligence but his book intelligence. In other words Twain is making fun of Huck.

Through the theme of rebellion against society, Huck demonstrates the importance of thinking for oneself and embodies the idea that adults are not always right. This is highlighted in his noncompliance when it comes to learning the Bible and in the decisions he makes when it comes to Jim, decisions that prove to be both illegal and dangerous. By refusing to conform to standards he does not agree with, Huck relies on his own experiences and inner conscience when it comes to making decisions. As a result, Huck is a powerful vehicle for Mark Twain’s commentary on southern society and

Throughout the novel, Twain shows his contempt for corrupt human nature. Although these instances are often satirized and exaggerated, the message is still the same. For instance, when the King and the Duke first start to lie about being the dead Peter Wilks’ brothers to obtain his money, Huck says, “It was enough to make a body ashamed of the human race,” (191). In this instance Twain is utilizing Huck to show his aversion to the way people lie and cheat, and how a couple of people can make a bad name for all of us. Another example is when Jim sells the King and Duke out to the townspeople and they are carried on a pole, tarred and feathered. Although Huck, has tried to escape the King and Dukes several occasions and has witnessed the cruelties put on others and lies they tell, he does not think that they deserve similar treatment. In fact, he says, “Human beings can be awful cruel to one another,” (269). Through Huck, Twain is voicing his opposition to how people treat one another, whether they deserve it or not. Thus Twain is using his novel to voice his enmity for the cruelty in human nature.

Both authors, Mark Twain and Arthur Miller, use situational irony as a way to evoke emotion. After running away from home, Huckleberry encounters another runaway who is escaping from oppression based on race. Although it is frowned upon, Huckleberry helps a runaway slave escape, "Well, I did. I said I wouldn't, and I'll stick to it. Honest INJUN, I will. People would call me a low-down despise me for keeping mum—but that don't make no difference. I ain't a-going to tell, and I ain't a-going, anyways.” (Twain 43) Considering Huckleberry was raised in a slave cultured environment, the readers would not have imagined that Huckleberry would have helped the runaway slave. Although the readers were waiting for Huckleberry to turn his back on Jim

Coming of age can be a difficult time, especially while having to deal with being swindled. Twain 's purpose of doing this is to show how during the coming of age you will be forced to make quick, often life changing, decisions in order to keep moving along in life. Huck knows the King and Duke mean no good going town to town looking for people who they can manipulate for money when he rambles, “These liars warn 't no kings nor dukes, at all, but just low-down

When Huck finds out about the Duke and Dauphin’s plan to cheat the Phelps sisters out of their inheritance, he states "Well, if I ever struck anything like it, I'm a [n-word]. It was enough to make a body ashamed of the human race" (Twain, 1986, page 175). In this quote, Huck appears to be racist and insensitive, however, he is just acting the way he has been taught his whole life. Huck’s racism is not the product of an immoral soul, just an immoral society that raised him. However, Twain’s choice of a young and apparently racist boy in the novel can be accounted for by his own childhood experiences. Twain is quoted as saying “In my schoolboy days I had no aversion to slavery. I was not aware that there was anything wrong about it. No one arraigned it in my hearing; the local papers said nothing against it; the local pulpit taught us that God approved it, that it was a holy thing, and the doubter need only look in the Bible if he wished to settle his mind — and then the texts were read aloud do us to make the matter sure” (Camfield, 2005). This quote has been a lightning rod for controversy, as critics claim that it proves Twain’s racism. However, just as Huck grows to detest the institution, Twain soon realized slavery for the evil that it was and began to detest it. Just like Huck, he grew up comfortable with demeaning

Here Huck says, “It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a n***er – but I done it, and I warn’t ever sorry for it afterwards, neither.” (Twain page 65). This quote alone goes to show how African-Americans were viewed in the 1800’s. Saying this, Huck shows the reader that African-Americans were seen as in superior to all others and that they did not need to be treated like real people at all. This is a common theme throughout the story which helps the reader get a better feel to what everyday life was like for these people. Huck then goes on to say that he didn’t do anything else bad to Jim and wouldn’t have said those things if he knew that it would have made Jim feel that bad. This also shows that even though some people just seem like they are mean to minorities in general, sometimes, like Huck, it is a learned trait from the society that he lived in at the

In the book Huckleberry Finn that Mark Twain that is about a boy named Huck who had run away from his home. Huck finds a place to camp out and keep low he comes across a runaway slave. Evidently Huck keeps this slave a secret from others which was quite frankly against the law. As the story continues Huck believes he is a bad person because he isn’t telling on Jim. There were multiple uses of irony used within the text that represent the author’s opinion on slavery. That leads to Mark Twain’s opinion on slavery, which is that Mark is against slavery.

Retracing his work throughout his career will illustrate, not only his use of irony, but the correlation between how heavy-handed it grew to be with how angry he became over the years (Lock 75). For example, several years prior to the composure of “The War Prayer,” he wrote Huckleberry Finn which is filled with numerous ironies. Most notably; however, is “Huck’s failure to understand that the most selfless act of his life has not condemned him to hell” (Lock 75). This “failure” can be seen as innocent, subtle irony; however, the failure within “The War Prayer” is anything

Jack Wilks Ms. Chandhok English 9 February 13, 2016 Twain’s Message In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain uses Huck’s perception of society to convey a message that society is better when people are willing to stand up to the mob. The activities that Huck observes over the course of the novel follow a pattern of calamity when individual voices cannot be heard. On the other hand, disputes always seem to dissipate when someone is willing to take a stand.

Twain uses colloquial diction to convey Huck’s struggle between the values of his southern upbringing, which urge him to return Jim, and his strong friendship and loyalty with Jim, which encourage him to protect the runaway. Although Huck lacks education, Huck interprets the laws in ways that are morally sound, an interpretation that most educated people fail to understand, while they blindly accept the injustice of slavery. Throughout the novel, Twain makes use of uneducated diction and syntax to convey an ironic contrast between Huck’s ability to discern between moral and immoral actions and his lack of education.

In order for Huck to challenge any of the values and assumptions of the time he must first be acquainted with them.  And he is not only intimately acquainted with the values of his society but he holds many of its beliefs himself.  But Huck longs for freedom away

He like the majority of the Deep South’s population was forced to submit to popular religion in the form of Christianity, being racist and not being able to criticize the institution of slavery, as well as acting like a “proper” boy and being civilized with manors, rules, and restrictions. However, he is the polar opposite of the ideals expressed by his society. Huck is forced to reside with Widow Douglas, he describes the experience in the first chapter, “She took me… allowed she would sivilize me; but it was rough living in the house all the time … I wanted to smoke, and asked the widow to let me. But she wouldn't. She said… I must try to not do it any more.” (Twain, 2). In this particular environment, Huck is forcefully civilized by the Widow Douglas as well as Miss Watson. This essentially shows an indirect form of slavery in which Huck is forced to do as society and his elders dictate regardless of what he believes in which many of us are also subject to. This enslaves him and leads him to decide that he needs to relocate himself as far away from society as possible. Therefore, he forges his death and runs away meeting Jim on the way. This idea of Huck being controlled by society influences him through the novel, for instance he thinks about turning Jim in because it is wrong to steal since Jim is

Illustrated in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain reveals Huck’s character as honest and transparent; Widow Douglas wants to civilize Huck because he has no manners and she wants to save his soul. Huck portrays to the audience that he is truthful and honest. In Widow Douglas view Huck should be respected by white society which means having to wear new clothes and having to come to supper when called. Huck tries to defy the norms of society by running away from it. As a result of leaving society Huck feels free (para. 2). Huck feels free from society because he feels like society was changing him into someone he is not (para. 2). Society to Huck is condoning slavery and racism. Huck acts “uncivilized” according to Ms. Watson because Huck can’t spell nor behave properly and she is concerned that he will not go to the good place (para. 6). Huck doesn’t want to go to the good place because its is full of white society. Ms. Watson’s interpretation of the good place reveals the ignorance of her society because she believes that in heaven would be a great place with people playing harps and singing all the time (para. 7). Huck doesn’t want to go to heaven because if his best friend wasn’t going he wasn’t going either and he wanted to be with him.

Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is widely considered a classic - an embodiment of American literature. It rightfully tackles the issue of slavery through the illustration and vernacular of the young protagonist, Huck Finn and his adventures with a runaway slave, Jim. However, beneath a linear challenge towards slavery, Twain’s depiction of Huck’s changing views of Jim reveal Huck’s unique attitude and philosophy towards slavery, and in particular - his partner-in-“crime” - Jim. Although Huck never abandons societal opinions of slavery and never opposes the bondage, his exception for Jim unveils the follies of his society and flawed upbringing.