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Social Criticism In The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain

Decent Essays

The novel “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain follows the adventure down the Mississippi river, and through life, of the protagonist Huckleberry Finn, or “Huck”. The narrative is written from the perspective of Huckleberry as he details the events which happened to him throughout this journey. The novel first starts off in St. Petersburg, Missouri during roughly the 1830s/40s. Slavery ,at the time, was legal, and was common practice in most parts of the United States, especially in rural areas due to the attraction of a cheap labor force. This period of time specifically generates a large amount Internal conflict with the protagonist as the events in the novel unfold because of the moral dilemmas Huck finds himself in. As the story progresses, due to an abusive, drunken father, Huck runs away, traveling south of the river. Along the way, he meets an escaped slave by the name of Jim. They find out that they are in similar circumstances, and agree to work together.
Mark Twain wrote the novel with the expectation that it would reach a diverse group of readers. However, due to its societal criticisms and deeper meanings, the novel is intended for older, and more experienced people, so that they would be able to grasp the theme more easily than others. Mark Twain’s novel conveys a message of criticism to society during that time period. The narrative displays ways of thinking that is sometimes forced upon you. This is present when examining Huckleberry and his

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