...Huck Finn: Recommended but not Required The probability of a student being able to understand and appreciate the value of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn if having been introduced to it too young and with a poor teacher is like a seed being able on to grow on concrete: improbable and disappointing. Similar to a student, a seed needs conducive and nurturing conditions in order to grow— that’s why only a small few end up reaching their full potential. Seeds need access to direct sunlight, water, and proper soil. Students need access to passionate teachers who are invested in educating their students properly—especially when it comes to challenging literature. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a novel that has immense value and meaning; however, it is also one of the most misunderstood and misinterpreted stories of all time. Twain’s classic is continuously accused of supporting the prejudiced attitudes it is actually criticizing. This is especially apparent when these confusing passages are not properly explained and put in context by an inspirational teacher. Huck Finn has the ability to become detrimental when it is put in the hands of students who lack enough academic experience to understand the book’s purpose on their own and/or lack a teacher who can properly explain it to them. Educators need to be able to illustrate to students that through satire, Twain shares his beliefs about racism, religion, and other topics that plagued America at the time – all...
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...The Use Of A Satire The expedition taken by two people down a stream, is seldom consideration of as anything more than not only an adventure. However, Mark Twain uses his book, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, to search and make fun of many problems facing American community. Huck, the leading character, seems to be an untutored young boy who is continually under impression to submit to the "civilized" aspects of nation. Jim, who run with Huck, is a fugitive slave searching freedom from the mankind that has rejected it to him for so farreaching. In his book, Twain uses sarcasm to show many of "civilizations" problems. In the opening of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain interdict his auditory from verdict a cause, virtuous, or delineate. In secondhand oratorical strategies such as sarcasm, ferrous, and satire he defiance the peruser to examine for deeper meanings not only in the Notice, but throughout the whole book. His intention was to emit Life on the unveracious ideals that environment typify as versed through the view of inexperienced youth. The ironical events that interdict Huck from being a energetic nature allude to the defectiveness of hidden religion in people. Twain uses sarcasm to show the contention between enslavement and Christianity. As the peruser we see Miss Watson as a pretender. Huck remark this when he inquire to puff but is not tolerated to even though “she took snuff, too; of course that was all right because she done it herself” (2)...
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...According to Merriam Webster satire is the use of humor that shows the weaknesses or bad qualities of a person, government, society, etc. Satire was used many times in Huckleberry Finn to get a point across. Some of these were when Huck had to give his money away in order to keep it away from his father, he also had to fake his own death to leave his father, the Grangerson's and Shepherdson's go to church and listen about peace and Huck's treatment of Jim verse the feelings towards slaves at the time. Twain used lots of satire throughout Huckleberry Finn to point out multiple flaws in American Society. The first example of satire in the satire was when Huckleberry had to give all of his money away to the judge. Although this was not funny it pointed out that he had no right to his money. Although his father had no right to the money because it was Huck's he could still get it because he is Huck's legal guardian. "No sir, I don't want to spend it. I don't want it at all- nor the six thousand nuther. I want you to take it; I want to give it to you, the six thousand and all" (Twain 27). Huckleberry knew he had to get rid of his money because it would fall into his father's hands eventually and he would spend it on booze and make Huck's life a living hell. This points out the negative side to the orphan system at the time. The parent...
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...Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, made people realize that he is one of the greatest authors in the world. Soon he was seen as one of the greatest American writers in history. The book is about a boy named Huckleberry Finn, who is about twelve or thirteen, and about his great escape from his alcoholic and violent father. He flees with a runaway slave name Jim, and the two steal a canoe and travel through the river. Also, Huck decides to try to free Jim from slavery instead of turning on him. As they travel together, Huck learns more about Jim and his many stereotypes. He sees that many people he thought he could trust were hypocrites and lost faith in the legal system. After risking his life and beating many obstacles, Huck sets Jim free. Mark Twain focuses on the legal system, superstitions and religious hypocrisy throughout the book and uses his enthusiastic style of writing and satires three traits throughout the novel. The first use of satire Mark Twain used in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is the legal system. Huck's father is am extremely volatile man. He is a...
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...shows up on 200+ occasions in the novel (Smith). According to Cassander L. Smith, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a racist book. Its constant use of vulgar language has caused many editors to try and remove the bad words. However, even if the words are all replaced, the message of racism and slavery still shines through (Smith). Even if the word nigger is replaced throughout the novel, the readers would still comprehend what is being said. (Smith). For example if one says “gosh darn” everyone knows what the message is even without the cussing. It is not just language and vocabulary used to get a point across, but tone and sentence structure. Towards the end of the novel, Aunt Sally asks if anyone was hurt and Huck replies, “No’m....
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...The Role of Satire in Mark Twain’s “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” The “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” written by Mark Twain is a story that most everyone has heard of or read. Much of the talk about the book is whether or not it should be banned for the use of the “n word.” Setting all of the debate and feelings aside about the usage of said word, readers can take away a lot from the “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” The book is full of underlying themes and meanings that deal with people and the way society was during the setting of the story. Many of the themes can still pertain to our lives today. Mark Twain makes great use of satire in the novel to poke fun at certain ideas and themes while ultimately challenging the reader to decide what is right or wrong. The “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” is littered with satire throughout the novel. One of the main themes that Twain pokes fun at is that of religion. From the beginning of the book Mark Twain reveals to the reader Huck’s view of religion. Huck is all excited to learn about Moses and the Bulrushes and is drawn in by the story until he finds out that Moses is dead and has been so for quite some time. Then Huck is no longer interested because he has no use in hearing about a dead man from years ago. The relevance of the story to his life is lost when learns that Moses is dead. The same goes for the entire Bible. Huck struggles with the personal application of the Bible to his life because he feels that it is just...
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...Mark Twain’s “Huckleberry Finn” observes a heavily satirized southern society placed in a time before the Civil War. The topics lampooned within range widely and allow us ample opportunity to address Twain’s commentaries on the assigned topics of religion, education, and slavery. Our protagonist, Huckleberry Finn, is a young man of limited education and religion. Having been taken into a household comprised of a widow and a spinster, the women were determined to rectify Huck’s deficiencies. One of the tactics the ladies used was to educate Huck about both heaven and hell, and to relate his behavior to the likelihood of his attaining one or the other. Unfortunately, the Widow Douglas and the spinster Miss Watson had differing ideas about the delights Providence offered. Miss Watson presented a dry account of a heaven peopled by harp playing singers, while the Widow offered a more attractive proposition. These contradictions caused Huck some consternation as he’d he felt that he’d tolerate the Widow’s heaven, but wasn’t interested in Miss Watson’s, especially as she felt his friend Tom Sawyer would not be there. There may have been a grain of truth to Miss Watson’s statement, as despite Tom having been the person who convinced Huck to return to the ladies’ home, he did so by offering Huck a chance to join his band of robbers and murderers if he would live respectably. That aside, Tom and his gang were not without redemptive qualities. When trying to find a day of the...
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...Adventures of Huckleberry Finn contains many characters with a strong sense of morality, but they have no real cause to believe it, which directly relates today to Stephen Colbert's creation of the word "truthiness". In Huck Finn, Mark Twain uses satire to make the point that morality is an idea, not a feeling. He demonstrates this theme with many different characters. Examples are the judge who sends Huck to live with his abusive father, the Grangerfords' confusing feud with the Sheperdsons, and the Wilks sisters preference to being polite rather than learning the truth about the strangers who claim to be their family. All these characters act on their gut instincts, and this connects directly to Stephen Colberts' definition of the word...
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...several ways. This communication with society helps improve the unity and helps answer all the earths problems. Many authors utilize satire in their stories to express their emotions about certain topics of humanity. Mark Twain is concerned about societal issues, such as violence, racism, and slavery. In all of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Jim is treated with no respect and Pap has no sympathy for whenever he hurts Huck physically or emotionally. Twain's satire of human violence and racism/slavery is evident through the satirical techniques of situational irony and exaggeration. Twain satirizes human violence through situational irony. Pap decided to stop drinking and change his life by trying to...
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...in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck's adventures are secondary to a broader concept. The author of this novel, Mark Twain, uses a satire approach on society in the mid to late 1800's. He does this to enlighten a heavier topic of stereotypical views during this time, while still highlighting who and what the story is about, Huck and his adventures. It is apparent in how the women, drunks, and slaves are written. To find the bittersweet humor in it, it comes down to accepting that there is some truth to the stereotypes during this time period. From start to finish, in this novel women are made out to be prideful and concerned with other's well being over their own, until it came to their image in society. Basically women are the caretakers and characters like Miss Watson and Sally Phelps live up to this stereotype. They take their duties seriously. This could also stem from the fact that women did not usually have jobs and were always home, forcing them to find other ways to pass the time like "sivilizing'"children. For instance, Miss Watson expresses her gratefulness to have a slave like Jim and her determination to civilize Huck indefinitely. She then goes on to sell Jim into worse conditions for money and Huck is kidnapped on her watch. In the end, her 'womanly'...
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...to Neil Schmitz, Mark Twain was, “a southern humorist gone over, not just a deserter, a dissenter, but a literary scalawag, a southern writer in unionist discourse and narrative” (91). Most people recognize Twain’s brief, witty, straightforward proverbs that are often quoted today. He also wrote many novels, a few nonfiction books, a plethora of short stories, and essays. Mark Twain uses a variety of rhetorical devices including carefully chosen, colorful language, satirical tone, and unique symbolism to entertain and to enlighten his readers about the moral dilemmas and the beauty of the America he knew. According to Ernest Hemingway, all of American literature comes from one great book, Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Twain, Huck Finn vii). Although this statement may seem hyperbolic, it does indicate the important place Mark Twain holds in American literature. Early Nineteenth century American writers tended to try to write like English writers with flowery, ostentatious language (Schmitz 100). Twain’s writing style was innovative when it was written and is still absolutely unique. He writes with simple prose and careful word choice. Each word is carefully selected and each sentence is meticulously crafted. Twain writes, “The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter--it's the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning” (Twain, Wit 71)....
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...Reader Response Journal Entry – Satires In class, we went over the definitions of a satire and began to talk about what elements of a satire are seen in Huck Finn. A satire is described as the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people’s stupidity or vices. As I began to think more about what a satire means, I realized that in modern day TV shows, politics, and other sources of entertainment, elements of a satire are often brought in. For example, Family Guy, Tosh.0, Saturday Night Live, Chelsea Lately, and the Simpsons are all television shows that could be considered satires, since they all mock people, exaggerate, and use comedy to expose people. I’m surprised that it was so easy to find TV shows that are satires; it’s almost bad in a way, since so many popular shows are making fun of people. Satires aren’t only used to make fun of people though. Often, the use of sarcasm and amplification on their own, create a satire. In chapters 17-18 of Huck Finn, it is clear that Mark Twain is satirizing something in particular. I believe that Mr. Twain is mocking the Civil War through the feud between the Shepherdsons and the Grangerfords. This feud has been going on for so long that these two families can’t even remember how it all started. They say that they only way that the feud will end is when everyone has killed everyone else, because there will be no one left to fight; “a feud is this way: a man has a quarrel with another man and kills...
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...The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Racism can be a very touchy subject in literature. Some people view The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain as a racist novel. The line between satire and racism is often blurred as is the case in Huck Finn. The novel is not racist however, but rather is satirical of racism. Twain uses offensive language and demeaning situations to satirize the issue of racism within America around the time of the late 1830’s to early 1840’s. The language that Twain uses is a huge reason this novel is viewed as being racist. The frequent use of the n-word is very offensive and Twain used this to his advantage to create satire within the novel. By using the n-word so casually, he wanted readers to question society’s acceptance of this word during the time period in which the novel is set. Twain also uses several demeaning situations that portray racism throughout the novel. One situation is in chapter 15 when Huck apologizes to Jim and thinks, “It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger.” This shows that black people were considered lower class citizens, even to someone who is their friend, and don’t deserve the respect of white people. Another situation comes about in chapter 32 when Aunt Sally asks, “Good gracious! Anybody hurt?’ and Huck replies with. “No’m. Killed a nigger.” To which she responds with “Well, it’s lucky,” (Twain 227). Aunt Sally’s casual and relieved reaction depicts the horrid...
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...weren’t the one being ridiculed. Luckily as time passed by and America became industrialized and settled, more and more people began to realize that this hatred towards other people is wrong. Fortunately for humanity, there were some special souls that realized society was wrong way before everyone else did. One of these special souls is an author by the name of Mark Twain, who used satire and moral critique to make fun of race relations and new American culture hypocrisies. Mark Twain was a social critic who observed a society filled with bigotry and racism, even after the abolition of slavery. Twain lived in a time when there were two very separate and also very different belief systems. The first is a world where every man is equal and every person is entitled to his or her freedom. The second, and sadly more common, is the exact opposite of the first. In this system you were looked at as either a legit civilized member of society or on the contrary, a savage. This belief is what Mark Twain boldly opposed and attacks in his story, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Throughout the story, Mark Twain uses satire and moral critique to make fun of the racial, religious, and social hypocrisies present in the characters and their resulting actions. As we all know, race relations have been a huge factor in the foundation of New America. Slaves were brought over by the hundred thousands to work and serve in the new world. Even to this day, tension is...
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...Satire can make a hard to discuss topic mush more easily approached by writers. Mark Twain’s book, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, contains many instances of extremely serious topics that are approached in a multitude of sarcastic and humorous ways. This satirical approach to sensitive subjects allows Mark Twain to speak his mind without causing a reader to immediately shy away from a discussion about something that they would normally avoid talking about. Child abuse is discussed early in the book and is a theme that reoccurs in other chapters. Huckleberry Finn has an abusive father which he calls Pap. Huck has acquired a large sum of money by returning stolen gold. Pap wants to get control of this money in order to fund his alcoholism. To do this he kidnaps Huck from his current caretakers the Widow Douglas and Miss Watson. When Pap finds Huck he sees that his son is dressing in nice clothes, knows how to read, and is going to school. Mark Twain uses this to show how child abuse is very serious, but also how those who abuse...
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