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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn an effective piece of satire? ” The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain follows the story of a young white boy, Huckleberry Finn, as he travels down the Mississippi River. Twain uses the experiences of Hack as he travels down the river to comment on society. His opinions of many topics are given by saturating other characters or events. An element this satire that twain uses is the depiction of the characters in a humorous manner. Throughout the novel the use of this satire is clear and express Twain’s opinions on
American culture in the antebellum period. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is an effective piece of satire on American culture during the sass. Twain satirized feuding, Pseudo-intellectualism and Greed in his story. During one of the adventures of Hack, he learns what a feud is, Twain uses this experience to ridicule the Idea of a feud. He chooses two families’, the Grandiose and the Sheepherders, to depict this feud. The Grandiose seem to be very high class by having an elegant house and servants for all the family members.
Hack observes, “It didn’t have an iron latch on the front door, nor a wooden one with a siskin string, but a brass knob to turn, the same as houses in town… There was a big fireplace that was bricked on the bottom, and the bricks was kept clean and red same as they do in town. ” It is clear that the Grandiose have a very nice house that is comparable to those in town. However, as the story progresses it is revealed they have an ongoing feud, which involves senseless deaths and manslaughter in their concept of honor. The feud the Grandiose have with the Shepherdess has gone on so long that they don’t even know why it started.
Their story suggests such a feud is crazy and against common sense. Buck Grandeur defines a feud as when “A man has a quarrel with another man, and kills him; then that other man’s brother kills him; then the other brothers, on both sides, goes for one another; then the cousins chip in and by and by everybody’s killed off, and there anti no more feud. But it’s kind of slow, and takes a long time. ” The feud between the families has no point besides their honor, and will not end until one family wipes out the other to regain their honor.
In another instance Twain satirized feuding at the church. As Mr.. Grandeur preaches a sermon, Hack observes, “It was pretty ornery preaching??all bout brotherly love”. The fact that the sermon he makes is about brotherly love is very ironic because even though he preaches about brotherly love he’s still apart of a feud that has no point to It. Hack, as the naive narrator makes an observation that highlights the satire of feuding Another aspect of America that Is mocked In the novel Is pseudo-intellectualism.
A pseudo-intellectual Is a person of average Intelligence who knows some parts of a higher education and uses this knowledge to Impress others. Twain uses the Duke and the Dauphin to exaggerate how some people try to show off their intelligence to adders of his novel are well read enough themselves, or they would not understand some of this satire. For example, at one point the Dauphin attempts to recite the soliloquy of Hamlet. However, The Dauphin himself does not know the soliloquy very well and includes phrases from other Shakespearean plays.
His soliloquy begins “To be, or not to be; that is the bare bodkin That makes calamity of so long life… There’s the respect must give us pause: Wake Duncan with thy knocking! ” This entire soliloquy mocks those who try to show off their intelligence. Twain also satirized the aspect pseudo-intellectuals get from those of lower education by the reactions of awe by Hack and Jim. In another instance the Dauphin speaks to a crowd about a funeral service. However, while trying to sound intelligent instead of saying obsequies he says, “… E respected everybody, he liked everybody, and so it’s fifteen that his funeral orgies she’d be public. ” Twain includes this piece of humor to satirized pseudo-intellectuals. As Hack observes the actions of the Duke and the Dauphin he calls attention to the satire of pseudo-intellectuals. Finally, Mark Twain satirized the greed of people in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The actions of Pap suggest greed is stronger than morals and ethics in some men. This is clear when Pap, a man who deserted his son, comes back to Hack and says, “I’ve been in town two days, and I haunt heard nothing but about you been’ rich.
I heard about it away down the river, too. That’s why I come. You sit me that money- tomorrow-I want it,” It is clear that after he got the money Pap would Just spend it on alcohol as he usually did. Pap shows that greed drives people to do whatever they can to get money. Twain doesn’t Just apply the trait of greed to Pap, but also to the Duke and the Dauphin. These common go to great lengths to deceive others to obtain money. In one of their schemes they assume the identities of a recently deceased man.
Driven by their greed they plan to sell all the man’s property and run away. The Dauphin says, “What! And not sell out the rest o’ the property? March off like a passel of fools and leave eight or nine thousand’ dollars’ worth o’ property laying’ around Jest suffering’ to be scooped in? ” This scene reveals that the common have no respect for others and only have themselves in mind. Through the eyes of Hack, Twain tries to show that greed is an immoral aspect present in America during the 19th century ND that those who are greedy take advantage of the innocent.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain effectively ridicules aspects of American society of the late 19th century and human nature. In his novel Twain satirized feuding, pseudo-intellectuals, and greed. Twain shows he has much distaste in each of these aspects by ridiculing them through the eyes of the naive narrator that is Huckleberry Finn. He shows that feuds are against common sense, pseudo- intellectuals do not deserve the respect they receive, and greed causes people to hurt the innocent.