ipl-logo

And Social Hypocrisy In The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn

868 Words4 Pages

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn “The men took their guns along, so did Buck, and kept them between their knees or stood them handy against the wall” (Twain 120). Imagine living in a hypocritical society in which people are unfair to one another. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huckleberry fakes his own death and runs away with Jim, in attempt to make him a free man. Along the way Huck and Jim face many types of hypocrisy on their journey. There are many depictions of racial, religious, and social hypocrisy throughout the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. For instance, in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn racial hypocrisy is illustrated. Throughout the novel Huckleberry faces challenges like internal conflicts because …show more content…

Social hypocrisy is shown when Widow Douglas tries to make Huck stop smoking, “Pretty soon I wanted to smoke, and asked the widow to let me. But she wouldn’t … She took snuff, too; of course that was all right, because she done it herself” (Twain 12). This quote shows us that society is so corrupt that people are trying to change one another and break their habits. Widow Douglas is being a hypocrite by telling Huck that smoking is a rude practice when she does snuff herself. Another example of social hypocrisy is the characters the Duke and the King. The Duke and the King show Huckleberry and Jim how tough it is to live in the society they do. For example, Twain states, “Then he turns around, blubbering, and makes a lot of idiotic signs to the duke on his hands, and blamed if he didn’t drop a carpetbag and bust out a-crying. If they warn’t the beatenest lot, them two frauds, that ever I struck” (Twain 193). Huckleberry tells us how the King and the Duke are faking being a dead man’s brother. The way the King and the Duke are conmans, shows us that the society in which they live in has become corrupt and difficult to live in. The Duke and the King tell Huck and Jim that they are trustworthy when in reality the only thing they are after is money, this demonstrates the hypocrisy in society. To conclude, in the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck and Jim encounter many forms of hypocrisy throughout their journey. Huckleberry and Jim were faced with racial, religious, and social hypocrisy, many of which still happen today. Twain’s, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, parallels many racial conflicts that still happen in the world. Although Twain’s book was meant to describe past conflicts, many of these conflicts have carried on to this

Show More
Related
933 Words | 4 Pages

In the book "The Adventures if Huckleberry Finn", Mark Twain's writing mirrors the society and problems it had in that time. This book promotes seeing African-Americans as people, which is absolutely groundbreaking and unheard-of in the time it was written, right after the Civil War. Throughout the book,, Huck has a complete change in his feelings towards Jim, starting with his highly influenced young mind, only able to view Jim as a slave, all the way to seeing Jim as a father-figure who can protect and provide for him. Although Huck tries to see Jim as a friend and fatherly-figure, society's beliefs don't allow him to see Jim as anything but a slave.

Read More
2304 Words | 10 Pages

When one reads The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain, themes involving morality and conscience become heavily prevalent. The protagonist, Huckleberry Finn, portrays a manifest dynamic character. His actions and statements ranging from the outset of the novel through its ending show Huck’s development of a more concise sense of morality and conscience prevailing over the societal influences of “right and wrong”. In the nineteenth century American South, the inescapable system of slavery and social hierarchy would have discouraged an interracial bond. Yet Huck, while escaping his abusive father, chooses to befriend Jim, the runaway slave whom he encounters, and shares a pivotal stage in his life with his newfound companion, whereby contradicting

Read More
1410 Words | 6 Pages

Summary: Through the voice of Huckleberry Finn, a deep criticism of racism and civilized society’s rules is narrated to the reader as Huck and Jim, escape from civilized society and set sail on a raft down the Mississippi river to slavery-free states. Both characters share a common goal: to be free of the rules that a civilized society places. Huck and Jim form an alternative family as they head down the river along with two white adult conmen they rescued, who commit many scams . These conmen are responsible for turning Jim into a local farmer

Read More
740 Words | 3 Pages

The book, The Adventures of Huckleberry and Finn, plays with many different controversial topics such as slavery, racism, abuse, and religion. The topic most talked about in this book is slavery/racism because of Huck’s relationship with Jim, a runaway slave. Throughout the book Huck struggles with how he should treat Jim and if he should stick to his morals and what his conscience is telling him or if he should stick to his heart and do what he personally believes is right. He can either turn Jim in back to his owners and into the slave trade, or he can continue to travel with him and help him gain his freedom. Because of this struggle, Huck’s view of Jim changes based on where he is and who he is associating himself with and these factors

Read More
438 Words | 2 Pages

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn subverts racist beliefs through the development of Huck’s friendship with Jim and through Twain's satirization of the KKK. Mark Twain subverts racism through the development of Huck and Jims friendship in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The two form such a close friendship, leading to a father son bond. In the novel, Huck enjoys spending time with Jim; he comments how “‘This is nice,’ I says. ‘I wouldn’t want to be nowhere else but here’”

Read More
1603 Words | 7 Pages

In Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck and Jim bond closely to one another, regardless of the fact that they belong to different ethnic groups. Huck, a coming-of-age teenage boy, lives in the Southern antebellum society which favors slavery. At the beginning of the book, Twain claims that “Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; and persons attempting to find a plot will be shot” (Twain 2). Ironically, through his experiences with Jim, the uncivilized Huck gradually establishes his own moral beliefs, although sometimes struggling against the influence of society.

Read More
2101 Words | 9 Pages

For example, even the gentle Mary Jane says that the Duke and the King should be “tarred and feathered.” (Twain 190) The fact that Huck sees so much death when he visits civilization goes right back to Twain’s obvious suggestion throughout the story that society is corrupt and unprincipled, and that Huck’s life on the raft is far more attractive. The next example of Huckleberry Finn enjoying the natural life occurs when he is taken away by his father. While he is living with his father he comes to enjoy the uncivilized life more than the way he lived with the Widow, despite the fact that his Pap is an

Read More
738 Words | 3 Pages

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a classic novel that takes the reader on a series of thrilling adventures full of life threatening situations, racism, and slavery. The author Mark Twain, uses the novel to highlight the flaws in society by creating a character like Huck, whose personal sense of morals and justice are more noble than those of the very people trying to civilize him. Throughout this captivating novel Huck endures his fair share of trouble and morally challenging decision but he always comes out on top by following his heart and doing what he feels to be right.

Read More
1403 Words | 6 Pages

The black man on the back porch is afraid of the rattle snake because it is bad luck, or the innocent little slave is quick to believe everything one tells them at the drop of the hat. These are just some of the many racist stereotypes of the 1840s. A character named Jim is the star African American whom Twain bestoys the mission of being the stereotypical black man to prove a point. He along with his much more pallor companion Huck go on exciting adventures that unfold the events which expose the racist conduct of the time. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain saturates his novel with potent images of acute racism severe enough as to create a satirical mien that exposes the absurdity of prejudice.

Read More
705 Words | 3 Pages

Hypocricy and Blind Faith Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn took place in the eighteen hundreds when religion and reputation were dominant in peoples everyday lives. It was very rare for someone to believe something different than everyone else. In Twain 's novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Tom Sawyer and Huck appear to be very different, but their actions, descriptions, and dialogue bring them together to symbolize society in order to show the blind conformity and hypocrisy that humans often display.

Read More
884 Words | 4 Pages

Mark Twain emphasizes the theme that a person's morals are more powerful than the corrupt influence of society in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Based on how Huck Finn views the world and forms his opinions, he does not know the difference between right and wrong. In the novel, Huck escapes civilized society. He encounters a runaway slave, Jim, and together they travel hopes of freedom. But along the way, Huck and Jim come across troubles that have Huck questioning his motives.

Read More
511 Words | 3 Pages

During Book 4 of Plato’s Republic, the focus of the discussion taking place revolves around Socrates’ hypothetical perfect city and its contents. The use of the hypothetical city aids the discussion in allowing for application of virtue, ideas, and their definitions to society before extending the argument to the individual. After having debated justice, defined the good, and outlined the education of the guardian class, it is time to circle back to Justice. Upon laying the foundation of this hypothetical city, it was time to look for the virtue within it. However, Socrates and his argumentative opposition still lacked an agreed upon definition of justice, and the ones utilized previously in discussion stemmed mostly from the ideas of what

Read More
1141 Words | 5 Pages

Individuals often say that the right way may not necessarily be the popular way, but standing up for the right thing, despite it being frowned upon, will be the true test of one’s moral character. This relates to the moral growth that Huck Finn experiences throughout his journey. Mark Twain’s controversial novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, can be said to be a compelling story about how one individual, Huck Finn, goes against society’s ideals. Huck’s moral development can be said to be based primarily on those around him, especially Jim. Many instances also influence Huck’s morals, particularly during the raft journey that will change his beliefs and morals.

Read More
142 Words | 1 Pages

In the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn the racist attitudes of the Deep South in the late 1800's are shown. Mark Twain portrays a runaway slave, Jim, as a racist caricature who does whatever is asked of him and exhibits little intelligence. The reader can initially see this through the use of the word "nigger" that is all throughout the book. In the modern 21st century this term is taken offensively, but in the 19th century this term was commonly used and Twain took advantage of it.

Read More
1083 Words | 5 Pages

In the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the reader gauges morality through the misadventures of Huck and Jim. Notably, Huck morally matures as his perspective on society evolves into a spectrum of right and wrong. Though he is still a child, his growth yields the previous notions of immaturity and innocence. Likewise, Mark Twain emphasizes compelling matters and issues in society, such as religion, racism, and greed. During the span of Huck’s journey, he evolves morally and ethically through his critique of societal normalities.

Read More

More about And Social Hypocrisy In The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn

Related Topics

Open Document