Art In Mark Twain's The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn

Art has a grandiose capacity to incite emotion. This philosophy has generally been labeled “The Arousal Theory” which breaks down the ability of art to provoke an emotional response. There have been other versions of the theory such as the “The Expression Theory” which states that art evokes the emotions the artist felt while creating the piece. No matter the theory, however, the consensus that art can facilitate emotions goes unchallenged (Citation). However, occasionally art does not stop there. Select few artists will take advantage of the emotions forged in order to spread ideas and morals. One excellent example pertains to Mark Twain with his novel the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Twain uses emotions to promote a multitude of morals

Throughout the course of the novel Huck slowly gains reverence for Jim, and eventually, Huck realizes that despite Jim being African American, he “...knew he was white inside…” (Twain 207). Huck realizes that he and Jim are equal, and since Huck has a well revered personality this encourages a pro-equality mindset. However, at the complete opposite end of the spectrum lies the portrayal of Pap. Unlike Huck, Pap remains incredibly racist demonstrated after he learns that a mulatto could vote in Ohio, after which he states “‘I says I’ll never vote again,’” (Twain 20). Twain uses satire to portray all racists as being similar to Pap, and Pap’s prevailing characteristics goes as follows: abusive, drunk, and stubborn. This dreadful behavior from Pap and the association between Pap and racism creates a negative connotation for racism and contributes to the pro-equality

Twain uses emotions and pathos in order to emphasize the morals within the novel. Such as creating a sympathetic sentiment towards the slave family while simultaneously creating disdain towards slavery. Another example is Jim, a captivating character, being sold into slavery for little money to once again create a negative connotation towards slavery. Twain also creates a pro-equality message by having Huck, an endearing character, recognize that he and Jim are equals, and using Pap as satire to portray racists as contemptible people. However, critics argue that actions such as the king being paid for his lies encourage deceiving others, despite the fact that in the long run they end up tarred and feathered and actively punished for their fabrications. With all of this, it becomes obvious that the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn contains a plethora of morals accentuated by the use of