Huck Finn Essay: What is irony? Irony is when a criminal robs a police station. It’s ironic because police are the ones who are supposed to prevent criminals from stealing and from attempting other crimes, so for someone to target an area full of policemen is the opposite of what most people would expect. In other words, irony can be words, actions, or even situations that suggest one thing, but in reality means the opposite. This essay will evaluate the use of irony in Mark Twain’s novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is about a 13 year old boy who prefers living life freely without the rules of society weighing him down. He faked his own death to run away without having to worry about being …show more content…
Throughout the story, Mark Twain sprinkles in different types of irony, to shine light on how absurd the societal norms are. One example of irony is when Huck believes that he will be sent to Hell for not turning in Jim, the runaway slave. In a society where slavery is considered morally okay, Huck's decision to help Jim can be seen as an act that took courage and compassion. “Well, I did,” he said. I said I wouldn’t, and I’ll stick to it. Honest injun, I will. People would call me a low-down abolitionist and despise me for keeping mum—but that doesn’t make any difference. I ain’t a-going to tell, and I ain’t a-going back here, anyways.” Twain 210 Huck goes against these norms and develops a deep bond with Jim based on mutual respect and friendship. This ironic situation lets us see the internal conflicts within society's views on race. Another example of irony would be when Huck meets the Grangerfords, who appear to be a very civilized and respectable family but it is soon revealed that they have been involved in a 30 year feud with another family that has caused many deaths on both