Mia Carley Thomas Butler English 2 Honors 06 April 2023 Hypocrisy of Morality Following the rambunctious and free-spirited Huckleberry Finn, the reader follows Finn into the antebellum South exploring his own youth, morality of himself and those around him. Twain’s book, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, acts as an extension of the questioning of the morality of the time, particularly the brutal institution governing the South in the 19th century involving the physical and psycological captivity of slaves. Exemplified by the satirical practices and ethics, Twain mocks the characters to highlight the sanctimony of their principles. Explicitly, Twain picks upon the morals derived from Christianity, observed by Finn these orthodox characters …show more content…
Miss Watson’s attempts to lead Finn to the “good place,” and to, “try to behave” (Twain 3), she, “[takes him to] the closet [to] pray,” telling him to, “pray every day” (Twain 13). However, by her insistent conservative morals, the reader is able to depict the deeper layers of hypocrisy underlying her beliefs as she engages in behaviour directly opposed to the teachings of her faith—highlighted in her ownership of slaves. While Watson considers herself a dedicated Christian, Twain emphasises her contradictory nature in her proprietorship of Jim, a black slave. This is ironic and satirical as her execution of holding slaves, an immoral practice that dehumanizes black people, juxtaposes her faithful ethics. By illustrating her religious morality while comparing it to the physical captivity and dehumanization of another human, Twain uses this satire to further the point of ridiculousness of the moral values at the time. However, some may argue that Watson in the end freed Jim from the systemic institution of slavery, making the argument that she does not value slaves lives invalid. Regardless, it does not change her previous practices and ethics which utalised Jim as a tool rather than a human, making the counter claim null. Twain uses this hypocritical charecter as a symbolic …show more content…
Finn seeks refuge with the dysfunctional family as he follows them, “to church…in which the men took their guns along” (Twain #), Finn soon finds that the Grangerfords are also owners of slaves furthering the theme of inhumanity displayed by the prerogative. Continuing the instutionalized prejudice following those with morality contiguously related to religious paradigms, Twain expediates the publication of the unsetteling similarities in Miss Watson and the Grangerford’s own morals. Once again through Twain’s use of satire to highlight the perpetuation of racial steryotypes that are prevelant in 19th century society, the ironically religous family whom also concedes to the ownership of slaves is symbolic of the hypocritical standards. Nevertheless, the argument could be made that the Grangerfords are truly not religious as they do not accompany the strict moral code surrounding Christianity at the time. Even so, the linege still heeds blindly to the moral circumstances encompassing the religious faith all while practicing the dominant trend clinging to the south of systemic racism and slavery. Twain challenges these social precepts and questions the moral authenticity of those who hypocritically follow these implementations while also lead a life of moral