Huckleberry Finn Satire

In the United States during the mid-nineteenth century, political and ethical issues went engulfed the nation, with issues like slavery, women’s rights, and the rights of states being tried and tested. Various writers throughout the time period demonstrated their views on these social issues in their writing. Authors such as Samuel Clemens — under the pseudonym Mark Twain — showed in different ways their takes on the state of the United States and America’s society. Twain utilizes satire to delineate his views on pre-Civil War American society in his sequel to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. His story connects main themes from the time before it was written to the time during which it was written.

Upon being brought in by the Widow Douglas, Huck became frustrated with the old way of life. He frowns upon the seeming monotony of society. “[Miss Watson] went on and told me all about the good place. She said all a body would have to do there was to go around all day long with a harp and sing, forever and ever. So I didn’t think much of it. But I never said so” (Twain 8). Here, Twain, through Huckleberry Finn, tells of a struggle with the ideals of the contemporary civilization. Huck also falls victim to a public that claims to care for his welfare, but its actions lead only to more suffering for him. The ideals of this society allowed Huck to be placed under the supervision of his irresponsible father simply due to the fact that he was his father. “The judge privileges Pap’s ‘rights’ to his son as his natural father over Huck’s welfare” (“Themes”). Society lets him down, which eventually leads to his running away to a simpler life, free from the pressures of everyone else. Huckleberry Finn also reveals a different perspective on the treatment of people of color. Huckleberry Finn, in his descriptions and actions towards Jim, demonstrates a disagreement with the societal views of slaves as less-than-human. Twain gives the reader a human look at Jim throughout his and Huck’s journey along the Mississippi River. When talking about languages, Jim says of the French way of speaking, “It’s a blame ridicklous way, en I doan’ want to hear no mo’ ‘bout it. Dey ain’ no sense in it” (Twain 55). This leads the reader to ask the question: if we are all the same, why are some of us enslaved (“Adventures… Quotes”)? Twain’s beliefs when given from a child’s point-of-view make it seem simple and obvious that there are obvious contradictions within society that he believes must be challenged and