ipl-logo

Religious Expectations In Mark Twain's The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn

904 Words4 Pages

Allen Marks
Jennifer Freeman
English 9
8 March 2023

Religious affectations in Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
What if religion was used to justify evil actions? Religion is a significant theme in Mark Twain's novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.Twain uses religion to criticize the society of the time and to show how it affects the characters in the story. The novel takes place in the antebellum South and follows the journey of Huck Finn and Jim, a runaway slave, as they travel along the Mississippi River. Throughout their journey spanning several states, religion plays a critical role in their interactions with others and in their personal development in the story. One of the most prominent ways that religion affects the story of Huckleberry Finn is through the portrayal of religious hypocrisy. Twain uses the character of Miss Watson, who is one of Huck's guardians, to show how religion is used to justify slavery. Miss Watson is a devout Christian who believes that slavery is supported by the Bible. She tries to teach Huck about religion and is constantly telling him to pray and read the Bible. This is shown in the beginning of the book where she will not let him leave the house until he reads a passage. However, her actions do not align with her beliefs, as she owns a slave and treats him poorly.
Similarly, Twain uses the …show more content…

Jim is a superstitious man who believes in ghosts, witches, and omens from God. He tells Huck stories about his beliefs and is often seen engaging in rituals to protect himself from bad luck, shown most prevalently whenever Huck mentions death or spirituality. However, despite his superstitions, Jim is also a deeply religious man who has a strong faith in God. His beliefs in christianity and superstitions provide an interesting contrast and show the complexities of religious belief in the

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
715 Words | 3 Pages

Throughout Huckleberry Finn, the author Mark Twain showcases his beliefs about religion through satire and satirical properties. Mark Twain himself was a Christian, so his exposure of satire to religion wasn't out of disrespect. He satirizes throughout the book the fact that many people during the 1800’s did not practice what they preach. Instead, they were doing it for show. He also satirizes religion to show how hypocritical and absurd it could be.

Read More
783 Words | 4 Pages

Thought out a person's childhood, they experience events that transform them to become who they are later in the life. People have to deal with the decision of what right and what's wrong. At a young age, Huck chooses to run away from his home because he was raised by a father who was an alcoholic and means towards Huck. He really did not care for him. Huck knows this is wrong, but does it anyway, he decides to help a slave name Jim escape and try to help him reunite with his family again, by doing this he knows he is going to get in trouble if he gets caught.

Read More
1752 Words | 8 Pages

Jim proves to be a wise and caring friend.” Jim is not just a symbol for racism and equality, but also a symbol for change, changing Hucks views on his past experiences of slavery. Twain uses Jim

Read More
718 Words | 3 Pages

This novel discusses many themes such as the paradox between the “natural” man and the “civilized society”, the evils that take place in slave culture, and the dignity of human beings. Within the novel, Twain makes usage of satire in religion, society, hypocrisy, and slavery to show the ironies pointed out in human nature. Throughout the course of Huckleberry Finn, Twain exemplifies mockery when he causes Huck to inquire as to why he should care greatly about religious figures. “...I was in a sweat to find out all about him; but by-and-by she let out that Moses had been dead… so then I didn’t care no more about him; because I don’t take no stock in dead people (2).”

Read More
740 Words | 3 Pages

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.

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
1188 Words | 5 Pages

In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn the character of Miss Watson embodies the prominent theme of the misguided moral, those concerning what is right and wrong, values of the pre-civil war south through her attitude toward Huck and Jim. She holds a constant focus on teaching Huck to be civilized through portraying her moral code onto him, which includes strong religious beliefs and proper manners, ideas that are resented by Huck. Miss Watson is an embodiment of the white pre civil war southerner, she presents herself to hold to high moral values such as religion, but her values are extremely flawed as she views herself as morally right while still owning a slave and mistreating Huck. Miss Watson’s moral views in the novel are reflective of

Read More
481 Words | 2 Pages

Ridiculous Religion Religion is something that is very common amongst people, it brings ideas and people together and creates life long friendships. Religion also creates lots of division between people. This division of people is what caught the attention of author Mark Twain in his book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Mark Twain satirizes religion through his characters throughout the book. The main character, Huck Fin, grows up in a very religious town, but as he grows up his perspective changes and starts to think of religion as something that narrows people’s thinking.

Read More
998 Words | 4 Pages

Morgan Guyton comments that “In Huck’s case, God spoke to him” and Huckleberry Finn’s actions “ contradicted not only the standards of morality in his society but how the Bible itself was being interpreted around him to support slavery” (Guyton). This goes on to prove that Christianity has less to do with moral action and more with status. Christians are less likely to face consequences in their actions, simply because everyone else is doing it. This is evident in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, a story about a boy, Huckleberry Finn who escapes from his abusive and alcoholic father. While on the run he befriends a runaway slave, Jim and they start their search for freedom.

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
598 Words | 3 Pages

Danielle Giacinto Mrs. Park English-IIIA 8 March 2023 Rhetorical Essay In his critically groundbreaking I Have a Dream speech (August 28, 1963), Martin Luther King, Jr. eloquently speaks and passionately allures his audience through the use of allusions, appeal to emotions, and repetition to prove that racial discrimination is an injustice. King develops his argument by explaining the grievances that African Americans face and what must be done to eradicate the horrible actions against them. He gave this speech to create a sense of upheaval and need for justice in the people of America. One of MLK’s most useful methods of proving that discrimination based on race is an injustice is the use of allusions.

Read More
1141 Words | 5 Pages

Although there are numerous instances where Huck’s moral growth can be seen, the individuals around such as Jim, will influence his moral growth greatly. Jim, a runaway slave, is the most influential individual when it comes to Huck’s moral development. During the beginning of the novel, Huck’s morals are primarily based on what he has learned from Miss Watson. Huck begins to become wary of such ideals that Miss Watson has imposed on him, and decided all he wanted “…was a change” (Twain 10).

Read More
1083 Words | 5 Pages

For instance, religion proves to be a prominent component to these issues in Huck’s environment. As stated, “I asked her if she reckoned Tom Sawyer would go there [Heaven], and she said not by a considerable sight” (Twain 3). The preset disposition of religion leads to these fraudulent assumptions of whether one’s actions are right or wrong. Subsequently, Mark Twain is subtly hinting that there are flaws in the teachings of any religions that become misleading to the entire population. Next, the most urgent topic he implies, is racism.

Read More

More about Religious Expectations In Mark Twain's The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn

Related Topics

Open Document