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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

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