Huckleberry Finn and the use of Satire Essay - 1109 Words

Huck Finn and the use of Satire Mark Twains The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been controversial ever since its release in 1884. It has been called everything from the root of modern American literature to a piece of racist trash. Many scholars have argued about Huck Finn being prejudiced. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain uses satire to mock many different aspects of the modern world. Despite the fact that many critics have accused Mark Twain’s novel of promoting racism, through close analysis of the text, it becomes remarkably clear that Twain is satirical in his writing as he ridicules slavery and the racist attitudes prevalent in his day. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was written shortly after the Civil†¦show more content†¦Scholars, such as Philip Butcher and Julius Lester, disagree with the statement that Mark Twain was racist. Butcher concludes that â€Å"negroes were people to Mark Twain, people who had been wronged by his forebears and still unjustly treated by his contemporaries†¦ Twain wanted to make amends for his ancestors†. Twain uses Huck Finn to illustrate slavery in the south, to show how they were treated and what he saw, and to use satirical language in doing so. But doing this, was not always so easy. Julius Lester claims â€Å"to Twain, slavery was not an emotional reality to be explored extensively or with love† (202). In order for Twain to exemplify the racism and hate, he told a story of ‘true’ events, those that one would have actually encountered post-Reconstruction time, such as the use of the word ‘nigger’. But on the other hand, many scholars would agree with the idea that Twain is racist. One scholar with a strong opinion on this idea is John H. Wallace, who asserts that â€Å"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is the most grotesque example of racist trash ever written† (16). Although I strongly disagree, he believes that Twain’s s oul purpose in writing Huck Finn is â€Å"for no other reason than [to] ridicule blacks’† (23). For thisShow MoreRelated The use of Satire in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay869 Words   |  4 PagesThe use of Satire in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn In his novel the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, published in 1884, Mark Twain uses satire frequently as a medium to display his feelings on a range of issues related to society at that time. Throughout the book he ridicules many aspects of society, including the prevalent views on slaves and religion, and their social structure. Even though the novel was set fifty years before it was published, the themes still held true for contemporaryRead MoreThe Use of Satire in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain595 Words   |  2 Pagesendure the same treatment for how they act. In the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain, uses the literary device of satire in order to ridicule the ignorance of Americans in the late 1800s. Twain uses irony during the mishaps of Jim throughout the story to comment the clear fact that people at the time judged others by their race and not by their actions. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Jims personality is a strong influence toward the personality of Huck, withRead MoreEssay on Prejudice and Racism in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn833 Words   |  4 PagesPrejudice and Racism in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn      Ã‚   The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, is an excellent example of racism in literature, because it uses language describing African Americans which goes beyond satire.   It treats them as objects and perpetuates stereotypes. 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Jim, who comes along with Huck, is a runaway slave seeking freedom from the world that has been denied it to him for so long. Throughout the entire novel Twain uses satire to show problems with society. Early in the novel,Read MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn 1310 Words   |  6 PagesThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been a topic of debate for a long time. The most heated topic of debate is if the novel is racist and if it should then be included in school curriculum whether. Many believe this book should be taken out of school curriculum for being racist. Huckleberry FInn should be taught in schools because of its satire, views on slavery and morals, and depiction of antebellum America. Huck Finn still remains a classic Twain s use of satire is one of the many thingsRead More Banishment Censorship of Twains Huckleberry Finn Essay774 Words   |  4 Pagesof Twains Huckleberry Finn Banishment? The novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, has received much criticism through the years. Yet Ernest Hemingway, among other great American writers, considers this work a great American classic. This novel addresses many social issues in the South before the Civil War, causing some critics to find it racist or degrading to the African American culture. For this reason, these critics often attempt to ban Huckleberry Finn, or at least