Huckleberry Finn Dialect Essay

Twain feels that by making Huck do this Twain is poking fun at Huck's intelligence. Not his nature intelligence but his book intelligence. In other words Twain is making fun of Huck.

Part of the reason that makes Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain a masterpiece is because of the way he forced the readers to fondle the details to find a greater meaning. He places details in the language for the readers to further their understanding of the characters and get a good feel for the setting of the novel. Twain places a heavy emphasis on Jim’s dialect, he does this by making Jim’s speech hard to read and digest. He does this to show Jims place in society, his level of education, and to show how most slaves during the time period talked. Twain also uses his language to show how slaves were treated in different states and to show the amount of education they receive. For example

Therefore, anyone who is unsatisfied with The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’s ending for lack of excitement and explanation must have missed Twain’s “Notice” explaining that it is crucial for readers to read past the straightforward words on the

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn begins with the boy, Huckleberry (Huck for short), telling a story in a very conversational tone. The story is a recap of Twain’s previous novel, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, in which Huck and Tom find a robber’s treasure of 12 thousand dollars, and invest it in the bank. Tom had apparently reached out to Huck again, asking him to join Tom’s very own band of robbers. Huck, of course, agreed, and moved back in with Widow Douglas, who cares for him, and makes sure he remains clean. Huck, however, is selfish, and dislikes being “civilized.” He accepts religious and social views the widow enforces upon him, yet decides for himself if he wants to follow them, and doesn’t tell her so as to not cause any unnecessary

Twain establishes Huck’s voice as storyteller in the very beginning of the story. He establishes it by Huck’s introduction of the book that must be read that is written by Twain. From the beginning of the story the reader can learn about Huck from the Widows expressions over Huck. The reader can learn that Huck is kind of free spirited and more simple than the clean clothes that the widow puts him in. The reader can also learn that Huck at some point had $6,000 and is also an orphan.

Twain uses local dialect throughout the story. Dialect enhances the story by painting a picture of the surroundings, giving a deeper understanding of the characters and adding local color. The following quotes show Twain's main purpose is using dialect, which is to emphasize the rural feel of the story's setting. On page 1189 the narrator says "He was always ready and laying for a chance; there couldn't be no solit'ry thing mentioned but that feller'd offer to bet on it, and take ary side you please, as I was just telling you." On page 1190 the narrator says, "Other dogs jest by the j'int of his hind leg and freeze to it—not chaw…." Smiley uses some interesting and somewhat peculiar phrases at the end of the story:

One of the reasons that Huckleberry Finn was banned in the past was because people found the dialect that Twain used unintelligible and shameful to the United States. These people thought that the manner of speech in which the novel was written would make Americans appear simple-minded. This may be the case with some, but the vernacular that the author used was the real dialect that majority of the population practiced in the time period that Huck existed. The novel is not meant to put America to shame, but rather to show the reality of how people spoke and acted in the mid nineteenth century. The vernacular is yet another aspect that makes the novel truthful because it gives readers a realistic view into the life of people from that time in American history.

The particular motifs he uses are the abilities to be unashamed and courageous. The concept of being unabashed shows in the quote, “It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble to a [African-American]; but I done it, and I warn’t ever sorry for it afterward, neither” (Twain 86). Huck’s realization that he is not sorry for apologizing to someone who society perceives as beneath him, becomes a major breakthrough in the story. A second quote that further portrays the motif of being unapologetic also helps support the theme that society’s views must be conquered: “All right, then, I’ll go to hell”-- and tore it up. It was awful thoughts, and awful words, but they was said. And I let them stay said; and never thought no more about reforming. I shoved the whole thing out of my head; and said I would take up wickedness again, which was in my line, being brung up to it, and the other warn't.” (Twain 214). To provide context, Huck had written a letter to send to Miss Watson telling her that he had Jim. After having a moment to comprehend his actions, he reflects on the memories and moments he shared with Jim. Tearing up the letter and acknowledging that he would remain loyal to Jim, even though there is an immense pressure for him to abide by a “civilized” form of rules, displays his strength. Twain writes a final quote, symbolizing his courage, on the same page: “And for a starter, I

An example of Huck's dialect is "The widow Douglas she took me for her son, and allowed she sivilize me; but it was rough living in the house all the time, considering how dismal regular and descent the widow was in all her ways; and so when I couldn't stand it no longer I lit out" (Twain 1). An example of Aunt Polly's mainstream, yet common dialect is "Tom, you didn't have to undo your shirt collar where I sewed it, to pump on your head, did you? Unbutton your jacket!" (Twain 6). An example of Jim's dialect is "Yo' ole father doan' know yit what he's a-gwyne to do. Some times he spec he'll go 'way, nen den ag'in he spec he'll stay" (Twain 19).

Throughout the novel, Mark Twain uses satire to mock southern hospitality. When Huck is staying with the Grangerfords, he learns about the feud they have with another family called the Shepherdsons. No one in either family can remember why or how this feud started, but they continue killing each other nonetheless. When Huck asks the Grangerford’s boy, Buck, how long this has been going on, Buck replies, “ Well I should reckon! It started thirty year ago, or

Twain uses colloquial diction to convey Huck’s struggle between the values of his southern upbringing, which urge him to return Jim, and his strong friendship and loyalty with Jim, which encourage him to protect the runaway. Although Huck lacks education, Huck interprets the laws in ways that are morally sound, an interpretation that most educated people fail to understand, while they blindly accept the injustice of slavery. Throughout the novel, Twain makes use of uneducated diction and syntax to convey an ironic contrast between Huck’s ability to discern between moral and immoral actions and his lack of education.

“Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot.” (Twain, ix) Mark Twain opens his book with a personal notice, abstract from the storyline, to discourage the reader from looking for depth in his words. This severe yet humorous personal caution is written as such almost to dissuade his readers from having any high expectations. The language in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is completely “American” beyond the need for perfect grammar. “Mark Twain’s novel, of course, is widely considered to be a definitively American literary text.” (Robert Jackson,

The use of dialect in Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is one of the most distinguishing stylistic components that he uses in his writing. Not only does Twain use this style of writing in Huckleberry Finn but as well in a number of other novels he has written. The aspect of dialect in this specific novel is very thorough, Twain intently uses dialect especially with the characters Huck, whose dialect can be associated with the pike county dialect and Jim who speaks a dialect that can be linked with that spoken by slaves and the less educated from the south. Twain effectively gives characters different dialects and manners of speech.

Mark Twain Twain's unique style is shown in his work. Mark Twain wrote with regional Dialect. Regional dialect is when a character has a distinct form of speaking, grammatically and soundwise. In Mark Twain's novel, ‘ The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,’ Tom, the main character, in this excamplair, is trying to get out of doing his chore, which is whitewashing the fence. Tom spots the families slave, Jim, and tries to get him to whitewash the fence.

“The story is told from Huck’s point of view, and his narrative voice is a remarkable mixture of bad grammar, slang, homespun wisdom, and lyrical attentiveness to nature” (Bloom 22). In the novel, Twain uses southern dialect to reflect the time period and location in which it was written (James).