The Adventure Of Huckleberry Finn, a book recognized to be one of the most remarkable pieces of literature in American History, has been highly accused of being offensive among some critics. Andrew Levy, for example, stated that this book portrays “profound satire” and “racism” in standardized education. He believed that because of these issues, Huckleberry Finn is not an appropriate book for children. However, I believe, that neither the use of satire nor the racist comments has any negative influence on children, and that The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn is an ideal novel for use in the classroom. To begin with, the book is not all racist and it is not harmful for primary education. Like Andrew Levy, for Twain's critics, the novel is ridiculously written for children on the face of it, and for the most obvious reason: many characters use the word "nigger" throughout. But since the action of the book takes place in …show more content…
The reason Twain uses satire in The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn, is to create casual dialogue ironically. Rather than emphasizing how people see white privilege at the time, Twain uses it as a way to underscore the terrific truth about the South: it was a place where slaveholders did not consider the death of a black person worth their notice, and where a "nigger" was not a human being. For example, in chapter fourteen, Huck exemplified “Well, if ever I struck anything like it, I’m a nigger. It was enough to make a body ashamed of a human race.” (Twain, 123) By using satire, the author was intended to prove that black people should have the equivalent right as the superior white people. And there should be no discrimination, no misunderstanding and no racism. These undertones were hidden in between words in a setting of an adventure story. By choosing to write in such a form, Twain noticed that it would be less literate for children to confirm the underline
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain is a great example of a satire that Twain uses to mock different aspects of the society. The novel is filled with wild adventures encountered by the two main character, Huckleberry Finn, an unruly young boy, and Jim, a black runaway slave. Throughout the novel, Twain uses Huck to satirize the religious hypocrisy, white society's stereotypes, and superstitions both to amuse the reader and to make the reader aware of the social ills of that present time.
Molly Ivins once said, "Satire is traditionally the weapon of the powerless against the powerful". This quote explains how the use of satire, which is the use of humor or irony to point out or mock someone's stupidity, could be used as an insult to point out the obvious in any situation. The use of this figurative language technique is portrayed perfectly in Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The three most prominent examples would be the way African Americans are viewed in that time period, the situation when Huckleberry pretended to be a girl, and the way Huckleberry talks about Pap verse how he actually acts. Twain's use of satire is used perfectly in this novel; these are only three examples out of the millions in the story.
Mark Twain purposely had satire put is his book “Huck Finn”, to show all the faults society has at this time. Mark Twain has satire, mostly on about human greed and violence. He shows this by everyday human interaction and people do to others. Also, people can be selfish because they scammed or something bad happened. They had to let others be affected to because they wanted them to suffer too. Satire in “Huck Finn” was meant to show the faults of society during this and how people can be selfish and really violent.
“All modern literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn,” this is what fellow writer had to say about this classic novel. Still, this novel has been the object of controversy since it was published more than 150 years ago. Some people argue that Huckleberry Finn is a racist work, and that the novel has no place in a highschool classroom. This feeling is generated because a main character in the story, Jim, and other slaves are referred to many times as “niggers.” When Mark Twain wrote this book, he was striving to show the general public that society was wrong in the past, that the way white people thought black people were less than human was a wrong viewpoint. The
In the novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Twain uses irony, sarcasm, and satire to show that slavery and racial discrimination are morally wrong and that people shouldn’t be treated differently because of their ethnicity and race. Twain’s use of irony and ridicule exposes and criticizes the society’s viewpoints of what is right and wrong in contrast of Huck’s conscience and his experience on the journey with Jim to come to find what he believes is right or wrong. While writing the novel, Twain was living in a society where racial tensions and discrimination had a great impact during these times. Twain illustrates the stupidity of slavery and racial discrimination by mocking many different aspects of the society in which Huck grew up in. Throughout Huck’s and Jim’s adventurous journey down the river,
The 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 contemporary society. This led to the novel being criticised widely as a result of it condemning the very society it was presented to.
Throughout The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain uses satire to provide commentary on various aspects of life in the South
Many schools have banned teachers from teaching on Twain’s Huckleberry Finn for various reasons. One of those reasons is that Twain uses the word nigger, and he uses it to many times. At the time that this book was written, slaves and free black people were called niggers. So Twain in his writing is being politically correct when writing about Jim and the other slaves
Devices like mockery, irony, parody, and sarcasm make the use of satire effective . Satirists typically use these devices when hoping to expose, or even humiliate an individual or a society. Writers also use satire when creating social change as well as preventing it. Well known satirists include Mark Twain, Jonathan swift, and many other extarident authors. Every satirists uses different methods or devices to get their point across and effectively at that . Satirists use many different methods and devices like mockery, mock-heroic, and others to use satire effectively and gain an audience's attention.
"I heard an owl, away off, who-whooing about somebody that was dead, and a whippo-will and a dog crying about somebody that was going to die; and the wind was trying to whisper something to me, and I couldn't make out what it was" (Twain 13). Twain often ridicules American society in the early 1800's. He pokes fun at various subjects throughout the novel, such as human brutality, women's roles in society, and slavery within christianity. Satire plays a major role in Mark Twain's classic novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
In the book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, one controversial issue continues to be talked about: whether or not this book should continue to be taught in schools across America. When it comes to the topic of the “n” word, many agree that this degrading word should not appear in any type of school environment; while some are convinced that the choice of words should not be the only reason this book gets banned. By focusing only on that word the people, who want to dispose of this book, overlook the deeper meaning and lessons that are presented throughout the book. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a book that provides a realistic portrayal of life in the South post slavery, moral lessons about following your heart, and numerous
Huck, the narrator of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, is young, naïve, and rather an outsider of society; this allows Twain to impart stronger commentary on society. Huck’s outsider status and naïveté presents a forgivable narrator, one who saying something crass or shocking about society is not a product of their character, but one of their situations. Readers are more apt to forgive comments on society if they perceive them as “innocent” in this case that the narrator, Huck, doesn’t truly know what he’s saying. Huck’s naïveté allows him to convey Twain’s comments on society based on his experiences and without judgment, allowing the reader to form their own judgments, such as when Huck “wanted to smoke and asked the widow to let me.
Mark Twain pokes fun at numerous social institutions in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to show the irony in what he had observed from these institutions. He uses the humor so those reading the classic could hopefully see things how he sees them. The use of satire is effective in getting his thoughts across to the reader. For example, Twain's stance on slavery could be deciphered by what Huck says in reference to slaves and slave-owners as well as feuds and civilizations. The irony and humor that Twain uses in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is successfully used when talking about slavery, family feuds and civilization versus natural life.
There has always been controversy about if The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, should be read in schools or not because of the derogatory term “nigger”. Most people normally focus on that one word when deciding if it should be taught or not, while they miss the lessons the book has to offer. Before people decide, they should closely examine the book and realize it appeals to all ages, that the powerful language use is necessary, and the historical significance it continues to teach. The first thing they should look at is how the book appeals to all ages.
Since its first publication in 1884, Mark Twain’s masterpiece The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has proven to be one of history’s most controversial novels; especially recently, the novel has often been banned by schools and censored by libraries. Characters in the book are constantly using disparaging language toward slaves, and the repeated use of the word “nigger” makes many sensitive and offended. Critics denounce the novel and Mark Twain as racist for this word being insulting and politically incorrect and for its depiction of black people and how they are treated. However, Twain was not attempting to perpetuate racism; on the contrary, he used satire to expose the ignorance and paradoxical views held by many in America at that time.