Adventures_of_Huckfinn

In his satiric novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain uses the lense of his main character to examine many foibles of American society today. We see tensions build inside Huck, and these tensions reflect the author's criticism of society. When Huck questions racism, religion and superstition it shows that Mark Twain criticizes society in his novel. During the entirety of the novel, Huckleberry Finn endures an inner conflict with himself about racism. He becomes torn between what he was taught as a young child and what he knows is right. For example, Huck had the ability to turn in his friend Jim, who he knows is an escaped slave. He decided that he was going to turn him in, but when he was about to, he did not. He did not turn in Jim because he realized that he was a human being too, just like anyone else. This quote describes how Huck was feeling when he was writing the letter to Ms. Watson to turn in Jim: “I was a trembling, because I’d got to decide, forever, betwixt two things, and I knowed it. I studied a minute, sort of holding my breath, and then says to myself:” "All right, then, I’ll go to hell" (179-180) Huck then tore up the letter and threw it out. He decided to go against society and listen to what he thought was right, and help Jim escape from slavery rather than turn him in. Huckleberry Finn also endures an inner conflict with himself involving religion. He realizes the errors of religion and how people are willing to believe almost anything they are told. One example of this is at the camp meeting, where the “king” told the people a story that if he doesn’t go to the Indian Ocean, and teach the pirates about Christ, then their souls will be lost. The story is obviously a lie, but the “king” still manages to gain eighty-seven dollars and seventy-five cents. Huck doesn’t agree that people should be so willing to believe anything they are told. Another example would be when Huck found out about Moses: “After supper she got out her book and learned me about Moses and the Bulrushers, and I was in a sweat to find out all about him; but by and by she let it out that Moses had been dead a considerable long time; so then I didn't care no more about him, because I don't take no stock in dead people.” () This quote explains how Huck dislikes some aspects of religion because of its uselessness. And yet another inner conflict that Huckleberry Finn endures has to do with superstition, and the effect it has on the minds of Americans. Mark Twain satirizes superstition all throughout the novel. One example of when he does this was when Huck played a trick on Jim. Huck put a dead rattlesnake under Jim’s bed. Although he knew it would attract the dead rattlesnakes’ mate, he did not think about it until after Jim had been bitten. Jim blamed the fact that he was bitten on luck; obviously it was not luck, because Huck was the one who put the dead snake under his pillow. This quote shows how Jim almost always expects bad luck: "Doan' le's talk about it, Huck. Po' niggers can't have no luck. I awluz 'spected dat rattlesnake-skin warn't done wid its work." (16.61) This also shows how Mark Twain criticizes superstition in America. Throughout the entire novel, Mark Twain uses his main character to examine the many flaws of society. The tensions and inner conflicts that take place inside of Huckleberry Finn reflect the criticisms of society from the author. When huck has inner conflicts about racism, religion and superstition it all shows exactly what Mark Twain criticizes and believes is wrong about society.