The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn s Social Commentary On...

Mark Twain’s Social Commentary on Slavery in Huckleberry Finn Huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain over seven years, is considered one of the best American masterpieces ever published, and a very socially active novel. Through the plot and development of the main characters, Twain discussed the paradox of slavery in a free country, as well as his abolitionist beliefs on slavery. Throughout his life, he witnessed slavery in the United States as a whole and its impact on his life, which was transferred to include slavery in this novel. Throughout the novel Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain discusses the paradox of slavery in a free country and expresses a clear social statement about the immorality of slavery. Slavery was predominant in the†¦show more content†¦It was as a result of these jobs that Twain began to form his abolitionist ideals (Twain was an advocate of slavery until he became a steamboat pilot and was exposed to free places and free people). Twain famously stated, â€Å"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness...broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one s lifetime...†, in his novel â€Å"The Innocents Abroad,† which was published in 1869. â€Å"The Innocence Abroad† was a social commentary on his journey to the Holy Land, and the cultural changes he saw. Therefore, Twain witnessed slavery firsthand, and this enabled him to comment on the paradox of slavery in a free country. One way that Mark Twain made a social statement in Huckleberry Finn was through his description of the paradox of slavery in a free country. Huck Finn, a white child, is free, but Jim, a black man, is working, unpaid. This is the scenario in which ‘slavery in a free country’ is exemplified. America was a free country when the Declaration of Independence was signed†¦ â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness†¦Ã¢â‚¬  are among the opening lines to the United States’ Declaration of Independence. Under this document, all people areShow MoreRelatedAn Analysis of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn3099 Words   |  12 Pagesï » ¿HUCKLEBERRY FINN The adventures of Huckleberry Finn is one of the finest works of Mark Twain and probably the most controversial too. This is because it is by no means an ordinary story of Huckleberrys adventures; it is essentially a social commentary on the slavery and post civil war era in the United States. T. S. Eliot in 1950 acknowledged the book as,  ¦the only one of Mark Twains various books which can be called a masterpiece. I do not suggest that it is his only book of permanent interest;Read MoreChanging Views And The Changing Blues1657 Words   |  7 Pages Cameron- 4th Hour Honors American Literature 9 January 2015 The Changing Views and The Changing Blues Mark Twain himself had this to say about his novel: Huckleberry Finn is a book of mine about a boy with a sound heart and a deformed conscience that come into conflict...and conscience suffers defeat.† In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, his view of society starts out as naà ¯ve and childish, but as he experiences life on the Mississippi, he grows into a man with a realistic standpoint of whatRead MoreAnalysis Of Mark Twain s Works Made A Huge Impact On Readers And Literary Critics1288 Words   |  6 Pagesand realist time eras in American Literature. He has simple, seemingly artless narrators and an understated style leads readers to arrive at the social commentary of his narratives on their own. Mark Twain’s writing influenced society because he created a new perspective on life with the views pointed out in his books. The distinctive trait of Twain s was his sense of humor. His writings are almost always humorous and have an element of satire to them. Satire is when people point out the absurditiesRead MoreSatire : Satire And Satire1498 Words   |  6 PagesSatire, as defined by Google is the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people s stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues. It seems to be especially prevalent in the current climate of America, from South Park to the Onion one never has to go far to get entertaining commentary on the social or political happenings of the day. Satire is not a new literary device and satirical works have been documented inRead MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn4280 Words   |  18 PagesNadeem Sbaiti Mrs. Greenlee HN ENG III 1, June 2015 Independent Novel Project The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Knowledge Significance Of Title The title The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn seems to be very self-explanatory of the significance hence the name. Furthermore after further review and thought I have realized there is a deeper meaning than just that of Huckleberry Finn. When the book first begins it is showing the start of the young boys band of robbers and it leads you to believe theRead MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain2083 Words   |  9 PagesSatire in Huckleberry Finn In the novel â€Å"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn† by Mark Twain, we are told a story about a young boy and his slave companion’s journey down the Mississippi River and all of their encounters with other characters. Twain constructed a beautiful narrative on how young Huck Finn, the protagonist in the story, learns about the world and from other adult characters, how he is shaped into his own person. At the time this book was made however, this novel provided serious socialRead More Twain’s Huckleberry Finn and Kerouac’s On the Road – The River and the Road3035 Words   |  13 PagesTwain’s Huckleberry Finn and Kerouac’s On the Road – The River and the Road One element that separates a good novel from a great novel is its enduring effects on society. A great novel transcends time; it changes and mirrors the consciousness of a civilization. One such novel is Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. For the past one hundred and fifteen years, it has remained in print and has been one of the most widely studied texts in high schools and colleges. According to Lionel TrillingRead MoreThe Cultural Values Of This Southern Antebellum Time2321 Words   |  10 Pages The word adventures conjures a feeling as though the story is simply about blithe and lighthearted experiences. To the contrary, this novel delves deeper into Huck’s moral development, morality, race, slavery and Southern society. Through the title, Twain outwits his audience into examining weighty issues through the eyes of a naà ¯ve thirteen-year-old boy. 2. This classic novel is set in St. Petersburg, Missouri, which lies on the banks of the Mississippi River. Huck s adventures whisk him throughRead MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain2486 Words   |  10 Pagesworld. The literary establishment recognized him as one of the most influential writers in America since the publication of his masterpiece, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. At first glance, the novel appears quite innocently filled with wild escapades centered on two protagonists who embark on a journey together down the Mississippi River: Huckleberry Finn, an unruly young boy who breaks free from the confinement of his alcoholic father, and Jim, a black fugitive slave. Throughout their expeditionRead MoreHow Mark Twain Influenced American Literature1641 Words   |  7 PagesLiterature When you think of the start of American Literature, what comes to your mind? Authors such as Walt Whitman, Ernest Hemmingway, Emily Dickinson, Charles Dickens, and Mark Twain stick out in our minds. They were the face of post-civil war and social realism poetry. Today we will take a closer look at Mark Twain, who was also known as the â€Å"Father† of American Literature. His work has survived more than 100 years after his death. Mark Twain was born in 1835, as Samuel Clemens in the town of Florida