Huckleberry Finn Satire

An Analysis of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Although there has been and still is a lot of controversy between whether or not Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a racist or anti-racist novel, it remains to be one of the classics in American literature to this day. Contrary to some beliefs, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is an anti-racist novel because of its use of realism to inform society of the conditions and treatment of slaves, Twain’s promotion of a healthy friendship between two races, and his use of satire to address the ironies of the two races during the late 1800’s. In Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the main character, Huck is faced with a choice between his morality and his friendship with Jim. Huck knows that according to society,

The slave owners would typically be rule followers who are hospitable and kind while the slaves would be described as filthy thieves who had no manners or poise. There are numerous occasions where Twain breaks this stereotype. One example is when the Grangerfords bring their guns into church, deliberately opposing what they were promising God. “The men took their guns along, so did Buck, and kept them between their knees or stood them handy against the wall. The Shepherdsons done the same. It was pretty ornery preaching- all about brotherly love, and such-like tiresomeness; but everybody said it was a good sermon, and they all talked it over going home, and had such a powerful lot to say about faith, and good works, and free grace, and preforeordestoination, and I don’t know what all, that it did seem to me to be one of the roughest Sundays I had run across yet.” (Twain 101) When the Grangerfords brought their guns to church, Twain utilized this scene as a way of showing that not all rich white people are perfect and polite. This contradicted the beliefs of society in the late 1800’s but in a slightly amusing

Even though there are some racist elements displayed in the book, they help bring out motfis in the book including solitude, lonliness, and alienation. On the boat, Jim and Huck find solitude; they are hidden away from their past problems and being judged. Both Jim and Huck are lonely since they come and go from different towns, never really developing a strong friendship with other characters. Huck and Jim both experience alienation because of their unusual friendship. People judge Huck and Jim together, not being able to accept or comprehend their relationship. Although some readers may interpret Twain’s use of racism as a qualification for naming the book as “racist”, I believe that his use of racism makes the book a better and more historically accurate novel to read. People should move past the use of the n-word and focus on what makes the book really great, Huck and Jim’s