Religion’s Struggle Against Huck in the Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Strain encases the religious struggle in Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Huck, an abused boy, has a questionable although rather deep, religious morality. Huck lives in a society that forces religion upon him, but pretends to be “chivalric, law-abiding, and Christian” (Martin 110). Huck’s battle against his morality stems from his influences and religion’s faultiness and uselessness. Twain’s views manage to ironically uplift Christianity in a way that degrades hypocrisy, evil, and ignorance. Despite religion’s pure reputation, hypocrites constantly attack Huck’s beliefs. After many encounters with religious errors, Huck sees religion as hurtful, finding the countless flaws, immoral followers, confusing ideas, and lack of proof. Huck simply continues his faithfulness to superstition; which seems to be the only way to escape. Religion in the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn not only becomes the main evil, it provides readers with another perspective that judges, lies, deceives, and sins ironically to the point that religion is not seen as a belief, but another useless tool to spread more evil in a world that already dwells in sin. Although quite superstitious, Huck intrigues readers to understand religion’s forcible nature; consequently, they see that Huck actually exhibits greater morality than those that seek to instill a moral code within him.

Twain is quick to point out the errors in religion. Even in church, “ornery-preaching” (Twain 83) and evil intentions cause Huck to question the reason for religion. “As slavishly as others follow the formal rules of Christian culture” (Martin 102), Huck relies upon himself. During his journeys with the two frauds called the King and the Duke, confusion of relig...

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...s on The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Ed. Katie de Koster. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1994: 105-110.

Martin, Jay. “American Civilization threatens to Destroy Huck.” Harvest of Change: American Literature, 1865- 1914(1967): Rpt. In Readings on The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Ed. Katie de Koster. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1994: 105-110.

Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. New York: Sterling, 2006. Print.

Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. New York: Sterling, 2006. Print.

Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. New York: Sterling, 2006. Print.

Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. New York: Sterling, 2006. Print.

Jegrišnik, Borut. “Society’s Views on Religion.” eHow, American Media, n.d. Web. 1 April 2014.

Yates, Norris W. “The Counter-Conversion of Huck Finn.” American Literature 32 (1960): 1-10.