huck finn satire essay

Satire in Huckleberry Finn

This essay will analyze the use of satire in Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” It will discuss how Twain employs satire to critique social issues such as racism, societal hypocrisy, and the romanticized notions of the antebellum South. The piece will explore how Twain’s use of humor and irony serves as a tool for social commentary. On PapersOwl, there’s also a selection of free essay templates associated with Huckleberry Finn.

How it works

Mark Twain was a realist who used his work to present controversial ideas to society. The novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, is about a boy named Huckleberry Finn and a slave named Jim, wanting to escape to the north for freedom. Huckleberry and Jim encounter many other groups of people through which Twain pokes fun at societal norms. In this novel, Twain satirizes many ideas some of which include racism, religion and superstition. Mark Twain uses satire in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to influence the people and way of life by ridiculing societal norms and the ignorance of people during that time period.

How Does Mark Twain Use Satire In Huckleberry Finn?

Mark Twain uses satire to poke fun at a civilized society. Pap was an alcoholic who used to beat up Pap. So when Pap returned, Huck hid his money in fear he would take it. When Huck refused to give it to him, Pap abducted Huck and took him to a cabin where he beat, and hit Huck. When Huck and Pap were in the cabin Pap “…chased me [Huck] round and round the place with a clasp-knife, calling me the Angel of Death”; this gave the readers an understanding of Pap’s uncivilized actions and could eventually give off the idea that this “”civilized”” society was unattainable and completely preposterous. Pap kept “saying he would kill me [Huck] , and then I couldn’t come for him no more” (Twain 26). Pap takes Huck to a cabin in the woods where he beats and abuses him. He is an alcoholic and abusive which is exactly what a civilized society should not involve.

In this, the reader is able to see how uncivilized Pap is. During this period, white people were seen as a “pure” and civilized society. On the other hand, African Americans were seen as “uncivilized” and inferior so they were mistreated. Twain uses the character of Pap to present the idea that this is completely preposterous. By having Pap act uncivilized and unpleasant he is able to ridicule the idea that white people are good and black people are bad. Another example is seen when Huck is describing his interaction with the Widow. On the arrival of Huck, the Widow gives him clean clothes and food which annoys Huck. “The Widow Douglas she took me for her son, and allowed she would civilize me, but it was rough living in the house all the time…… I couldn’t stand it any longer I lit out. I got into my old rags and my sugar-hogshead again, and was free and satisfied” (Twain 1). The Widow wanted to civilize Huck. The Widow provides him with clean clothes and food and yet Huck sees this as ineffective and wants to go back to his old life where he wasn’t getting educated and he was in dirty clothes. By showing the Widow’s ineffective method to civilize him, Twain is able to poke fun at the idea of a civilized society. He is able to show the people of that time period that the idea of this pure, civilized society is unattainable and not humanly possible. He uses satire to influence the people of the time period.

Another way Mark Twain uses satire is to poke fun at religion in Huckleberry Finn. He does this when he describes Huck’s thought process as the Widow is trying to teach him. “After supper she got out her book and learned me about Moses and the Bulrushes, 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” (Twain 2). The Widow tries to tell him about religion and he disregards the fact because he wants to ridicule society. Religion was a big part in many people’s lives. Twain uses satire to show the ineffectiveness of doing religious things and uses it to shows the people that religion was not supposed to be a focal point of people’s lives. Most of the characters in the book live in anything but a christian way of life. In one instance they use religion as a tool to get money. By including this, Twain was able to ridicule the way they implement religion in life.

“Then she told me all about the bad place, and I said I wished I was there. She got mad then, but I didn’t mean no harm. All I wanted was to go somewheres; all I wanted was a change, I warn’t particular.”” (Twain 3) The widow is describing heaven and hell to Huck who doesn’t really care for the matter. The Widow is shown as this overly – passionate Christian. She loves talking about the bible and likes to pray. By this humorous and flatout response shows how indifferent he is towards religion. He remains indifferent to the societal expectations. Twain uses this interaction show how ridiculous the concept of religion is.

Mark Twain includes superstition in Huckleberry Finn to ridicule it. Huck remembers something that happens as the Widow’s house. “”One morning I happened to turn over the salt-cellar at breakfast. I reached for some of it as quick as I could to throw over my left shoulder and keep off the bad luck, but Miss Watson was in ahead of me, and crossed me off”” (Twain 16) Superstition is a big part in society during this time period. He makes fun of superstition in this book to show how abursd the idea that certain actions will influence the good or bad luck you get. Nothing you do can change whether you get bad or good luck. Knowing this, Twain brings up superstition repeatedly to ridicule this fact. “”Pretty soon a spider went crawling up my shoulder, and I flipped it off and it lit in the candle; and before I could budge it was all shriveled up. I didn’t need anybody to tell me that that was an awful bad sign and would fetch me some bad luck”” (Twain 4) While at the Widow’s house, Huck was surrounded by someone who believed in religion and superstition. Twain wants to emphasize the stupidity of the things the people in that society believed in. They believed in many superstitious things which led to Twain using satire towards religion. Killing a spider does not necessarily mean that bad luck will come to you but in the context of that time period, many people believed that. He makes fun of that.

Mark Twain uses satire in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to influence the people and way of life by ridiculing societal norms. Mark Twain uses satire to poke fun at society, religion, and superstition. He does this by including Huck’s humorous and ridiculous thoughts to show how absurd the ideas that people believed in during that time period.

Cite this page

Satire in Huckleberry Finn. (2019, May 30). Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/satire-in-the-adventures-of-huckleberry-finn/

"Satire in Huckleberry Finn." PapersOwl.com , 30 May 2019, https://papersowl.com/examples/satire-in-the-adventures-of-huckleberry-finn/

PapersOwl.com. (2019). Satire in Huckleberry Finn . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/satire-in-the-adventures-of-huckleberry-finn/ [Accessed: 16 May. 2024]

"Satire in Huckleberry Finn." PapersOwl.com, May 30, 2019. Accessed May 16, 2024. https://papersowl.com/examples/satire-in-the-adventures-of-huckleberry-finn/

"Satire in Huckleberry Finn," PapersOwl.com , 30-May-2019. [Online]. Available: https://papersowl.com/examples/satire-in-the-adventures-of-huckleberry-finn/. [Accessed: 16-May-2024]

PapersOwl.com. (2019). Satire in Huckleberry Finn . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/satire-in-the-adventures-of-huckleberry-finn/ [Accessed: 16-May-2024]

Don't let plagiarism ruin your grade

Hire a writer to get a unique paper crafted to your needs.

Our writers will help you fix any mistakes and get an A+!

Please check your inbox.

You can order an original essay written according to your instructions.

Trusted by over 1 million students worldwide

1. Tell Us Your Requirements

2. Pick your perfect writer

3. Get Your Paper and Pay

Hi! I'm Amy, your personal assistant!

Don't know where to start? Give me your paper requirements and I connect you to an academic expert.

short deadlines

100% Plagiarism-Free

Certified writers

Home — Essay Samples — Literature — The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn — Religious Satire in Huck Finn

Religious Satire in Huck Finn

• Categories: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

About this sample

Words: 496 |

Published: Mar 20, 2024

Words: 496 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Table of contents

Huck's relationship with religion, satirical depictions of religious figures, the king and the duke, jim's spiritual journey, reception and criticism, historical and social context.

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Dr Jacklynne

Verified writer

• Expert in: Literature

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

2 pages / 892 words

3 pages / 1502 words

1 pages / 547 words

4 pages / 1725 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" is a novel written by Mark Twain, born in 1835 in Florida, Missouri. The story is set in St. Petersburg, Missouri, along the banks of the Mississippi River, and it revolves around the [...]

"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" has been a subject of controversy due to its portrayal of racism. The novel, written in the 19th century, depicts the journey of a young boy named Huck Finn and a runaway slave named Jim as [...]

Twain's use of symbols adds depth and complexity to the narrative, allowing for a deeper exploration of the themes and characters. In this essay, we will examine the various symbols in Huckleberry Finn and their significance in [...]

The theme of ignorance is prevalent throughout Mark Twain's novel, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." The novel addresses the issue of ignorance through the character of Huck Finn, as he navigates the complexities of society [...]

"I have no race prejudices, and I think I have no color prejudices or caste prejudices nor creed prejudices. Indeed I know it. I can stand any society. All that I care to know is that a man is a human being--that is enough [...]

Do you have a friend that you have been through a lot with and someone that you have spent large amounts of time with? The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain was a very conververtial piece of literatrue. The main [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

Examples of Irony and Satire in Huckleberry Finn

• Trent Lorcher
• Categories : Literature study guides and chapter summaries
• Tags : Homework help & study guides

Examples of Satire

• Huck’s Pap returns for the sole purpose of grabbing Huck’s wealth.
• The duke and the dauphin commit fraud several times in an effort to get rich.

(3) Twain pokes fun at ‘sivilization’ throughout:

• Huck can’t bear to return to the widow’s house.
• The Grangerfords and Shephardsons are involved in a nasty feud that leads to several deaths.
• Huck and Jim come across several murdered people throughout their adventures.
• Huck marvels at human cruelty toward one another as the duke and dauphin are tarred and feathered.

(4) Twain ridicules Romantic literature: Tom Sawyer champions adventure over realism and practicality, something which Twain satirizes. Tom’s band of robbers speak incessantly about murdering and plundering, yet only pretend Huck’s quest for adventure and danger will lead him and Jim into trouble. Tom abandons common sense with a preposterous plan to rescue Jim. Huck doesn’t understand why they just can’t unlock the shed and run away with Jim. Tom responds, “Well, if it ain’t just like you, Huck Finn. You can get up the infant-schooliest ways of going at a thing. Why hain’t you ever read any books at all? Whoever heard of getting a prisoner loose in such an old-maidy way as that?” The tom-foolery nearly gets the boys and Jim killed. (5) Twain pokes fun at melodramatic art and poetry with a look at the late Emmeline Grangerford and her unintentionally hilarious poem, “Ode to Stephen Dowling Bots, Dec’d.” Huck is impressed: “She warn’t particular, she could write about anything you choose to give her to write about, just so it was sadful. Every time a man died, or a woman died, or a child died, she would be on hand with her “tribute” before he was cold.” (Chapter 18).

Examples of Irony

The ultimate irony in Huck Finn is that it’s been banned for being both racist and not racist enough. Here are some more examples of irony in Huck Finn . (1) Pap is angry at Huck…for going to school (situational irony). (2) Huck chides himself for his sinful ways, allowing a slave to escape (dramatic irony). (3) Huck’s Pap rants about a black man he encountered in town: “They said he was a p’fessor in a college, and could talk all kinds of languages, and knowed everything. And that ain’t the wust. They said he could vote .” Pap describes a man superior in intellect to himself, yet scolds the government for letting him vote. (situational irony). (4) Huck thinks he’s helping Jim escape, but Jim helps Huck more than Huck helps Jim. (situational and dramatic irony, kind of). Jim comments on the irony of being a slave: “I’s rich now, come to look at it. I owns myself, en I’s wuth eight hund’d dollars.” (verbal irony). (5) Huck comments on the widow always helping rapscallions and deadbeats, similar to the new judge in town who went out of his way to help Huck’s pap. (situational irony). (6) When the Grangerfords and Shepherdsons go to church, they leave their rifles at the door and listen to the gospel of peace. Their feud recommences immediately upon leaving. (situational irony). (7) Jim tells Huck he’s going to help his wife and kids escape, causing Huck to comment, “I was so sorry to hear Jim say that, it was such a lowering of him.” (situational irony). (8) Huck consistently comments how doing right makes him feel bad, mainly because what he’s been taught as right is wrong. (situational irony and dramatic irony). (9) Huck learns how to spell his name from Buck, who spells it wrong. (situational). Image by  David Frampton  from  Pixabay

This post is part of the series: Huckleberry Finn Study Helps

Review Mark Twain’s classic with these study helps.

• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: Chapter Summaries
• Test Your Knowledge of “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”
• The Huck Finn Controversy
• Satire and Irony in Huckleberry Finn
• Examples of Satire in Huck Finn: Superstitions

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

Adventures of Huck Finn: Introduction

Adventures of huck finn: plot summary, adventures of huck finn: detailed summary & analysis, adventures of huck finn: themes, adventures of huck finn: quotes, adventures of huck finn: characters, adventures of huck finn: symbols, adventures of huck finn: literary devices, adventures of huck finn: quizzes, adventures of huck finn: theme wheel, brief biography of mark twain.

Historical Context of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Other books related to adventures of huckleberry finn.

• Full Title: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
• Where Written: Hartford, Connecticut, and Quarry Farm, located in Elmira, New York
• When Published: 1884 in England; 1885 in the United States of America
• Literary Period: Social realism (Reconstruction Era in United States)
• Genre: Children’s novel / satirical novel
• Setting: On and around the Mississippi River in the American South
• Climax: Jim is sold back into bondage by the duke and king
• Antagonist: Pap, the duke and king, society in general
• Point of View: First person limited, from Huck Finn’s perspective

Extra Credit for Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Dialect. Mark Twain composed Huckleberry using not a high literary style but local dialects that he took great pains to reproduce with his idiosyncratic spelling and grammar.

Reception. A very important 20th-century novelist, Ernest Hemingway, considered Huckleberry Finn to be the best and most influential American novel ever written.

• Entertainment
• Environment
• Information Science and Technology
• Social Issues

Home Essay Samples Literature Tom Sawyer

The Use of Satire in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

*minimum deadline

Cite this Essay

To export a reference to this article please select a referencing style below

• Rhetorical Question
• Anna Karenina
• Da Vinci Code
• Stephen King
• Bhagavad Gita

Related Essays

Need writing help?

You can always rely on us no matter what type of paper you need

*No hidden charges

100% Unique Essays

Absolutely Confidential

Money Back Guarantee

By clicking “Send Essay”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement. We will occasionally send you account related emails

You can also get a UNIQUE essay on this or any other topic

Thank you! We’ll contact you as soon as possible.

• Satire In Huck Finn

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain, is a novel that has been the source of much controversy since its release in 1884. The book is set in the American South during the antebellum period and deals with issues of slavery and racism. While some have praised the book for its frank portrayal of these issues, others have criticized it for its use of racial slurs and offensive language.

Regardless of one’s opinion on the book, there is no denying that Twain was a master satirist. Throughout the novel, he pokes fun at the various social ills of his time. In doing so, he sheds light on the hypocrisy and stupidity of those who support them.

One example of this social satire can be found in the character of Pap Finn. Pap is a drunken, abusive father who does everything he can to keep Huck from getting an education. He is also fiercely opposed to slavery, even though he himself is a racist. This inconsistency is meant to highlight the hypocrisy of those who claim to be against slavery but still hold racist beliefs.

Another example can be found in Twain’s satirical treatment of religion. In the novel, Huck encounters numerous conmen posing as preachers. These charlatans use their positions of authority to exploit gullible people for financial gain. Twain’s ridicule of these false prophets speaks to the corrupting influence that organized religion can have on some individuals.

Overall, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a scathing satire of the social ills of Twain’s time. While some may find his methods offensive, there is no denying that he was a master of his craft.

The purpose of satire is to point out society’s vices, follies, and shortcomings in order to shame individuals and the society as a whole into improvement. Although it is often funny, satire always contains a message meant to improve its target. In Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, hesatirizes America and Americans living in the 1840s by making fun of their faults .

One example of satire in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is when Twain pokes fun at the hypocrisy of slavery and racism. In the novel, Huck Finn is constantly debating whether or not to turn Jim in to the authorities, as he is technically a runaway slave. However, Huck begins to see Jim as a human being and not just a piece of property. This is satirizing how whites saw blacks during this time period; they were seen as less than human and were only valued for their labor.

Another instance of satire in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is when Twain mocks organized religion. In the novel, Huck Finn attends a revival meeting with some others from his town and is essentially brainwashed into getting baptized, even though he doesn’t really want to. This is satirizing how easily people can be swayed by religious leaders and how religion was used as a tool to control people.

Overall, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is full of social satire. Twain uses satire to criticize American society and its treatment of slaves, blacks, and women. He also mocks organized religion and the hypocrisy of so-called “saints.” By doing this, Twain hopes to shame Americans into changing their ways.

Many instances are used in this tale to convey social criticism. One of the examples is religious. Religion is a major topic in Huckleberry Finn, and Twain does an excellent job using satire to make the narrative more amusing while also criticizing religious zealotry during the 1840s. The Grangerfords, for example, may appear to be a nice and decent family who adore God and go to church, but they actually exist in a world of crime.

This is due to the feud between them and the Shepherdsons. The family tutor, Huck, is also a satire of religion. Although he goes to church with the family, he does not believe in any of it. This is because he has been lied to by adults his whole life and has seen the hypocrisy firsthand. He eventually comes to his own conclusions about religion and doesn’t follow it blindly like the Grangerfords.

Another example of social satire in this story is slavery. Slavery was a big issue during Twain’s time and he uses satire to express his views on it. One instance of this is when Jim is captured by slave hunters. They plan to take him back south to be sold into slavery even though he is already a free man.

This is ridiculous to Huck and he does everything he can to help Jim escape. In the end, he even risks his own life. Another instance of Twain’s views on slavery is shown through the character of Miss Watson. She owns a slave named Jim and treats him poorly. She talks about how she wants to free him, but never does. This is because she knows that he would be poverty-stricken if he was set free. She only cares about herself and doesn’t want to see Jim suffer.

Overall, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a story that uses satire to express Twain’s views on social issues. He addresses issues such as religion and slavery in a way that is both funny and critical.

The Shepherdson family has a long-standing rivalry with the Grangerford family, resulting in numerous members of each lineage being murdered one by one. The Grangerford family depicts religious hypocrisy brilliantly by attending church with their guns perched between their knees, ready to fire if necessary. After that, as they were driving home, the family discussed how much they loved the sermon (which was about fraternal love) and faith and good deeds.

The family is more concerned about being able to shoot accurately and kill their enemies, the Shepherdsons, than they are about practicing what they preach.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is rife with social satire. Mark Twain uses satire to point out the flaws in American society during the time period in which the novel is set. One example of social satire in the novel is the treatment of slaves. Twain shows how slaves were seen as property, rather than human beings. He also highlights the hypocrisy of those who professed to be Christians, yet owned slaves.

More Essays

• What Is The Conflict Between Huck Finn And Miss Watson
• Humor In Huckleberry Finn
• Archetypes In Huck Finn
• Is Huck Finn too Mature?
• Adventures Of Huck Finn By Mark Twain
• Examples Of Romanticism In Huck Finn
• Huck Finn: The Hero’s Journey

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.