Absurdity of a “Sivilized” Society-an Analysis of Huckleberry Finn

An Analysis of hucka gameleberry Finn The Absurdity of a Sivilized baseball club Authors often express their views on every given subject through their works, and Mark coupling is no exception. One may read The Adventures of huckabackleberry Finn and be compriseve it is simply a novel about a youthful boys childhood however, a deeper analysis of the text reveals many of Mark Twains expressions about primary(prenominal) moral and social issues. Perhaps one of the most prominent universe the frailty of human arbitrator and the hypocrisy we as a mass foster in our societies.Throughout the novel, huck meets people who appear to be good, civilized people, but always end up having a hypocritical fault about them. though non every instance is a grave matter, Twains create verbally generates that societies in Hucks world ar based upon corrupted laws and principles that defy basic logic. Twains writing leaves the reader with an understanding(a) that cowardice, illogical choices, and selfish as well as hypocritical people shekels these societies. Twain begins weaving hypocrisies and rout outts early into the story one of the most appalling being the issue of Hucks custody.This flawed clay of thought is first shown when the new judge in St. Petersburg rules that knocker has rightful(prenominal) custody of Huck. Although this would be bad for Huck if his father became his legal guardian, the judge asserts Paps rights to Huck as his biological son, despite the fact that this is placing Hucks welfare below the so-called rights of his father. Ironically, this system would put Huck under his dads custody, leaving him worse off, whereas Jim is separated from his family despite being a far better father and soul.However, the welfare of the individual isnt highly valued in society, and thus they are placed in uncomfort adequate to(p), often dangerous situations. The judge tries to put Huck back in contact with his horrid father and therefore abuse, but Jim, a lo ving parent, never receives wait on to be with his children and help rescue them from break ones backry and separation. This decision defies all logic one would find in a normal society, and yet this kind of stackilizeing was commonplace.The values and welfare of a black person were nowhere near as important as those of a white man, and even though Jim is a grown man with the most in tune moral compass of any character in the book, Huck still has power everyplace him simply because he is white. By comparing the situation of Pap and Huck with slaves and their masters, Twain hints that it is impossible for a society to be civilized so long as it practices slavery. Though non quite as harmful, another example of a hypocritical character can be found in the Widow Douglas and Miss Watson.In an attempt to sivilize Huckleberry, Miss Watson reprimands him for smoking a queer and yet she snuffs tobacco. Pretty soon I wanted to smoke, and asked the widow to let me. But she wouldnt. She said it was a mean practice and wasnt clean, and I essential try to not do it any more than And she took snuff, too of course that was all right, because she done it herself (Twain 2). She prevents Huck from doing what she believes is uncivilized and detrimental to his health, yet doesnt think twice about proceeding to do some intimacy very similar simply because she herself enjoys it.This example of hypocrisy is not particularly malicious, but yet another example of how all the characters Huck is involved with has some ferment of a hypocritical flaw. Furthermore, Miss Watson is quite religious and, in efforts to teach Huck, tells him that all he must do is pray for something and he will have it. However, when Huck needs fishhooks and asks her to help pray for them, she calls him a fool. Then Miss Watson she took me in the closet and prayed, but nothing come of it. She told me to pray every day, and some(prenominal) I asked for I would get it.But it warnt so. I tried it. Once I got a fish- line, but no hooks. It warnt any good to me without hooks. I tried for the hooks three or four times, but somehow I couldnt make it make it work. By-and-by, one day, I asked Miss Watson to try for me, but she said I was a fool. (Twain 8). Miss Watson tells Huck that if he does something, he can expect a certain ensue but when things dont work, he asks for her help and she chides him for it The widow Douglas and Miss Watson are religious, educated, and yet, they are slave owners.They educate Huck, and teach him religion but find it perfectly acceptable to do things contrary to their teachings, such(prenominal) as snuff and practice slavery. The latter, being a more insidious humbug of St. Petersburg, is shown over and over again throughout Hucks journey. As Huck begins to stray from his backwards, insincere town, he reaches dissimilar places with different people, all different in their own way and yet, very similar to those in St. Petersburg. The Duke and Dauphin a re two despicable con men who join Huck and Jim as they continue to drift on the river.The Duke and Dauphin cause trouble for Huck and Jim, as well as the towns they visit. The fault here is that, the Duke and Dauphin are able to scam full(a) communities by lying, pretending to be someone theyre not, and cheating their guests. Though they throw off most of the novel doing awful things or planning awful things, they both are hardly punished. later on the first showing of The Royal Nonesuch, the first group of attendees realizes they have been cheated. However, instead of chastising the Duke and Dauphin, the audience that night chooses to lie about the performance in order to cheat a second group of attendees. Hold on Just a word, gentlemen. They stopped to listen. We are soldmighty badly sold. But we dont want to be the laughing stock of this whole town, I reckon, and never hear the last of this thing as long as we live. NO. What we want is to go out of here quiet, and talk this show up, and sell the REST of the town Then well all be in the same boat. Aint that sensible? (You bet it is the jedge is right everybody sings out. ) All right, thennot a word about any sell. Go along home, and advise everybody to come and see the tragedy. (Twain 114).Most hypocritical, however, is the fact that the Judge of the town conceived this plan. He who stands as a pillar of justice and truth in the town decides to cheat the others in order to tho face. By the third night, everyone in town has seen the play and the Duke and Dauphin make a large profit from their misconduct. dissipated acts committed by the Duke and Dauphin never yielded punishments, but brazen, drunk insults led to execution. Boggs, described as the most tardily going old fool in Arkansas, began shouting insults and anathemas at Sherburn, the man who had cheated him. He Sherburn was standing perfectly still in the street, and had a pistol raised in his right handnot aiming it, but holding it out with the barrel tilted up towards the sky Boggs throws up both of his hand and says, O Lord, dont shoot Bang goes the first shot, and he staggers back, clawing at the lookbang goes the second one, and he tumbles backwards on to the ground, heavy and solid, with his arms spread out. (Twain 108). The Duke and Dauphin cheat entire communities and remain unpunished by their terrible acts however, peccadilloes like shouting drunken insults result in execution.Twains writing exposes the issue of faulty justice and duplicitous nature of men. Furthermore, Sherburns speech to the angry mob around his house in relation to a lack of logic and cowardice capitulates Twains societal views. Twains use of hypocrisy helps express his views on societal issues. Though not every instance is harmful, such as Miss Watsons snuff usage, other notable examples such as the execution of Boggs and the custody of Huck highlight his belief that cowardice, lack of logic, and selfishness are at the affectionatenes s of society, not the communal welfare that it should be.The repeated instances of insecure, logic defying justice are the root of the problem, as unaffectionate crimes are punished severely whereas serious crimes go scot-free. Throughout the novel, Huck meets characters that appear good, yet Twain makes a conscious effort to prove they are prejudiced slave owners. The illogical choices and hypocritical people presented throughout the novel show the hypocrisy and ludicrousness of the sivilized society.