Examples Of Hypocrisy In Huckleberry Finn

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Friendship over Hypocrisy Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a novel of common wisdom, and bravery. Written by Mark Twain from 1876-1884, the book has been the subject of considerable controversy (Baym 1284). Its use of language considered by many as racist, along with a story subtext that appears to mock the enslaved have been subjects of prolonged public debate. Equal debate has also arose over the degenerative treatment of the three main characters at the end of the story. However, if read intelligently, and with a proper degree of skepticism, the true consciousness of Mark Twain can be deciphered. Though, at first glance, it reads like a child’s book depicting the entertaining adventures of a precocious adolescent youth set in the Antebellum…show more content…
Another prominent example of hypocrisy is Huck’s father, Pap. He is an antisocial, abusive drunk. In chapter six Pap rants about the superiority of white men over black men just before he attempts to murder Huck. The inference that a depraved, uneducated and callous hearted white man like Huck’s father is superior to a black college professor is absurd, and dangerous. Huck soon realizes that if he is to remain alive he will have to run away. Huck fakes his own murder, and then runs off to a remote island on the Mississippi River, where by chance he meets up with the runaway slave, Jim. When he first runs into Jim, he is happy for the simple dog-like companionship that Jim offers, but before long he begins to see Jim as a human being. Huck soon realizes that Jim is full of all sorts of interesting and necessary information, and feels more at ease with Jim than with any other character in the novel. On Jackson’s Island, Huck says to Jim, “This is nice. I wouldn’t want to be nowhere else but here” (1319). Huck and Jim develop a strong and lasting friendship based on mutual respect, and one that allows Huck to mature into and develop his own moral character. Through it all, with Jim’s gentle wisdom and guidance, Huck triumphs over the intolerant rules set by society and follows his heart to…show more content…
Mark Twain’s primary purpose was to lay bare the ethical, religious and social transgressions that were still eating the heart out of American society nearly two decades after the Emancipation Proclamation and the end of the Civil War. Furthermore, these singular attacks of racism conveniently ignore the thematic importance of family, friendship, and the endangerment of those values. Principal themes in the novel, which are made more poignant by the experiences of a white southern boy and a black slave who shared those feelings for each other despite the huge racial divide between them. Finally, Mark Twain’s alleged stereotypes of black people through the characterization of Jim as naive, superstitious, and ignorant, discount the fact that Jim is consistently the most honest, and moral character in the book. Throughout the story he takes on the role of a trusted guide, personal confidant, and steadfast friend to Huck. Granted, successful arguments have been made that a flimsy plot line, inconsistencies in tone, and the disintegration of the major characters are striking failures to the ending of the story (Marx 1469). However this criticism reflects less on Mark Twain as having failed to complete a masterful work of literature, and more as an indicator of the moral confusion of the
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