Huckleberry Finn Religion Analysis

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What are Twain’s criticisms of traditional concepts of religion? Bold face text needs to be edited/looked at/changed/ again Intro Throughout the novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain criticizes traditional concepts of religion. In numerous passages, which are cited by page numbers that correspond with the reference page source, we see that Twain depicted religion to be a flawed practice. Even the apparently “righteous” religious characters such as Miss Watson and Aunt Sally are slave owners. Huck’s character holds a lot of doubt about religion and seemingly, Twain might’ve too. The biggest event in the book which criticizes religion under Twain’s speculations is the moral dilemma Huck suffers between his relationship with Jim.…show more content…
Twain sets out to paint the picture of religion intruding Huck’s developing relationship with Jim. Huck’s reasoning about whether to betray Jim or not throws more light on the preaching of those times, which was based on threats. The number one threat as Huck pointed out was “going to hell”. This is confirmed by Huck’s statement, “people that acts as I’d been acting about that nigger goes to everlasting fire.” (51) In Chapter sixteen, Huck was about to be “a slave” of his conscience by denouncing Jim. His conscience had been corrupted by the slave-holding society and its hypocritical religion. However, his instinct did not take long to win over conscience, for “Huck instinctively knows what is right,…but doing right violates the social norms to which he was accustomed.” (54) This is Twain’s recurring message which we see again in chapter thirty one. The most prominent internal battle opposing instinct and conscience inside Huck when Huck was wondering what to do between denouncing Jim and rescuing him. Huck said, “I was trying to make my mouth…show more content…
You can’t pray a lie – I found that out. So I was in trouble…and didn’t know what to do…I was trembling because I’d got to decide, forever betwixt two things; …I studied a minute…and then says to myself: “All right, then I’ll go to hell…”. (55) The victory of instinct over conscience is highly moral and makes religion appear ridiculous in the mind of the readers. It was also an overwhelming victory of Huck who stands for the right, over society and religion which supported that immoral practice – slavery. Another instance in which Mark Twain criticized religion is when Huck essentially rejects Miss Watson’s belief system. But instead of putting a different set of beliefs in place, he relies on an ethical system that does not derive from any kind of religion at all. Twain is mocking religion here by saying that a specific set of beliefs is not necessary in order to

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