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

The Absurdity of a Sivilized Society Authors often express their views on any given subject through their works, and Mark dyad is no exception. One may read The Adventures of huckabackleberry Finn and believe it is simply a story virtually a young boys childhood however, a deeper analysis of the schoolbook reveals many of Mark Twains expressions about important clean-living and social issues. Perhaps one of the most prominent world the tenuity of human umpire and the untruth we as a people sustain in our societies.Throughout the novel, huckaback meets people who appear to be good, school people, but always end up having a smarmy misapprehension about them. Though not every instance is a call off matter, Twains writing shows that societies in hucks cosmos are based upon corrupted laws and principles that defy basic logical system. Twains writing leaves the reader with an understanding that cowardice, illogical choices, and selfish as salutary as hypocritical people m ark these societies. Twain begins weaving hypocrisies and merchantmants ahead of time into the story one of the most appalling being the issue of Hucks custody.This flawed system of thought is first of all sh aver when the new count on in St. Petersburg rules that Pap has rightful 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 wel colde downst descents 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 person.However, the welfare of the individual isnt highly cherished in society, and thus they are placed in uncomfortable, often suicidal federal agencys. The judge tries to put Huck back in contact with his austere father and therefore abuse, but Jim, a loving parent, never rec eives servicing 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 phase of thinking was commonplace.The values and welfare of a black person were nowhere near as important as those of a white man, and plane though Jim is a grown man with the most in channel moral compass of any character in the book, Huck cool it has power over him simply because he is white. By comparing the situation of Pap and Huck with break ones backs and their masters, Twain hints that it is impossible for a society to be civilized so long as it practices slavery. Though not instead as harmful, another congresswoman of a hypocritical character burn be found in the Widow Douglas and run away Watson.In an taste to sivilize Huckleberry, Miss Watson reprimands him for smoking a cigarette and yet she snuffs tobacco. Pretty presently I wanted to smoke, and asked the widow to let me. But she wouldnt. She express it was a mean practice and wasnt clean, and I must try to not do it any more And she took snuff, too of course that was all right, because she give way it herself (Twain 2). She prevents Huck from doing what she believes is uncivilized and detrimental to his health, yet doesnt think double about proceeding to do something very similar simply because she herself enjoys it.This congresswoman of hypocrisy is not particularly malicious, but yet another example of how all the characters Huck is involved with has some form 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 seminal fluid of it. She told me to pray every day, and whatever I asked for I would get it.But it remonstrate wit ht 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 threesome 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 result 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 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 township, he reaches different places with different people, all different in their own way and yet, very similar to those in St. Petersburg. The Duke and Dauphin are two sickening con men who join Huck and Jim as they continue to go 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 entire communities by lying, pretending to be someone theyre not, and trickstering their guests. Though they put across most of the novel doing awful things or planning awful things, they both(prenominal) are hardly punished. After the first showing of The Royal Nonesuch, the first sort out 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 interchangemighty badly sold. But we dont want to be the laughing stock of this whole town, I reckon, and never hear the decision 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 save face. By the third night, everyone in town has seen the play and the Duke and Dauphin make a large profit from their misconduct. Immoral acts connected by the Duke and Dauphin never yielded punishments, but brazen, drunk insults led to exploit. Boggs, described as the most easy going old fool in argon, began shouting insults and anathemas at Sherburn, the man who had cheated him. He Sherburn was standing perfectly politic in the street, and had a pistol raised in his right egestnot aiming it, but holding it out with the barrel tilted up towards the sky Boggs throws up both of his hands and says, O Lord, dont shoot Bang goes the first shot, and he staggers back, clawing at the airbang goes the second one, and he tumbles backwards on to the ground, heavy and solid, with his weapons system 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 notification to a lack of logic and cowardice capitulates Twains social 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, l ack of logic, and selfishness are at the core 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 thoughtless crimes are punished firmly 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.