Huck Finn Hypocrisy Essay
In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain utilizes the motif of hypocrisy in “civilized,” society to remind readers of its everlasting prevalence. As the novel progresses, Twain divulges into the topic with a satirical undertone. Aside from the obviously hypocritical nature of slavery, the custody case is the first intentional bit of societal hypocrisy. A new judge, having no background knowledge of Pap’s abusive and alcoholic tendencies, decides that Huck belongs under the custody of Pap purely because of the familial bond. Despite his position as a judge, he is not impartial. The new judge’s views cloud his judgement, as any impartial judge would have immediately seen that staying with Pap was not what was best for the child. The hypocrisy here is evident, as the judge
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chooses to hold his own views on a pedestal, which directly goes against his Constitutional duties. This decision backfires on the judge shortly after it is made, as Huck is kidnapped and taken to a cabin in the woods by Pap. The motif makes a reappearance shortly after these events, when Huck resides with the Grangerford clan. The Grangerfords are described as being a very wealthy family with high standing in society, living in an extravagant home and each member of the family owning a personal slave. However, they are the most uncivilized people Huck comes across in the novel. The family has a decades old feud that consumes them, without a legitimate reason for it doing so. Despite having this social high standing, they actively take part in shootouts with their neighbors, the Sheperdsons. In the end, the two families meet in a heated dispute that ultimately leads to a massacre, wiping out both clans entirely.
Huck watches this as it occurs, horrified. With this particular situation, Huck sees that even those society views as being the ‘most’ civilized, may actually be the opposite. He leaves his time with the Grangerfords changed. He goes through the rest of the novel with the knowledge of how hypocritical society can be, and it helps him rationalize his decision to aid Jim’s escape. Finally, at the tailend of the novel, Huck sees the greatest hypocrisy of them all through Tom. Despite Tom flat out stating that he only used Jim to find a sense of adventure, he turns around the next second and acts as though he has only ever been supportive of Jim as a freeman. The hypocrisy is shown in his decision to keep the information that Jim had been freed in Miss Watson’s will to himself, rather than sharing it with Huck and Jim when he reunited with them. Throughout The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain satirizes the hypocritical nature of society in the hopes that readers will empathize with the conditions experienced in the pre-Civil War era and apply it to their own
lives.
chooses to hold his own views on a pedestal, which directly goes against his Constitutional duties. This decision backfires on the judge shortly after it is made, as Huck is kidnapped and taken to a cabin in the woods by Pap. The motif makes a reappearance shortly after these events, when Huck resides with the Grangerford clan. The Grangerfords are described as being a very wealthy family with high standing in society, living in an extravagant home and each member of the family owning a personal slave. However, they are the most uncivilized people Huck comes across in the novel. The family has a decades old feud that consumes them, without a legitimate reason for it doing so. Despite having this social high standing, they actively take part in shootouts with their neighbors, the Sheperdsons. In the end, the two families meet in a heated dispute that ultimately leads to a massacre, wiping out both clans entirely.
Huck watches this as it occurs, horrified. With this particular situation, Huck sees that even those society views as being the ‘most’ civilized, may actually be the opposite. He leaves his time with the Grangerfords changed. He goes through the rest of the novel with the knowledge of how hypocritical society can be, and it helps him rationalize his decision to aid Jim’s escape. Finally, at the tailend of the novel, Huck sees the greatest hypocrisy of them all through Tom. Despite Tom flat out stating that he only used Jim to find a sense of adventure, he turns around the next second and acts as though he has only ever been supportive of Jim as a freeman. The hypocrisy is shown in his decision to keep the information that Jim had been freed in Miss Watson’s will to himself, rather than sharing it with Huck and Jim when he reunited with them. Throughout The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain satirizes the hypocritical nature of society in the hopes that readers will empathize with the conditions experienced in the pre-Civil War era and apply it to their own
lives.