The Adventures Of Huckleberry :: essays research papers

The Satire of Slavery   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  'There it is: it doesn't make any difference who we are or what we are, there's always somebody to look down on! Somebody to hold in light esteem, somebody to be indifferent about.'; Mark Twain (1835–1910), U.S. author. 'Three Thousand Years Among the Microbes,'; ch. 15 (written 1905; published in Which Was the Dream? ed. by John S. Tuckey, 1967). This quote says that people will always feel superior to some one different. The reason for this is that it makes people feel important and better about themselves. Slavery derived from this belief in superiority. Mark Twain, author of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn uses satire as a literary technique to present his ideals on slavery within his period of time. Satire is a method of taking a serious issue and representing it in a humorous way. The Author uses Huck's relationship with Jim, societies attitude towards Jim during their travel up the Mississippi River, and the use of racist terminology throughout the novel. Mark Twain's use of satire in the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn enables the reader to better understand his message of slavery.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First, Huck's relationship with Jim shows the authors views on slavery. Huck was taught at home and in school that slavery was a part of the natural order. He never found anything wrong with the way slaves were treated. In the beginning of Huck and Jim's journey Huck treats Jim in a prejudice manor (according to our standards) in the way that Jim is different from him. 'When we was ready to shove off we was a quarter of a mile below the island, and it was pretty broad day; so I made Jim Lay down in the canoe and cover up with a quilt, because if he set up people could tell he was a nigger a good ways off'; (Twain 58). This shows that Huck incorrectly assumes that people can spot a black person from far away. At this point he still holds the belief that blacks are different from whites. Through their travels up the river Huck begins to realize how good of a friend Jim is and that Jim is not inferior to Him. After the event with the King and the Duke with the Wilks, Huck is glad to see Jim 'Of course when they got to snoring we had a long gabble, and I told Jim everything'; (Twain 188).