Mark Twain as a Master of Irony and Satire

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Satire in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Irony in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Frauds in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Hoaxes and Pranks in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Conclusion
References

Introduction

The adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a controversial 19th-century humorous novel. Twain is the leading humorist whom the United States has produced in any century (Dudden, 1987, p. 38). Twain uses a variety of techniques to create a humorous atmosphere, which nevertheless hides a violent social satire. As with other works, in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the author uses hoaxes and frauds to create a comic effect, but in this novel, he also portrays satire and irony to a greater extent. Thus, in the novel, these humorous elements are added to criticize society and depict the general theme of the deceiver and the deceived.

Satire in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Satire is a common technique Twain uses in The adventures of Huckleberry Finn. notes that he was acutely aware of the equivocal social position of the humorist and its effect upon his humor (Sklar, 1970, p. 115). In the novel, Twain succeeded in expanding the scope of American humor to the whole society satire and not only using it as a way of portraying class division (Sklar, 1970). In particular, through satire, the author expresses his skeptical attitude towards humanity and its inhuman nature (as cited in Nafi & Daghamin, 2019). Thus, Twain uses a humorous mask to portray reality and simultaneously convey his attitude towards it.

The clearest examples of satire can be found in the book regarding religion and the hypocrisy that it implies. Thus, an episode of a dispute between Shepherdsons and the Grangerfords exposes Twains attitude to this aspect of society. The author notes that on Sunday, everyone went to church, but the man took their guns along& The Shepherdsons did the same (Twain, 1987, p. 139). Praying and going to church is a kind of social obligation that exists only for the external image. People discuss brotherhood and kindness, but during a dispute, they are ready to kill each other, for which they walk with weapons. Twain says that it was pretty ornery preaching all about brotherly love, and such-like tiresomeness (Twain, 1987, p. 139). Thus, he once again emphasizes his disdain for this ritual, which in reality has no value. Twain illustrates through satire that society has lost its moral guidelines, and for the most part, they exist as useless conventions.

Another telling example of satire can be found in the first chapter of the novel when Huck mocks Miss Watson for using slavery. He says that they fetched the niggers in and had prayers, and then everybody was off to bed (Twain, 1987, p. 4). Twain emphasizes that Miss Watson strives to appear a good person by praying and believing in God, but she still practices slavery and maintains slaves in poor conditions. Thus, the author again uses satire to criticize religion, as well as in a broader sense to criticize the behavior of society. He sarcastically notes that people tend to look god-fearing and kind, when in fact, they are two-faced and hypocritical. Twain shows that this is a universal trait that is common in society and is not exclusively a characteristic of individuals.

Twain addresses the topic of slavery numerous times in his novel, for which he has often been criticized. Lester (1984) notes that the author draws a parallel between Huck, who was physically captive by his own father, and Jim, who was in actual slavery. Moreover, the author emphasizes that Jim is portrayed as a stereotypical Black who is oppressed by Whites. Lester (1984) concludes that Twain assaulted Black people and does not recognize slavery as a serious problem. However, it is possible that Twain portrays the whole story with Jim, his journey into the slavery country, and his subsequent sale into slavery as a satire on the attitude of Whites to Blacks. Probably Jim, as a gullible, silent, and loyal companion, exists in history to create a satirical motive for the entire theme of slavery. However, Jim also comes to serve an important purpose for Huck (Traber, 2000, p. 29). Through the image of Huck, Twain illustrates that a person can escape social conventions and his alliance with a fugitive slave is confirmation. Perhaps Twain, through satire and derision of social norms, illustrates the kind of social equality which can overcome racial and class differences.

Thus, religion and slavery are the main objects of the authors satirical attitude. Twain primarily uses Huck as a character capable of moral improvisation. He has to choose between saving Jim, which involves going to hell, or denouncing him, which allows him to remain a good Christian. Notably, in chapter twenty-four, it is the belief in Providence that helps Huck break social and religious norms. This aspect is the climax of the paradox and satire of the novel since Huck commits a good deed that is condemned in society. However, both Huck and society are guided by the same thing religion. Twain exposes the hypocrisy of people who determine the social norm according to their own convenience and benefit, considering truly moral actions against the norm.

Irony in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

In contrast to satire, which is evident in derision, irony is a more complex technique that Twain uses throughout the book and reveals only at the very end. Kaufmann (1987) notes that in chapter thirty-one Twain in effect forces the reader to trade places with Huck, to become the satiric protagonist (p. 73). The greatest irony of the work is that the protagonist is a liar, and the whole story is a satirical deception. Hucks dramatic dilemma at the end, when he needs to make a moral decision, is the main lie that Twain presents to the reader.

It may seem that the main conflict of the novel lies precisely in the transformation of Hucks thinking and his departure from the framework of social conventions. Indeed, Huck says in chapter ten: 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, 1987, p. 65). This example shows that at the beginning of the book Huck is an adherent of stereotypes accepted in society and is sure that Blacks are fundamentally different from Whites. Towards the end of the book, he still believes in God and his punishment but oversteps his convictions to save Jim. However, everything is a lie, which Twain himself hints at the beginning of the book, indicating: I never seen anybody but lied (Twain, 1987, p. 1). Thus, the irony of the book lies in the illusory perception and unreliability of Huck as a narrator.

Twain presents the reader with a moral dilemma that Huck himself is not in. When Huck decides what to do, he already knows that Jim is free. Thus, he is deceiving himself, but he is also aware of this fact (Marks, 1982). Therefore, the climax of the story in the form of a moral dilemma is absurd because it does not exist, and this is the central irony. The reader initially experiences emotional joy at Hucks decision, but then, during the twelve-chapter protracted end of the book, he or she realizes that he has been deceived. Barksdale (1984) suggests that the main irony of the novel is that two boys of different races needed to escape civilization in order to become friends and gain racial and class equality. However, Twain offers to look at it differently, portraying transformation as a lie, which suggests his skepticism about possible change. Irony helps Twain to emphasize to a greater extent the depth of the moral imperfection of society, which is deeply rooted in the minds of people.

Frauds in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Since the irony of the novel lies in deception, the plot contains many episodes of fraud, which also represent the humorous character of the book. The King and the Duke are the most prominent examples of fraud depicted by Twain. The author shows how their scams illustrate the victims willingness to be deceived and the fraudsters to deceive in their interaction. Huck and the King, on their way to Cincinnati, met a young man who told them about the death of Peter Wilks. Huck notes that the King went on asking questions till he just fairly emptied that young fellow (Twain, 1987, p. 205). The King and the Duke pretend to be Wilks brothers who are so confident, despite the fact that they only know about the brothers from the words of a young man.

Huck is fine with this state of affairs since the King and the Duke do not cause problems, despite the fact that soon all their deceptions are revealed. Huck knows from the start that the couple is a fraud and notes: It didnt take me long to make up my mind that these liars warnt no kings nor dukes at all (Twain, 1987, p. 159). They will soon become the reason for Jims sale into slavery and Hucks moral dilemma. However, deceivers and frauds are an integral part of the novel, as they add comic effect and illustrate Twains satirical attitude towards society as gullible and careless.

Hoaxes and Pranks in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Twain uses several hoaxes throughout the story, which makes a comic effect. For example, Huck tries to convince Jim that he was on the raft with him the whole time. He says: I havent seen no fog, nor no islands, nor no troubles, nor nothing. I been setting here talking with you all night till you went to sleep about ten minutes ago, and I reckon I done the same (Twain, 1987, p. 107). However, Jim didnt believe Huck and his trick made him upset. Huck felt guilty and later said, I didnt do him no more mean tricks, and I wouldnt do that one if Id a knew it would make him feel that way (Twain, 1987, p. 108). Hoax, in this case, is unusual, as Twain punishes Huck, who wanted to trick Jim. Probably, this outcome is an indicator of the friendship between Jim and Huck, which is what the author wanted to show. Additionally, Twain stresses that Jim cannot be tricked by Huck since they are outside of society.

Conclusion

Mark Twain is adept at using comic elements to create satire and irony. However, even the images of fraud and hoaxes imply a general theme of constant deception, forming Twains Trickster humor (Bercovitch, 1999, p. 25). The irony of the book lies in deceiving the reader since the main character is a liar. Additionally, Twain criticizes society for how trusting and sometimes overly gullible it is. Humorous techniques turn the book and the events described in it into absurdity, through which the author discusses serious topics. However, it also seems to him that change in such a society is impossible since it is filled with fools.

References

Barksdale, R. K. (1984). History, slavery, and thematic irony in Huckleberry Finn. Mark Twain Journal, 22(2), 17-20. Web.

Berkovitch, S. (1999). Whats funny about Huckleberry Finn. New England Review, 20(10), 8-28. Web.

Dubben, A.P. (1987). American Humor. Oxford University Press.

Kaufmann, D. (1987). Satiric deceit in the ending of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Studies in the Novel, 19(1), 66-78. Web.

Lester, J. (1984). Morality and adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Mark Twain Journal, 22(2), 43-46. Web.

Marks, B. A. (1982). The making of a humorist: The narrative strategy of Huckleberry Finn. The Journal of Narrative Technique, 12(2), 139-145. Web.

Nafi, J., & Daghamin, R. (2019). Twains handling of humor and satire in his novel The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn. Journal of English Language and Literature, 7(5), 33-47. Web.

Sklar, R. (1970). Humor in America. The New Zeland Journal of History, 4(2), 107-119. Web.

Traber, D. S. (2000). Hegemony and the politics of Twains protagonist/narrator division in Huckleberry Finn. South Central Review, 17(2), 24-46. Web.

Twain, M. (1987). The adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Scholastic.

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