The Deeper Meanings Behind Huck Finn

Huck Finn Book Review  

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In the novel The Adventures of Huck Finn by Mark Twain, Huck Finn who is a young boy encounters many different situations that represent flaws in society. For example, when Huck Finn was experiencing guilty feelings for freeing Jim who was a slave, Twain reveals the attitudes that people during that time had regarding slavery and African Americans. Huck did the right thing, yet he feels bad for what he did because society tells him that it is wrong. Additionally, when Huck met the duke and the king who tricked people to get money, Twain reveals the gullibility of the society when the audience believed in their act. Twain also comments on the gullibility of specifically the adults which is demonstrated when Huck is able to quickly realize that the “king” and the “duke” were not actually kings or dukes and that they were lying while the adults in the story, such as Jim and the churchgoers during their performance actually believed in their hoax. In addition, Twain also reveals the concept of people following one another blindly which is demonstrated during the mob scene when a crowd of people gathered up at Sherburn because they wanted him to be killed. Twain illustrates how people are afraid to not follow others due to the fear of being shunned by them or being considered a coward which reveals yet another flaw in society.
Overall, I actually really enjoyed reading the novel by Mark Twain and I think it is really interesting that it was written during the time that it was because it comments on controversial issues that were very prominent in the 1880s and onwards. I also think that it is not a book that should be banned by high schools, but instead taught to students because of the important messages about the society that Twain uses satire to express.

Comments

  1. Arianna CreechJanuary 14, 2019 at 12:07 PM

    I also liked the book! I agree that the book shouldn't be banned as it may seem as racist with a quick glance but with further examination we see it is quite the opposite. I like how you pointed out the satire use throughout the book.

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  2. Grace BrightJanuary 14, 2019 at 7:23 PM

    Your analysis was very well done, and very thorough! I too agree that the book should not be banned, as on the surface it may appear to 'teach' racism, but when read it can be determined that it actually 'teaches' how unacceptable racism is in society. I also really like how you took the surface level details and analyzed it for deeper meaning in Huck's life!

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  3. Nidhi ParagiJanuary 15, 2019 at 2:30 PM

    I agree with what you said about people just following others without thinking. Its similar to The Crucible where they would do what was said or believe what was told even if it was true or not. I also liked how to discussed the hidden satire that was "prominent" throughout the novel.

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