When people refer to fiction we typically envision works of dystopian society, like 1984 or Animal Farm. But there are other, less harsh ways that works of fiction can change history. These include powerful criticsm of the American dream, such as The Great Gatsby or Death of a Salesman, or metaphorical explorations of the connections between past and present, like The Crucible, the McCarthy-era examination of the Salem witch hunt. Huckleberry Finn is all these and more. It is a picaresque tale of adventure, a coming of age story, and a novel of escape and liberation (from slavery and an abusive family life). It is also a travelogue, a work of comic satire, sarcasm, and social mockery, and an impassioned critique of progress, civilization, and
