Examples Of Hypocrisy In Huckleberry Finn

Hypocrisy at its Finest It’s the mid-1800s, slavery is still a common practice, and hypocrisy is at its height. Whether it be social, racial, or religious we increasingly see the deterioration of morals. This is the context in which Mark Twain uses satire to reveal the hypocrisy of civilization, most notably in the South. The most prominent examples include the kindhearted Grangerfords and Phelps families, the adventurous Tom Sawyer, and the drunken Pap. Beginning with the Grangerfords and the Phelps, Twain mocks the racial and religious hypocrisy of society. Through Tom Sawyer, Twain criticizes the hypocritical nature of those with ‘intellectual’ education. Finally, by demonstrating the actions of Huck’s father, Pap, and the new judge, Twain ridicules the irrationality of society’s rules. Throughout the …show more content…
Twain uses the Grangerfords to satirize the religious hypocrisy of society. The family is welcoming and friendly, offering Huck a home and family as long as he is not one of the Shepherdson’s, the rival family whom they are involved in a bloody conflict with. At one point, the family takes Huck along with them to church, where they take “their guns along,” while listening to a sermon about “brotherly love,” (pg 112). What is hypocritical is that their values of religion do not correlate with their practices whatsoever, yet it does not register with the family. These somewhat devout Christians are also restless killers, adding to the moral confusion. Like other people that Huck meets, the Grangerfords are a mix of contradictions; while they treat Huck like family, they are unforgiving towards the Shepherdson’s. Thus, Twain is criticizing the contradictory nature of religious people in society. While Twain uses the Grangerfords as the religious