Huckleberry Finn Naturalism Analysis

Generally speaking, Twain represents realism through the lifestyles of Huck, the Grangerfords and the Shepherdsons, and the townspeople, and shows how all the characters are flawed. To begin with, Huck’s lifestyle is difficult and flawed, and this is shown in the very beginning when the Widow Douglas takes him in. Huck says, “...she took me for her own son, and allowed she would sivilize me; but it was rough living in the house all the time…”(1). Huck establishes his opposition of “sivilization” and does not enjoy living with Widow Douglas, so he decides to choose freedom and leave. Huck realizes that life is not ordinary and boring, and nothing is perfect in the world. As the story progresses, Huck meets the Grangerfords and they treat him with the utmost hospitality. …show more content…
Even though the Grangerfords appeared as a pleasant and respectable family, deep down they are in a world of fear and hate for the Shepherdsons. This feud that has been going on for many years shows that neither of the families are perfect, and this depiction of their perfect lifestyle falls under the realism category, because neither families are really perfect. Consequently, Twain also uses the townspeople to exhibit the realistic quality that no one is perfect. Ironically, Jim exposes the king and the duke as frauds and when Huck and Tom reach town, they realize it’s too late, “...the kind and the duke, though they was all over tar and feathers...just looked like a couple of monstrous big soldier-plumes.”