“All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain, called Huckleberry Finn”(qtd. in Tindall 808), said Ernest Hemingway, putting Samuel Clemen, known as Mark Twain, as the “origin” of American literature. Emerged during the post Civil War Era, Twain experienced the rapid change of American economic, political and social lives. His writings are famous with his unique southwestern humor involved, as well as the lively depiction of the live in America at this time. Brought up in Missouri, Twain started working at the age of 12 after the death of his father the year before (Pettinger 1). As time went by, Twain noticed himself turning more and more radical. Serving as the vice president of the American Anti-Imperialist League in
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However, some argue that he was actually a believer, for he once said, “The one that I want to keep out of the reach of, is the caricature of him which one finds in the Bible”(qtd. in Rapsas 2). This seems to be a strong argument, leading to the conclusion that he is a religious person, only that he does not believe in the Bible; yet, he did not have faith in a “benevolent God of Christianity”(KGB 1) either, which could be clearly seen when he proclaimed that “If there is a God, he is a malign thug”(qtd in Rapsas 2). No matter if Twain believed in a God or not, he was hostile to Christianity for various reasons. If Twain had completely no faith in a good God, at the age of 11, the death of Twain’s father might have contributed to this disbelief. Just like today, the death of a beloved person can cause a destruction to people’s faith. His working experience had shaped his personality as well; working full time at the age of 12 under a horrible environmental condition is certainly unacceptable (Tindall 807). His fight for an income in order to support his own life had convinced him that if there was a loving God, He would not let this happen. Still, all these are based on the assumption that he does not believe in God at all. On the other hand, it is possible that he did have faith in a God, although not necessarily a Christian …show more content…
Huckleberry Finn, who did not essentially oppose Christianity, was more likely confused by it. As a kid raised in a Christianity-dominated environment, Huck continued to struggle with the coexistence of Christianity and slavery. He did not understand why people claimed to love every neighbor of theirs yet still held slaves, who were hardly regarded as human. Thus, he reasoned, Christianity was nothing more than a “holy sentiment” without any actual fruit. If had acted according to the Bible, which they indirectly did through the abolition of slavery, their society could have been a much healthier one. Furthermore, when Huck was hosted by the Grangerfords, he experienced the fight between the family and the Shepherdsons. The conflict between these two families only resulted in bloody casualties, all caused by their “noble” unforgiving sense. If they did not hold that intense hatred towards each other, wouldn’t the situation be much better? The Bible teaches men to forgive one another, love our neighbors, and by common sense this type of fighting does not solve a single problem; it creates more
However, some argue that he was actually a believer, for he once said, “The one that I want to keep out of the reach of, is the caricature of him which one finds in the Bible”(qtd. in Rapsas 2). This seems to be a strong argument, leading to the conclusion that he is a religious person, only that he does not believe in the Bible; yet, he did not have faith in a “benevolent God of Christianity”(KGB 1) either, which could be clearly seen when he proclaimed that “If there is a God, he is a malign thug”(qtd in Rapsas 2). No matter if Twain believed in a God or not, he was hostile to Christianity for various reasons. If Twain had completely no faith in a good God, at the age of 11, the death of Twain’s father might have contributed to this disbelief. Just like today, the death of a beloved person can cause a destruction to people’s faith. His working experience had shaped his personality as well; working full time at the age of 12 under a horrible environmental condition is certainly unacceptable (Tindall 807). His fight for an income in order to support his own life had convinced him that if there was a loving God, He would not let this happen. Still, all these are based on the assumption that he does not believe in God at all. On the other hand, it is possible that he did have faith in a God, although not necessarily a Christian …show more content…
Huckleberry Finn, who did not essentially oppose Christianity, was more likely confused by it. As a kid raised in a Christianity-dominated environment, Huck continued to struggle with the coexistence of Christianity and slavery. He did not understand why people claimed to love every neighbor of theirs yet still held slaves, who were hardly regarded as human. Thus, he reasoned, Christianity was nothing more than a “holy sentiment” without any actual fruit. If had acted according to the Bible, which they indirectly did through the abolition of slavery, their society could have been a much healthier one. Furthermore, when Huck was hosted by the Grangerfords, he experienced the fight between the family and the Shepherdsons. The conflict between these two families only resulted in bloody casualties, all caused by their “noble” unforgiving sense. If they did not hold that intense hatred towards each other, wouldn’t the situation be much better? The Bible teaches men to forgive one another, love our neighbors, and by common sense this type of fighting does not solve a single problem; it creates more