Racism is not a foreign concept to American society; African Americans specifically have endured centuries of this discrimination and have been treated subhumanly, simply because of the pigment of their skin. In Mark Twain’s satirical novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, racism is a target for satire that is depicted through white supremacist characters and their attitudes towards their African American slaves. Twain evokes an impetus for change of these notions by satirizing the normalcy of racism that is apparent in American society through the use of satirical strategies such as invective, diminution, and dramatic irony.
Invective language is profusely exhibited in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in efforts to exemplify the absurd …show more content…
During the climax of the novel in chapter thirty-one, Huck has an internal conflict regarding whether or not to help free Jim who will soon be sold into slavery. The overly-religious and white-dominated society that Huck has grown up in has implanted a notion in his mind that equalizing an African American man’s worth to a white man’s is unethical, and so unethical, that it will result in Huck going to hell. Huck, one who is not initially very spiritual, decides to pray that he will do the “moral” thing and turn Jim in, but finds himself unable to do so because he knows he is lying to himself. So when Huck decides to go help Jim with the genuine expectation that he will go to hell, it portrays a reckoning of morality, courage, and character growth in Huck that he is unaware of. His decision reflects his humane and mature mindset that equates Jim’s value to his, contrasting that of everyone around him. By depicting this internal conflict, Twain employs dramatic irony because he proves that Huck is doing the righteous thing while unconsciously rejecting the notions he was made to believe. Twain fiercely advocates a change in society’s “moral” values to fit those that are actually ethical. This censures and exposes the ideology of a supremacist society that genuinely believes that racism is a standard and essential part of life, sparking an urge for
Invective language is profusely exhibited in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in efforts to exemplify the absurd …show more content…
During the climax of the novel in chapter thirty-one, Huck has an internal conflict regarding whether or not to help free Jim who will soon be sold into slavery. The overly-religious and white-dominated society that Huck has grown up in has implanted a notion in his mind that equalizing an African American man’s worth to a white man’s is unethical, and so unethical, that it will result in Huck going to hell. Huck, one who is not initially very spiritual, decides to pray that he will do the “moral” thing and turn Jim in, but finds himself unable to do so because he knows he is lying to himself. So when Huck decides to go help Jim with the genuine expectation that he will go to hell, it portrays a reckoning of morality, courage, and character growth in Huck that he is unaware of. His decision reflects his humane and mature mindset that equates Jim’s value to his, contrasting that of everyone around him. By depicting this internal conflict, Twain employs dramatic irony because he proves that Huck is doing the righteous thing while unconsciously rejecting the notions he was made to believe. Twain fiercely advocates a change in society’s “moral” values to fit those that are actually ethical. This censures and exposes the ideology of a supremacist society that genuinely believes that racism is a standard and essential part of life, sparking an urge for