People must bring to attention the flaws of a society if the society is faulty.
They can do this in several ways such as protesting and meeting together to voice their concerns. Another common way to bring notice to these flaws is through literature. One of the authors that has used literature in this way is Mark Twain. He wrote The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to criticize the romanticism that he saw in his own society in the South. In this particular work, Mark Twain uses the characters of Tom Sawyer, the new judge, and Huckleberry Finn to criticize this romanticism through their actions and beliefs. The first notable character that Mark Twain uses is Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn’s childhood friend. Tom Sawyer lives his life according …show more content…
After dismissing the court case to get Huckleberry Finn away from his father, the new judge decides to take in Huckleberry’s father and change him. The new judge talks to him about temperance and Huckleberry’s father admits his mistake and faults stating that he is a new man. The judge responds, “There’s a hand that was a hog; but it ain’t so no more; it’s the hand of a man that’s started in on a new life, and I’ll die before he’ll go back” (Twain 20). The new judge believes whole heartedly that Huckleberry Finn’s father is a new, changed man that will never go back to his old ways. Twain shows how romanticism makes people believe that one speech can reverse a lifetime of mistakes. He criticizes that romanticism can create false hope by blinding people of the truth. This blindness will then have to be made clear when reality sets back in and reverts people to their old ways as seen with Huckleberry’s …show more content…
He is one character that is centered more on realism, but still has traces of romanticism in his actions. Instead of having grand ideas like Tom Sawyer and the new judge, Huckleberry Finn has mostly realistic ideas that fit the given situation. When Huckleberry Finn knows that his father is after his money, he decides to give the money to Judge Thatcher saying, “I want you to take it; I want to give it to you- the six thousand and all…Don’t you ask me no questions about it, please” (Twain 15). Huckleberry Finn gives his money to the Judge knowing that his father will not be able to access it. By giving his money away, Twain shows how Huckleberry Finn solves this issue in a realistic manner instead of a romantic manner. He solves his problem in a plausible way showing his realism rather than hiding his money in a grand way such as in a treasure chest like the romantic character, Tom Sawyer, might have done. Though when Huckleberry Finn shows how superstitious he is of bad luck after killing a spider, Twain shows that he has traces of romanticism. Huckleberry Finn “…got up and turned around in [his] tracks three times and crossed [his breast] every time; and then [he] tied up a little lock of [his] hair with a tread to keep the witches away” (Twain 3). By trying to rid himself of the bad luck that he believes he has after killing the spider shows that Huckleberry Finn has some
They can do this in several ways such as protesting and meeting together to voice their concerns. Another common way to bring notice to these flaws is through literature. One of the authors that has used literature in this way is Mark Twain. He wrote The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to criticize the romanticism that he saw in his own society in the South. In this particular work, Mark Twain uses the characters of Tom Sawyer, the new judge, and Huckleberry Finn to criticize this romanticism through their actions and beliefs. The first notable character that Mark Twain uses is Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn’s childhood friend. Tom Sawyer lives his life according …show more content…
After dismissing the court case to get Huckleberry Finn away from his father, the new judge decides to take in Huckleberry’s father and change him. The new judge talks to him about temperance and Huckleberry’s father admits his mistake and faults stating that he is a new man. The judge responds, “There’s a hand that was a hog; but it ain’t so no more; it’s the hand of a man that’s started in on a new life, and I’ll die before he’ll go back” (Twain 20). The new judge believes whole heartedly that Huckleberry Finn’s father is a new, changed man that will never go back to his old ways. Twain shows how romanticism makes people believe that one speech can reverse a lifetime of mistakes. He criticizes that romanticism can create false hope by blinding people of the truth. This blindness will then have to be made clear when reality sets back in and reverts people to their old ways as seen with Huckleberry’s …show more content…
He is one character that is centered more on realism, but still has traces of romanticism in his actions. Instead of having grand ideas like Tom Sawyer and the new judge, Huckleberry Finn has mostly realistic ideas that fit the given situation. When Huckleberry Finn knows that his father is after his money, he decides to give the money to Judge Thatcher saying, “I want you to take it; I want to give it to you- the six thousand and all…Don’t you ask me no questions about it, please” (Twain 15). Huckleberry Finn gives his money to the Judge knowing that his father will not be able to access it. By giving his money away, Twain shows how Huckleberry Finn solves this issue in a realistic manner instead of a romantic manner. He solves his problem in a plausible way showing his realism rather than hiding his money in a grand way such as in a treasure chest like the romantic character, Tom Sawyer, might have done. Though when Huckleberry Finn shows how superstitious he is of bad luck after killing a spider, Twain shows that he has traces of romanticism. Huckleberry Finn “…got up and turned around in [his] tracks three times and crossed [his breast] every time; and then [he] tied up a little lock of [his] hair with a tread to keep the witches away” (Twain 3). By trying to rid himself of the bad luck that he believes he has after killing the spider shows that Huckleberry Finn has some