Good luck!
Mrs. L
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Huck Finn Blog #2
Mark Twain was considered a social satirist. Do a little research and find out what that means. When you do figure it out, write a blog entry on what you think that Twain was satirizing in this novel. You should be able to bring out at least three to four things... I'll be counting!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
7 comments:
A great example of Satirism is the fact that Huck is friends with Jim, a slave, and helps him run away even though it wasn't the thing to do during that time. Twain wrote this to show how wrong slavery was. Also, twain wrote about the abuse Huck got from his father proving that your biological parents aren't always the best people to raise you. Huck does get away from his father but has to fake his own death to make sure that he wouldn't end up with his father again. One last form of satirism in the book is about how Huck and his friends know way more then any 10 year olds should. They talk about killing and robbing people for fun, which no human should do. Twain portrays them as being young but is also showing parents that what they do is seen by their children and being copied and that they should be more conscience of how they act around their kids.
Well, satire-like novels, like animal farm and 1984 poke fun at political or social aspects of a certain time period. Twain is obviously not a supporter of slavery, but not neccessarily a physical abolitionist, rather he resorted to using literature to spread his message. The book jokes at the idea of slavery since Jim and Huck talk about equality and Huck thinks that all God's animals are different and live in a social hierarchy, while Jim (ironically enough) is so unintelligent that he does not realize the way society works. He believes all men are equal, and although this is a high hope, he talks with Huck about the French men and asks why if they are equal they cannot speak the same language. Whereas Huck tries to relay the idea that different animals, although they are all animals, cannot communicate.
Another social commentary that Twain pokes fun at is the idea of geography in the story. Despite the story takes place in a rural area of limited cultural developement, the people seem to be overly similar to European society. The widow tried to turn uck into a young gentleman who can act like an adult. This was most likely not how the majority of society in the South actually was for young people, however many of the adults try to replicate a European gentry feel. Adding to this is the "Dauphin" who claims ot be a decendent of French royalty and puts on plays of Shakespeare. Even though everyone seems to be interested in the European plays, the actor is horrible and mixes up lines but no one seems to notice. Therefore Twain is sayin society is blind and arrogant yet naive and ignorant at the same time.
Nick P
An example of social satirism is how Huck helps to free Jim from his owner, but after awhile starts to feel guilty about what he's done. His priorites in this situation are that, he took Jim away from a nice man who has never done anything to him for him to deserve for his slave to be taken away. He doesn't realize what he got himself into, until he see's two men at the top of the river who ask him if he was with a slave. Huck could of easily said yes and he would of been rid of Jim and as he thinks at that time would not have any guilt. However, Huck doesn't say that he is with Jim, but makes up a story of how his Pap has a disease and the men decide they don't want to get it. He then realizes that either way he will feel guilty, so he shouldn't think of it anymore. Twain is showing how he doesnt agree with slavery, but at the time it wasn't easy to follow your feelings. Also, in the beginning of the novel Huck says he doesnt believe in the religion that Miss. Watson does and he thinks it is stupid. Yet, he kind of has his own religion by his supersticion thoughts and how he goes in the woods and goes through all of his thoughts. Twain is satiring that he doesn't follow a formal religion, but everyone has a way in which they try to figure out everyday life. Lastly, Huck doesn't like to go to school or listen to Miss. Watson, yet when his father comes and threatens him not to go to school, he wants to out of spite. This shows how parents are not always the best role models for their children, but also children have their own veiws when they reach a certain age and they don't always think like their parents.
Satirism involves the use of sarcasm and irony within a book. In Huckleberry Finn, Twain satirizes religion, Southern society, and slavery. He satirizes religion through the conflict that lies between the Grangerfords and the Sheperdsons. The two families are very religious and go to church every Sunday, yet they are constantly breaking the ten commandments and murdering one another. Southern society is satirized through Huck and Tom. Both are raised with Southern influence. They are educated, told to pray, and told to be polite. However, Tom is continually raised with Southern influence and is immature while Huck rebelled against education and ended up at the end of the book to be a very mature young man. His experiences taught him more than his southern education. Twain also satirizes slavery. Jim, a slave who most Southerners would consider to be nothing more than dirt, ends up being a kind, loving, father figure to Huck. Huck is willing at the end of the book to risk his life to save Jim because he and Jim have develope such a close relationship.
Books with great examples of satire include many Orwell novels, Asimov's books, and many others. These novels will make light of a problem that is exemplified or foreshadowed to happen in society. In Huckleberry Finn, there were several examples of satire. The first is the most obvious, racism. Racism is satirized by Huck and Jim's friendship. Their friendship can only exist on their island but once thrown back into society, they are often separated by "the river" (life and society). The Grangerfords and the Sheperdsons also satirize the Civil War. The two fight each other for reasons neither really know. Also, the two families attended Church together. This represents the North and South because in the war, the two opposing sides would be the same religion, and many be friends or family. The third thing that Twain satirizes is education. Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn are both educated. However, Tom never really grows up from it. At the end of the book, Tom is still immature and Huck has grown up from his adventure. Overall, Twain found many things wrong with society during this time and set out to write about it.
Mark Twain used the method of satire to expose the problems he saw within society. Twain satirized religion, parental influence, and cruelty among men. Religion was satirized in several instances in the novel. The Grangerfords and the Sheperdsons are two religious families who frequently go to church. However, when they go to church they listen to sermons about brotherly love while sitting there with shotguns in their hands, ready to turn on one another at any time. Twain satirizes parental influence by expressing that sometimes our biological parents are not the best caregivers. In the novel, Huck was terrified of his father because he was never there for him and instead was always drunk and violent. Instead, the most influential person in Huck's life ends up being Jim. Jim becomes the father-figure in Huck's life and is there to guide him and care for him. Cruelty among men is expressed when Jim is sold by the Kind to the Phelps family. Twain believes that society has taught this family that slavery and cruel treatment to another man is justified. He proves the idea that people in this time period felt that there was nothing wrong with treating others as objects rather than human beings. Twain pokes fun, uses irony and sarcasm to explore the imperfect aspects of society.
Post a Comment