Huck Finn Notes of Societal Critique...hope this is ok X/

Scott Pero
AP English 11
September 15, 2009
Huck Finn Notes on Societal Critique

Societal Critique

--“‘You do a girl terrible poor, but you might fool men, maybe…Why, I spotted you for a boy when you was threading the needle; and I contrived the other things to make certain’” (Twain, 72) In this quote Twain shows a distinct separation between Men and Women in society. The woman naturally notices subtle aspect’s of Huck’s nature that are common to men but not to women.

--In the section where Huck is taken in by the Grangerfords, Twain introduces another critique: “‘Has this one been going on long, Buck?’ ‘Well I should reckon! It started thirty year ago, or som’ers along there’ ‘What was the trouble about, Buck?—land?’ ‘Well, who done the shooting?’ ‘Laws, how do I know? It was so long ago’” (118) Here, Huck asks Buck what exactly the feud between the two families is about, and Buck basically says he does not know for sure. This shows a critique of the South’s hostility. Even after thirty years of fighting—and forgetting the reason the fighting started in the first place—these two families are still going at it. They would fight anyone, as they hold a gun to Huck when he first steps on their doorstep.

--Morality also plays a major role in the text. The King and the Duke are common examples of immorality, and here, Huck functions as a symbol of morality in response: “I says to myself, this is a girl that I’m letting that old reptle rob her out of her money!...I felt so ornery and low down and mean, that I says to myself, My mind’s made up; I’ll hive that money for them or bust” (188). He doesn’t want the sweet innocent girls to get screwed over by the con men, so Huck makes a moral decision. Immorality is a flaw that Twain is critiquing, using Huck to do so.

--As is common in the Antebellum South, everyone is separated by color. Slavery is prominent in these lands, and so blacks are not treated the same as way. Jim is a perfect example of that, as he is a runaway slave. If he is caught, he will be shipped away to a plantation or servitude. He isn’t treated the same as other character because of his skin color, and he must always remain in hiding while everyone else walks free.