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Examples Of Satire In Huckleberry Finn

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Satire can make a hard to discuss topic mush more easily approached by writers. Mark Twain’s book, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, contains many instances of extremely serious topics that are approached in a multitude of sarcastic and humorous ways. This satirical approach to sensitive subjects allows Mark Twain to speak his mind without causing a reader to immediately shy away from a discussion about something that they would normally avoid talking about. Child abuse is discussed early in the book and is a theme that reoccurs in other chapters. Huckleberry Finn has an abusive father which he calls Pap. Huck has acquired a large sum of money by returning stolen gold. Pap wants to get control of this money in order to fund his alcoholism. To do this he kidnaps Huck from his current caretakers the Widow Douglas and Miss Watson. When Pap finds Huck he sees that his son is dressing in nice clothes, knows how to read, and is going to school. Mark Twain uses this to show how child abuse is very serious, but also how those who abuse …show more content…
Pap’s addiction affects Huck the most. Pap forces Huck to give up his only dollar and then tells him “He was going downtown to get some whisky (29)”. A father would steal from his son just for a drink, accusing Huck of holding out on him when it comes to where the money is. Typical roles are reversed as Pap is acting childish while Huck must be the voice of reason. Alcoholism can have much more dire consequences in the case of old Boggs. Boggs was a local town drunk who had the gall to call out Colonel Sherburn. The town watches as “Bang! Goes the first shot, bang! Goes the second and he tumbles backwards onto the ground(142)”. Boggs challenged an opponent that he could not beat because of his drunkenness and died because of it. Boggs was known to tell tall tales and promise much more than he could deliver, but in the end the one who boasted the most was the one who

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