When Huck leaves the raft and ventures into the "sivilized" world, he encounters a variety of people and situations. Select one of the following episodes and comment on what Huck learns from these "sivilized" people and what is Twain's purpose in this episode? CHOICES: The Grangerfords or The Wilks or The Duke and Dauphin or Colonel Sherburn and Boggs
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Twain's purpose in the "Grangerfords" episode is to merely express the fact that even though some people are rich, it does not mean they are good. Huck learns this the hard way. The Grangerfords seemed like well-mannered and lovely people, until Huck finds out they are involved in a thirty year long feud with another family. They have killed many, and do not even remember the reason why the feud began in the first place. Huck learns that money does not make a person good when he sees the families battle, which leads to the death of his new friend, Buck.
In the episode with colonel Sherburn and Boggs Twain's purpose and what Huck learns are very similar. In the episode Huck learns that a man must be responsible for his actions and cannot do whatever he pleases and not expect consequences. Twain includes this episode not only to show that a man must be responsible but to show how many people are followers. In the episode it only took one half man to persuade an entire crowd to lynch a man. Also Twain shows just how uncivilized the "civilized" world is.
During the Duke and the Dauphin episode, Huck learns the flaws of becoming greedy and deceitful in order to earn a little bit of money. Twain's purpose in including these two characters is to satirize the greed of most poor turned rich; they aren't happy with the boulder, they must have the entire mountain.
During the Wilks episode, Huck realizes how uncivilized the king and duke truly are. He sees their actions as disgusting and sickening. Huck is able to see the con men for what they are, and he is utterly repulsed by it. Through this episode, Twain reveals how uncivilized most humans truly are. They often appear to be something they are not, and they hide behind masks. Ultimately, things are not always what they seem.
On Huck's adventure down the mississippi Twain uses great satires of each lesson Huck learns. On Huck's adventure with the Grangerfords he learns that not all "sivilized, rich" people really know how to act respectively to one another. At this point of the book Huck learns that following the "sivilized" way is not the way he should always follow. He learns this because the Grangerfords have a never ending feud with the Shepardsons and the innocents are the ones who have to suffer for their family's mistakes.
When Huck journeys into the "sivilized" world Twain satirizes how people lynched and did dirty deeds in the dead of night instead of in daylight during the episode that contained Boggs and Colonel Sherburn. Here, Huck learned that the individual is cowardly and fears to confront another individual. What Twain wishes the reader to learn from this is the same as what Huck learned from this episode.
When Huck meets the Duke and Dauphin it does not take long for him to realize that they were not honest people. They would do anything for money and tried most of them during their adventure with Huck. Huck learned that greed is a powerful thing and can turn any honest person into a deceitful con man.
Through the Duke and Dauphin, Twain shows the naturally cruelty and greed that is within human beings. Huck realizes that trickery and deceit is a terrible way to acquire money. At one point he even feels sorry for the girls that are being robbed. Huck sees that the old fantasies of thievery are not the way that he wants to live his life.
When Huck lived with the Grangerfords he had a very nice life. He did not have to worry about where he was going to sleep, what he was going to eat, or what his chores were. Huck learns that no matter how civilized or rich someone is they are still ignorant in some way. This is shown through the pointless feud the Grangerfords and the Shepherdsons had continued to fight about for thirty years. Twain put this in the book to show how Huck could have lived if he had grown up civilized with a family since Huck and Buck were very similar.
In the episode of Colonel Shebrurn and Boggs, Huck learns about the cowardice of human beings, as with the lynching mob. Twain used Sherburn as a foil to Boggs, and also to be an example of an uncowardly person because Sherburn stood to his word when he threatend Boggs. He was not going to hide away in the dark. He was going to be a mature man. Twain was satirizing the cowardice of humans, and giving a common day example of a cowardly and uncowardly man.
In the episode with the Duke and the Dauphin, Twain attempts to show Huck a bad side of society. The Duke and the Dauphin will do anything for money. Huck learns that money is not everything, and that a quality man is much better than a rich one. Twain's purpose was to teach the reader the same thing that he taught Huck, and he uses Huck to teach it.
When Huck ventures into the civilized world, He encounters the Grangerfords. Huck discovers that the Grangerfords are wealthy when he stays with them at their house. Huck also learns that just because people are rich, it does not mean that they are good people. Mark Twain's purpose in this episode is to show Huck that if he stays in civilization, he could turn into one of these people.
In the episode with Colonel Sherburn and Boggs, Huck learns that even though most men are cowards, some stand up and show courage. Mark Twain utilizes this episode to not only show how low and cowardly men can be, but to also show how men are afraid to back down, so they are forced into being half a man and participating in ruthless actions just to prove they have courage. When Sherburn stands up and shows that he is not an average man, this teaches Huck that he has to choose whether to be a man or a coward.
In the episode with the Grangerfords, Huck learned common stereotypes and myths are not truly what they are made to be; In the case of the Grangerfords, rich people were supposedly mature and responsible. However, even though the Grangerfords were wealthy and treated Huck considerately, they acted irresponsibly by carrying on a feud without any clear reason. They hated the shepardsons merely because their ancestors had done the same; Huck discovered the myth that "money makes a person" is not true. Indeed, people are people, with or without money.
When Twain introduces the Duke and the Dauphin, he is showing some of the worst examples of humankind. The con men are even worse than the abusive drunks like Pap or killers like Colonel Sherburn. For, while one is honest in his evil and the other upholds his own brand of honor, the Duke and Dauphin think nothing of repeatedly taking advantage of people from behind the safety of their lies. Huck learns from these men that some people will stop at nothing to further their own desires, and that nice is very very different from good.
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