What social institutions does Mark Twain poke fun at in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn?
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn often goes out of its way to poke fun at accepted institutions, while trumpeting the idea of free living and a return to a more natural way of life. The excitement and happiness of life on the river is very apparent. At the end of the novel, Huck vows to “light out for the [Indian] Territory” (p. 386), because he has seen what civilization has to offer, and he knows it is not for him. During his trip down the river, Huck comes into to contact with many of the peculiar establishments of society, and he watches, as they show themselves to be full of contradiction and hypocrisy. Mark Twain uses the character of Huck Finn to explore many topics like slavery, monarchy, and religion, that otherwise would have caused a great deal of offense to the reader. After looking at these subjects from Huck’s point of view, it is not hard to see why he wanted to leave behind as much of civilization as he could. The concept of a monarchy is also attacked at various time
