SATIRIC DEVICES IN THE “ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN” BY MARK TWAIN

Abstract

Several novels of Mark Twain have been regarded as masterpieces for decades, and among them the most extraordinary one is “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”.

I fell in love with “Huckleberry Finn” since childhood. Nevertheless, I did not have the chance to systematically study American literature and get access to a wide range of research materials on this novel until I went to university. I discovered that apart from the already thoroughly examined facets such as layers of meaning, characterization, historical context, scarcely can any research on the art of satire in this literary work be found. With my keen interest in the author and his work, I conducted a study entitled “Satiric devices in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain”. The purpose of this study is to delve into satire, especially regarding types of satiric techniques employed in the novel, to bring out its contribution to the artistic values of the work.

The method adopted to conduct this study is content analysis method. The concepts and theories of satire as a literature genre, the most common satiric devices are reviewed as the theoretical background for the research. The author’s profile and recap of the story’s content are also provided. Careful analysis of the extracts containing the use of satiric techniques has yielded significant findings. Four most commonly utilized satiric tools in “Huckleberry Finn” are irony, exaggeration, parody and sarcasm respectively. They enhance the impact of the novel by bringing stark realism and involving the reader into Twain’s critical messages.

The findings from this study is anticipated to intensify readers’ comprehension of Mark Twain’s sophisticated satire techniques, and to some extent, can serve as a useful source of reference for researchers who share the same interest.