Human Nature Exposed in the Single-Most Important Piece of American Literature, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Twain

As stated before, Twain in his writing of Huck Finn illustrates to us that man is indeed a hypocritical and ironic sort. Perhaps it's important we touch base upon that again through this one passage describing the actions of the Duke and the King. 'First they done a lecture on temperance; but they didn't make enough for them to both get drunk on.' (Twain 209). That excerpt merely supports the underlying theme of the novel that man is a debase species. Through describing the class of individuals that the Duke and the King fall into, he satirizes society in a negative way. However this negative satire helps us to closer understand our society and perhaps change it for the better. Another instance where it can be suggested that the human race is hypocritical and ironic is through Huck Finn himself and the words he says right after he makes the crucial decision to free Jim. 'It was awful thoughts, and awful words, but they was
said.' (Twain 214). Although Huck made a positive resolution, the fact those words were said indicate that there is an apparent struggle between what he is feeling in his head and his heart, and that in my eyes, makes him a hypocrite, supporting the fact that all humans are essentially of a hypocritical nature.
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