One thing we've not examined too closely in class is Huck's relationship to and view of authority figures. Twain's deconstruction of such authority figures often serves as satire because he deconstructs those who enforce the societal norms he means to critique (slavery, religion, you name it).
On page 168, Jim offers insight that helps illustrate his view of authority, and perhaps Twain's as well, when he's talking to Huck about the king and duke: "'Well, that's what I'm a-saying; all kings is mostly rapscallions, as fur as I can make out'" (Twain 168).
Even though the "king" and the "duke" are clearly nothing but con artists, their falsity does not in any way diminish Twain's overall statement about authority figures - as we discussed in class, Twain seems to argue that much can be learned by misrepresenting the truth.
I think Jim's realization about authority figures that he shares with Huck is vitally important to the text. I think this realization will begin to inform a lot of the assertions of independence that Huck and Jim will have to make as the plot of the novel moves forward. Yes, both Huck and Jim have disobeyed authority in the past (Jim ran away from his master, Huck from his dad and his "foster parent" of sorts), but Jim's statement about the king and duke is the first time in the novel that we glimpse Jim or Huck going so far as to deconstruct the role of authority figures. And indeed, Jim does just this, by asserting that "all kings is [are] mostly rapscallions."
I agree with the point Nicky's making here, and I think it ties loosely with the concept of influences we were discussing earlier during the week. As we can perceive from Jim's comment as well as the pair's actions (as brought forward by Nicky), they don't have much care for authority in the traditional sense. However, I believe that the two seem to exhibit a form of "authority" upon one another, since they base their actions upon the reactions of another (when Jim gets sad after Huck's prank with the pretend dream, Huck is persuaded to not prank him again). In conclusion, I believe that the traditional concept of authority has been swapped with a form of authority granted towards one another.
ReplyDeleteI think the most important thing about Jim being the one to criticize the king and the duke and not Huck is the fact that Jim is the one who does not know that the con artists are not what they claim to be. Jim's innocence and ignorance in the realm of politics and government allows Twain to utilize him as a sort of no-nonsense figure, who can easily point out irrationality that more educated people are unable to see. When Jim points out that the duke and the king are not very good people, he even gets Huck to agree with him, as Huck comments that he "'could hear of a country that's out of kings'" (a statement that also contributes to the satire of the section). Using his simple logic, Jim's innocence allows him to point out foolishness and convince others to his side.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of Huck's relationship (or lack thereof) with authority figures is a means for Twain to satirize how the hierarchical nature of our society leads to, essentially, mindless, dogmatic drones. This idea of authority is especially interesting when we look at Sherburn's speech about mob mentality. He begins criticizing those who blindly follow others, and with good reason--no one even thought about lynching until one random person said it and it got into the public's heads. However, at the end, he says that a group without a leader is the most pitiful thing of all. Twain is very clearly using Sherburn's speech as a way to get his point across without obfuscating it through metaphor and anecdote, and I think that, in this point, he is almost conceding that some kind of authority is necessary, because if everyone decides that they all have authority, a civilized society will turn into a lynch mob.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that Mark Twain, in addition to reshaping our views of morality, is teaching us to be careful before idolizing authority figures. I thought it was interesting that Jim already did that before they met the King. He heard about King Solomon's myriad wives and challenged it, saying that such a life sounds anything but luxurious. Huck teases him, saying that he is missing the point of the story, but Jim stays by his views. This dialogue questions the idea of "wealthier=happier." When we then meet the duke and the king, and we learn that they're con artists, Huck realizes that there was some truth in Jim's skepticism.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the overall point of the post, but I disagree with the fact that Jim and Huck have only now begun to deconstruct authority figures. I think the novel has been about deconstructing authority figures from the beginning. Huck and Jim both running away from their "masters" are a deconstruction of these authority figures, because we see that Huck and Jim form an equal partnership(without an authority figure) in the face of obvious inequality(race). I think one of Twain's goals was to illustrate the development of an isolated character in a society designed with the mentorship of authority figures in mind. I believe Huck has already asserted his independence, and we, the readers, are watching how his character is affected by his newfound independence.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Nicky in that Twain is deconstructing these characters, however Brad is spot on in saying that this is not the first time that Huck and Jim have done this. I believe that Huck and Jim do not classify authoritative figures by simple titles such as master, mother, duke or king. I think the two have a set of values and goals that shape their views of who they believe and authoritative person really is. None of these greater figures really leads anyone in any direction or does anything. They simply have a title and try to fill it, as Huck and JIm have been noticing. Rather, Huck and Jim look to people like Tom Sawyer for authority. Tom is a guy who has bold ideas and is someone who Jim and Huck look up to, rather than simply someone filling in a fancy title.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you brought this point up!!! This exact passage was the one that most jumped out at me from the reading. I loved when, after explaining to Jim that all kings are rapscalions, Huck reflects on the fact that although they are not actually kings, it doesn't make a difference because you can hardly tell them apart. This assertion made by Huck was downright comical-- he says that due to their rapscallion nature, the two men could almost pass for kings. This is a completely new outlook on royalty, who are normally thought of as well mannered and upstanding. Through Huck's somewhat naive and unbiased outlook that has revealed to us so much of the satire present in the book, we see that kings and dukes alike are all really rapscallions, just like the rest of us.
ReplyDeleteI also think that for Huck, he started at the deconstruction of authority figures from the very beginning by disregarding everything Ms. Watson said and running away. What's interesting is he almost went the opposite direction of deconstruction by treating the pretended king and duke as authorities. Even though he knew they were fakes, he was willing to sacrifice his own opinions in order to have companionship, which is the exact opposite of his initial running away. On the other hand, Jim is following the direction of deconstruction by realizing the absurdity in the king and duke's actions. I'm curious to see how Jim and Huck's relationship will change once they are finally on the same page regarding their understanding of authority.
ReplyDeleteThis is wonderfully written. We noticed earlier in the text, Huck's reluctance to accept what these figures of authority represent. What comes to mind for me is when he comments on how he'd rather go to hell cause Tom Sawyer is going there. Authority would have him behave and want to go to heaven, but he would rather do what he pleases and be with a friend. In this scene, he actually deconstructs a person of authority, someone who might represent the message of the Bible or another authoritative message.
ReplyDeleteI also found it interesting that the real authority figures who have been in Huck's life are a child, a drunkard, a widow, and a black man, people who are not exactly at the top of the social hierarchy during this time, while the "duke" and the "king" are not people Huck respects or looks up to. Though he knows they are not actually royalty, he has the same view of them as he does of real royalty, reversing the conventions of what makes a person respectable.
ReplyDeleteAgain, sorry this is late! But this is an awesome point. Children defying authority figures is a great motif in literature, and Twain employs it very well. The adults in Huck's life have always had an agenda for him; the widow wanted him "sivilized," his father used him to get money, and the duke and the king took advantage of Huck's generosity by hitching a ride on the raft and not giving anything in return. What Huck comes to realize is that adults are not always right, which is a big step in coming of age. Children are taught to look up to adults as moral figures, which the widow is to some extent, but not all of them adhere to moral guidelines, and they don't always do the right thing. Huck's truest model is Jim, but he has never thought of him as a figure of authority because they've always had a very equal, albeit unique and unusual, relationship. Huck has had to learn to make do for himself, taking bits and pieces of influence from adults and infusing them into his life to fit his own agenda, which is his ultimate break from authority.
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