Episode+from+da+Novel

=Criticism of Law from the Novel=



Mark Twain’s novel, //The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn//, is a satire written to criticize and comment upon American society in the second half of the nineteenth century. The institution of law is one among many other traditions and practices that Twain comments about. The criticism lay within the idea that a governing body, or one in a position of power, may pass laws or regulations which benefit one party, without any consent to the safety of another. Twain’s criticism of the institution of law can be seen in chapter five of the novel.

This chapter begins with a scene showing the harsh treatment that Pap inflicts on Huck. It is obvious that Huck should not be under the “care” of his father, so Judge Thatcher and the Widow Douglas both attempt to gain custody of Huck and get him to a safer environment. The new judge in town came to the verdict that the, “courts mustn't interfere and separate families if they could help it; said he'd druther not take a child away from its father.” (Twain 29). The judge came to this decision even though it is obvious that Huck is not safe in the custody of his father.

The criticism in this scene can be seen in the judge’s ruling, Huck’s welfare is clearly in jeopardy, yet the ruling which the judge made stands. Huck’s ordeal holds a striking similarity to that of the slaves within the United States. Twain is mocking the United States, which passed laws and regulations on slaves, which only profited the white man. The laws they passed on slaves did not take into consideration the well-being of the slaves, nor did it give the slaves any way of getting out of slavery.

This same type of event occurs multiple times in U.S. history. A person or institution in a seat of power passes a law or an act which benefits one party, but leaves the welfare of another in question. This action may be an action which affects an individual state, or a individual region, or even the nation as a whole, and is put into place by the state or federal governments.

Back