Mark Twain is a well known American novelist who effectively utilized his amusing personality in creating humor and satire in his writings. Twain authored a number of excellent books during his lifetime. The works done by author are recognized for irony, dialect, mockery, satire and humor. Majority of his work establishes him as a humorist. This effective powerful writing style makes him standing apart from other writers. Twain uses satire and humor to mock and depict human weaknesses. Twain utilized various literary elements with a focus on satire to display various critical issues related to politics, religion and society. This paper intends to analyze Twain's use of satire and humor as a literary form to describe issues related to politics, religion and the society.
Twain uses satire not only for humor but to target bigger objective that is to improve the situation. Issues upon which, Twain scoffs are politics, religion and society. Twain in his work Pudd’nhhead Wilson talks about political issues related to the society. This work depicts the struggle of slaves in making their place in society after civil war. During that time reconstruction was failed and America became a place of racism.
However the situation was not that bad as earlier before 1850 when black people were sold and used to face extreme violence. Despite of various changes the basic problem remains same as slavery was legal and individual’s profile was considered in determining slavery. It was ascertained that children of black parents or ancestors can be slave. Twain described racial identity as a major problem.
Pudd’shead Wilson is a story, knitted around two boys Tom and Chamber. This story discusses how Roxy a beautiful slave replaced her baby i.e. Chamber with her owners baby i.e. Tom out of fear that people may sell chamber ‘down the river’. Tom, who actually is chamber, was grown up in luxury and had all lavish arrangements whereas the actual Tom grown up in scarcity and ended up becoming a slave.
Twain displays satire through different descriptions of the story at every stage such as while describing the treatment that Tom and Chamber received, he expresses his part in these words, “Tom got all the petting, Chambers got none. Tom got all the delicacies, Chambers got mush and milk, and clabber without sugar. In consequence, Tom was a sickly child and Chambers wasn’t.” (Twain 26).
Twain describes the truth about identity by associating it with clothes. How a slave can become heir by growing up in luxury environment and bearing fancy cloths. It is all inside our mind and children are not different. The Author utilized satire while describing Tom (real chamber) behavior. Roxy who sacrificed a lot in order to provide a bright future to her son was being treated very badly by Tom. After several years when she visited him, Tom asked her “cut it short- it, cut it short!” (Twain 47).
Twain in his work, ‘Mysterious stranger’ addresses the issues related to religion. In his stories, Author uses main characters to give message of the story. The author portrayed his beliefs about world through conversation between two main characters i.e. Theodore and Satan. Satan is represented as angel in the story who is messenger of God from universe. It shows that Twain belief in a great power that can change things and control universe. In this story Theodore initially thought that Satan is a real human being like him but later he comes to know that Satan is blessed with power like God (Brodwin).
In the story Twain displays various literary elements such as dramatic irony, fantasy, irrationality and humor to scoff the ignorance of human race. The author also grabs attention of readers by making human flaws very clear. Author shows satire by emphasizing on religion and while saying that knowledge is not for common people because they are incapable to understand and implement the same.
Knowledge will take people away from God. Twain mentioned about Father Peter who shares the same belief as author as he “took no stock in the astrologer. He denounced him openly as a charlatan - a fraud with no valuable knowledge of any kind, or powers beyond those of an ordinary and rather inferior human being” (Twain 9).
Irony of the story is that Reads remains under impression that Satan is normal person till the end. Critics also claim that Satan is imagination of Theodore however writer did not inform reader about reality of Satan identity. All actions performed by the Satan were actually understood by Theodor and it is not possible for any common person to do such actions. During the story Satan said “It is as I told you-I am only a spirit” (Twain 20). Satan mention human as poor, dull rickety and worthless.
Twain in his work “The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg” focuses on society and people who are living in it (Twain). This story is formed around an honest town named Hadleyburg and a person who attempted to damage it. In the story author described people’s actions in a manner that they are presenting the story of Adam & Eve. Twain in this story focuses on specific aspect of human nature that is corrupt.
The story revolves around a man who corrupts the entire city of Hadleyburg. The story is a very effective portrayal of people’s instinct. Twain describes how people of the city were changed as a consequence of the plot that was set around them by the narrator. The whole city that was considered incorruptible became corrupt. The story describes social condition and society emerges as prominent factor in this story.
After having observed the above mentioned analysis of Mark Twains’ work with special perspectives, it can be concluded that Twain was a blessed satirist. Twain used his talent to highlight different issues that were important for the society. Twain advocated change and for the very purpose, he never hesitated in criticizing or praising anyone. He always advocated positive changes in social, political system, along with changing everything that was in interest of people.
Works Cited
Brodwin, Stanley. "Mark Twain’s Masks of Satan: The Final Phase." JSTOR, American Literature 45(2) (2002): 206-207.
Twain, Mark. Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg. ReadHowYouWant.com, 2006.
—. Pudd'nhead Wilson. New York: Prestwick House Inc, 2006.
—. The Mysterious Stranger. London: Interactive Media, 2012.
