Mark Twain is one of the most widely beloved and widely read authors of all time. His writing style is inventive, evocative, and humorous to the nth degree. One of his most widely renowned qualities is his use of satire in his works. Satire is a literary device commonly used to poke fun at a certain subject, generally to highlight certain absurdities, vices, and hypocrisies of the day in an often humorous way. In Mark Twain’s works, satire is used in ways that are witty, sharp, and surprisingly relevant still today. Let’s take a closer look at how Twain uses satire in his works.
Satire in Literary Context
Before we jump into how Twain uses satire, let’s contextualize what satire is and what its purpose is. Satire is often propagated through a wide variety of genres, such as poetry, novels, films, films, or even philosophical tones. The modern definition of satire, as defined by Literature Terms and Definitions, is “literature that exploits human weaknesses and vices, often inaccurately and humorously.” The intention of satire often isn’t to offend, but to bring out the absurdity, impertinence, and moral weakness in an idea. Satire often holds up a mirror to society and reveals our often flawed selves to the public, often in ways that are funny, and insightful.
Twain’s Unique Satirical Tone
Twain’s use of satire was unlike any other of his time. He named this style ‘genteel satire.’ This form of satirical writing is distinct from other forms in that it does not openly or vehemently criticize immediately or intensely. Rather, it is veiled in wit, irony, sarcasm, and other mild forms of humor that were popular among the upper classes of his time.
He was a master with words, often taking language and twisting it to strike a deft, often subtle blow with poise and finesse. Such was the vibrancy of his writing, even today, his works are often seen as witty and endearing, as opposed to brazenly confrontational, which is the standard in many other works of satirical literature. This is most probably why his works are still held in high esteem today.
Classic Satirical Twain Characters
Most classic Mark Twain stories revolve around a main character who is not only wittingly humorous, but also can be delineated as satirical. This character is often depicted as a cunning street-wise clown or an anachronistic throwback to a bygone era. Such is the case in the classic satire ‘A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court,’ where the main character, Hank Morgan, is a product of industrialism and is thrust into an archaic feudal landscape.
Morgan’s clashes with the power structure of Medieval England provide an interesting and often comedic view of the culture, highlighting everything from the Church’s battle with science to modern education seen as an anathema to the court. Twain’s humorous, yet observant and discernible characters often speak to the readers, highlighting certain vices in a period of time yet still relevant to this day.
Satire in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
In The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Twain takes up the task of displaying the vices that occur in his hometown of St. Petersburg, Missouri. Twain cleverly combines the outlandish characters of Tom and Huck with his hyperbole to poke fun yet make a meaningful statement on the vices of St. Petersburg. His character Tom Sawyer displays an interesting blend of frivolity and solemn truth. Refusing to accept authority and conventions, Twain uses Tom’s mischievous antics to parody of the dupes and systems of his day.
Satire in Huckleberry Finn
Twain’s infamous work Huckleberry Finn contains some of the most biting satire in literature. One of the primary themes he uses satire to criticize is the hypocrisy of 19th-century racism, as seen through his recasting of the slave Jim as a noble, intelligent, and pensive character, as opposed to a caricature of a slave to be pitied and laughed at by his readers.
In the early chapters of the book, Twain creates a comical setting of a motley mix of characters, where Jim stands out as the sensible one. His satire of the conventions of the Southern society, in which a slave could be so open, articulate, and wise men in a slave society, is a powerful statement.
Satire in Pudd’nhead Wilson
In Pudd’nhead Wilson, Twain takes up the fight against the conventions of the slave society. The book revolves around an Italian tourist, Luigi, and a slave, Tom, who are born with a physical similarity. Their ‘sins’ are the same, their lives are parallel, but only one of them (Tom) is legally bound assuming a life of servitude. Twain, in mocking fashion, questions the merits of a legal system that allows for this type of inequity to exist.
Moreover, Tom has no freedom in spite of being a man, and his curse – being enslaved in a society that proclaims and celebrates freedom – is an ironic twist of fate that Twain playfully chides.
Satire in A Dog’s Tale
In one of his later works, A Dog’s Tale, Twain uses satire to portray the absurd justifications and hypocrisy of vivisection. By narrating the account of a sentient dog, Twain weaves a shocking yet humorous and powerful message about the subject matter. In a world where the dog exists in a parallel universe in which humans and dogs possess a shared social domain of understanding and intelligence, Twain never truly states an opinion. He instead opts to paint a painfully clear image of the violent and cruel ‘science’ of animal testing.
In the end, Twain uses satire to create a sense of awareness in the reader, while still entertaining them with a whimsical, yet poignant story. It is here that we can truly appreciate Mark Twain’s use of satire and his masterful control on the reader’s attention.
Satire in His Short Stories
Twain also laced his short stories with satirical attacks, often taking pot shots at political and social conventions. In one of his stories, ‘The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,’ Twain lampoons organized sports betting as a scene is played out in which a spectator involuntarily gambles on a frog-jumping competition, resulting in a total loss of money. Here, Twain is calling into question the futility and irony of allowing people to bet, and even worse, lose money, on something as inconsequential as frog-jumping.
In another story, ‘The Works of the Damned’, Twain uses sarcasm to criticize the lives of the poor and those without much education. The main protagonist in the story is the ‘second selectman’ of the town’s small jailhouse, whose travels take him to various rundown local jails. Here, Twain reveals the grimness of certain parts of small-town American life at the time, utilizing the humor of the second selectman’s travels to subtly attack the American class system.
Satire in His Journalism
Twain also wrote extensively as a journalist during his lifetime, often penning scathing barbs and witty observations at the foibles of his day. His most celebrated piece of journalism was his report of the voyage on the river Amazon, aptly entitled ‘A Maverick Tour of South America.’ In this piece, Twain uses exaggerations and stories to mention the inefficiency of bureaucracy, and the wide gap between rich and poor. His description of the Amazon is surprisingly vivid, as he makes observations of everything from the struggles of the villagers living along the river to the ancient histories of the cities along it.
Twain also frequently wrote about politics and government, often making subtle references in stories and articles. One of the most common topics of media satire is often focused on public corruption and abuse of power. Twain took aim at this aspect of political life, often calling out the ‘enslavement’ of the people by a largely unregulated government. In this way, Twain was able to make scathing attacks on the status quo while still maintaining a sense of lightness and wit in his observations.
Satire in His Poems
Twain also wrote extensively on a variety of topics through his rather extensive number of poems. Most of his works contain a certain element of humor and wit that can often be seen as a double-edged sword, both amusing his readers with his observations as well as questioning the veracity of the situations he was railing against. In his poem ‘Let Me Float Down the River of Death in a Swimming-Suit’ Twain pokes fun at death and our attitudes towards mortality.
The poem paints death as an accidental event, a series of occurrences that can be so easily avoided if one pays attention, and even then mockingly charges a fee for the mistakes we make in life. Through this poem, Twain is making a larger point about death; that it is not permanent and neither are we, for in the end death is inevitable. Twain uses satire to mock the trivialities of life, allowing us to find humor and wisdom in his works.
Conclusion
Mark Twain’s use of satire is undoubtedly one of the main reasons why his works remain relevant and widely celebrated. From his stories to his journalism, his satirical style is one of his most unique characteristics. Satire is a quintessential element of literature, used as a tool to make observations and comments about society and the world at large. In Twain’s works, his skilful use of satire adds a layer of amusement to a rather grim and harsh world. Regardless of the periods, his works are still beloved not only for their humour and wit but for their relevancy even to this day.
