Contradicting Behavior of Southern Aristocracy in Huckleberry Finn

Mark Twain use of Huck’s innocence and observations reveal the ambiguity surrounding the southern upper class. In the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain uses the young character, Huck, to show the flaws within the ideals of gentility and properness. Based before the Civil War and in the midst of slavery, Huck struggles with comprehending the values around southern aristocracy and the genteel behavior in which the Grangerfords should optimize. Upon Huck’s arrival, he notices the decorations within the Grangerfords’ household while politely commenting on them. Huck later contrasts the Grangerfords’ homelife with their behavior amongst their rivals—the Shepherdsons. Twain uses these interactions to satirize the genteel society while helping Huck establish his own moral compass. Mark Twain uses the Grangerfords, an upper class southern family, to represent the antithesis of a principled democratic family.

Twain uses Huck’s observations and reactions to the decorations within the Grangerfords home to show the flaws within their projected gentility. In this scene, Huck walks through the Grangerfords home, and he notices that they—the elite family who he currently stays with—have “pictures hung on the walls—mainly Washingtons and Lafayettes, and battles, and Highland Marys, and one called ‘Signing the Declaration’” (94). Although these pictures may not seem symbolic, having the “Washingtons” hanging on the wall embodies the facade of gentility. Twain uses “Washington” as an example of impeccable etiquette, but, Washington was not without contrasting principles. Washington represents the contradiction that Twain exposes within the South, and displays a juxtaposition between his genteel ways and his slave ownership. Furthermore, Huck enters the house innocently identifying some of the decorations “outlandish” and “gaudy.” Twain uses this description to show how the house is overdone and tasteless. While Huck continues to notice the decor throughout their home, he stumbles across a basket of fruit, “prettier than the real ones is, but they warn’t real because you could see where pieces had got chipped off” (93). Twain uses the fruit to allude to the facade of the Grangerfords’ lifestyle in contrast to their behavior, and contradicts the image they imply within their home. The Grangerfords present themselves as superior and maintain outward beauty, but in reality they are ordinary and artificially mirroring the fruit. As the Grangerfords continue to come into conflict with their fellow elites, their mask slowly chips away, exposing their true demeanor.

Contradicting the Grangerfords’ previous attempts to prove their gentility, Twain uses the conflict between two elite families to unveil their true uncivilised selves. The feud between the Grangerfords and their rivals the Shepherdsons reveal the unspoken violence of southern aristocracy. In this scene, Huck is hiding