The ‘Gilded Age’ in Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn

In this essay I will analyze Mark Twain’s “Huckleberry Finn” with reference to the
Gilded Age and I will discuss about and the influence it had on the American society. I will also
approach the idea that alienation and dispossession speak the true language of the Gilded Age.

Firstly, “gilded” means an object not made of gold but covered thinly with it, therefore
behind the golden cover you would only find the cold, ugly metal. The “Gilded Age” refers to
“the period in the U.S. c1870–98, characterized by a greatly expanding economy and the
emergence of plutocratic influences in government and society” (dictionary). On the surface it
may seem as a flourishing, full of abundance time, but after an in depth analyze the ugly side of
the society of the period becomes visible. The massive increase of millionaires in the United
Stated played a major role in shaping the society in the 19th century and creating a gap between
the upper and lower classes. “Historians often refer to the period as the Gilded Age, a phrase
borrowed from the title of a satiric novel co-written by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner
in 1873” (Barrish, 63). “The authors argued that underneath the pleasant appearances and
economic successes was a cesspool of corruption, scandal, and intrigue that threatened the
democratic spirit of America. As the rich grew richer they showered themselves with increasing
opulence and garish vulgarity, the excess of which shocked many.” (Carlisle, 3). There are
several scenes in the novel that portray these characteristics of the Gilded Age. In fact, Mark
Twain’s intention was to satirize the society of the time and give a moral lesson through the
adventures of young, innocent Huck and his personal development.

Since the beginning of the novel there are clear distinctions between the social classes.
The Widow Douglas comes from a wealthy, well respected family, she owns a big house and
even afford to adopt Huck. She strictly respects all the social rules from the upper class, goes to
church, and owns slaves. She and Miss Watson try to get Huck to adapt to the upper class
lifestyle, but this is highly rejected by the young boy. He represents the low class, the free spirit.
Huck comes from disunited family, his father Pap being an alcoholic and a homeless. To an even

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lower category belongs Jim, Miss Watson’s slave. He doesn’t own anything, not even his own
freedom. In chapter VI Pap explains very well how African Americans were considered from an
even lower class than themselves “"Thinks I, what is the country a-coming to? It was 'lection day,
and I was just about to go and vote myself if I warn't too drunk to get there; but when they told
me there was a State in this country where they'd let that nigger vote, I drawed out. I says I'll
never vote agin"(Twain, 35).
The Grangerfords are the artistocrats in the novel, a very wealthy family, owning a lot of slaves:
“It was a mighty nice family, and a mighty nice house, too. I hadn’t seen no house out in the
country before that was so nice and had so much style" (Twain, 99).
“Twain offers a brilliantly detailed satirical picture of the Old South: poor whites like Pap
Finn and the people of Bricksville, middle-class farmers like the Phelps family, wealthy planters
like the Grangerfords – and, of course, the slaves” (Gray, 254).
These differences in social classes display the flaws in society, focusing on hypocrisy and
shallow nature of those immersed in wealth (Short, Social Classes). The Mississippi river
represents freedom from the social norms for both Huck and Jim, the raft becoming their “world”.

Another important aspect of the Gilded Age is the corruption and greed of society,
portrayed ironically in Twain’s novel through various characters that Huck and Jim encounter
during their journey. The encounter with the men on boat that were hunting for runaway slaves
shows the greed of human nature. After Huck creates a story and asks for their help, mentioning
that the rest of his family on the raft has a disease, the men refuse to help him and suggest him
next time he encounters someone not to mention about the disease:” You float along down about
twenty miles, and you’ll come to a town on the left-hand side of the river. It will be long after
sun-up then, and when you ask for help you tell them your folks are all down with chills and
fever. Don’t be a fool again, and let people guess what is the matter” (Twain, 94).
Other characters that portray the greed and corruptions are the Duke and the Dauphin.
They pretend to be the descendants of famous leaders and run scams from town to town in order
to get money from people. Their actions reveal how immoral they are. However, Huck sees
through their deceit from the first time, despite only being a child. In chapter XXIII Jim makes
an observation about their behavior, starting to notice something is very strange about them.
Huck answers by explaining that all kings act the same, they are foolish, greedy and corrupt.

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““Don’t it s’prise you de way dem kings carries on, Huck?”/ “No,” I says, “it don’t.”/ “Why
don’t it, Huck?”/ “Well, it don’t, because it’s in the breed. I reckon they’re all alike,”/ “But,
Huck, dese kings o’ ourn is reglar rapscallions; dat’s jist what dey is; dey’s reglar rapscallions.”/
“Well, that’s what I’m a-saying; all kings is mostly rapscallions, as fur as I can make out.””
(Twain, 156). This scene shows the problems of the society, the corruption being present even
among the ruling people.
In chapter XXIV we are introduced to the Wilks family which becomes the Duke and the
Dauphin’s target for scams. They pretend to be the brothers of the deceased Peter Wilks, in order
to inherit the family’s riches. “They manipulate the Wilks sisters, taking advantage of their grief
for their own personal benefit” (Barrish, 232). This scene makes Huck feel “ashamed of the
human race” (Twain, 165).
After Huck gets to the Phelps family to take back Jim and meets Aunt Sally, he comes up
with a story saying the ship’s cylinder-head got blown out but only an African American died.
Aunt Sally’s answer shows not only the racism but also the hypocrisy and the corruption of the
time. ““Good gracious! anybody hurt?”/ “No’m. Killed a nigger.” / “Well, it’s lucky; because
sometimes people do get hurt” (Twain, 223). This reveals the mentality of the time, black people
not even being considered humans.

Rasism is another huge issue for the narrated time. “The central moral dilemma Huck has
to face, in this deeply serious, even tragic comedy, is whether or not he should betray his friend,
the escaped slave Jim, by revealing Jim’s whereabouts to other whites, including Miss Watson,
his owner” (Gray, 253). In chapter XVI Huck realizes that if Jim gets to Cairo he will become a
free person and he will be the one that helped him achieved that so he decides to betray him.
However, Huck does not do it: ““Is your man white or black?” I didn’t answer up prompt. I tried
to, but the words wouldn’t come.I tried for a second or two to brace up and out with it, but I
warn’t man enough—hadn’t the spunk of a rabbit. I see I was weakening; so I just give up trying,
and up and says: “He’s white.” (Twain, 93). He feels sorry for Jim and does not have the guts to
betray him, knowing Jim has been very loyal and supportive with him. In that moment Huck has
an epiphany, he realizes that both decisions, whether to help Jim become a free person or betray
him and give him back to his owners, would cause make him feel awfuly. “feeling bad and low,
because I knowed very well I had done wrong, and I see it warn’t no use for me to try to learn to

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do right; a body that don’t get started right when he’s little ain’t got no show—when the pinch
comes there ain’t nothing to back him up and keep him to his work, and so he gets beat. Then I
thought a minute, and says to myself, hold on; s’pose you’d a done right and give Jim up, would
you felt better than what you do now? No, says I, I’d feel bad—I’d feel just the same way I do
now” (Twain, 94).
There is a confusion in Huck’s mind, he sees Jim as a slave that should be returned, but at
the same time he sees him as a friend. The society has shaped him to believe that is not right to
give freedom to a black person, and now that he sees Jim as normal human being, just like
himself, he has contradictory feelings. He no longer knows what is wrong and what is right and
starts to question the things that he was taught by the society. “The book is about the historical
injustice of slavery, of course, and the social inequity of racism, the human use or denial of
human beings.” (Gray, 254).
Racism and hypocrisy is shown in the scene when the Duke and the Dauphin notice the
missing money from the Wilks’ inheritance. The Duke states that how all black men are thieves
and that they must have taken the money, when in fact they are the real thieves, scamming
people wherever they go. “Because Mary Jane’ll be in mourning from this out; and first you
know the nigger that does up the room will get an order to box these duds up and put’em away;
and do you reckon a nigger can run across money and not borrow some of it?” (Twain, 183).
After the Duke and the Dauphin sell Jim, Huck again oscillates between calling Miss
Watson to get him back or trying to free Jim by himself. In the end he realizes how much he
cares about Jim despite what society says and goes to find him. This shows the level of maturity
Huck achieves, he becomes able to think for himself and not follow the social norms of the time.
“All right, then, I’ll go to hell” (Twain, 216).
Another important scene is when Tom Sawyer gets hurt and Huck asks for Jim’s advice,
whether to search for a doctor or leave the town. When Jim states that he won’t go anywhere
without finding a doctor firstly, Huck states “I knowed he was white inside”, this showing his
fully acceptance of Jim, considering him a human being just like himself.

In conclusion, the 19th century dealt with a lot of social problems, society having a huge
influence over the human mind. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn we get to see all the
abnormalities of the time and what actually the Gilded Age meant through the young and

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innocent Huck. Corruption, greed, racism, slavery and the gap between the social classes
represent the ugly side of the Gilded Age.

Biography
Barrish, J. Phillip. The Cambridge Introduction to American Literary Realism. Cambridge
University Press, 2011.

Carlisle, P. Rodney. The Gilded Age 1870 to 1900. Infobase Publishing, 2009.

"gilded age". Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 15 Jan. 2018. <Dictionary.com
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/gilded-age>.

Gray, Richard. A History of American Literature. Blackwell Publishing, 2004.

Short, Katie. Social Classes: A Theme in Huck Finn and The Great Gatsby. Pretzi, 5 Nov. 2003.
prezi.com/x2usq50ww_yp/social-classes-a-theme-in-huck-finn-and-the-great-gatsby/

Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. A Glassbook Classic, 2001