The Nature Of Evil

In the masterpiece that is The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn*, Twain does a masterful job of using irony to get his point across. As Huck debates whether to help Jim escape from slavery or turn him into the authorities, he says to himself:

It was a close place. I took . . . up [the letter I’d written to Miss Watson], and held it in my hand. I was a-trembling, because I’d got to decide, forever, betwixt two things, and I knowed it. I studied a minute, sort of holding my breath, and then says to myself: “All right then, I’ll go to hell”—and tore it up. It was awful thoughts and awful words, but they was said. And I let them stay said; and never thought no more about reforming.

This is the critical turning point in the novel, when Huck decides the type of person he want to be. After much struggle, he determines to do what feels right, even if it means he’s going to Hell. Of course, the irony is that helping Jim is the right thing, even if Huck and society at large don’t realize it yet. It’s not Huck who will be going to Hell.

Taken in a wider context, Twain is showing the relative nature of good and evil. He points out how an entire culture can be ignorant of the evil they are causing. It’s a willful ignorance, perhaps, and ignorance even an uneducated boy can see through, but an ignorance nonetheless.

I understand what Twain means. Take the above grape for example. It is clearly putting on a clever facade. Yet most people would be swayed by the cute smile and remain blissfully unaware of its true, evil nature.

I guess it’s for reasons like this why people should read more.

For more information about evil grapes, check out this tumblr.

Please Note, if you suffer from heart disease, high blood pressure or any cardiovascular conditions, you should consult with a doctor before reading this blog.

*One of only two possible candidates for the Great American Novel