Most people in this world are hypocrites in one way or another. The novel Adventure of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain shows the hypocrisy of society in the early 1800s. Many people claim to have high virtues, but they actually do things that oppose what they believe. But the sad thing is that most of the time, they don't even realize that they are acting against their principles. It is important to be able to distinguish right from wrong. And Huck's experiences teach him how to live in this dangerous society. Although slavery had already been abolished by the time Mark Twain wrote the novel, racism still existed in America and particularly in the Southern states. The author uses hypocrisy to show the harmfulness of racism and social conditions in the 1800s. Huck is greatly influenced by his father and his hypocrisies throughout the book. Huck's father is an alcoholic. He always beats his son when he is drunk, gives Huck negative impressions, and gives Huck low self-esteem. He is the antagonist of the book. The idea of ​​borrowing is not stealing appears several times, and it originally comes from the father. However, the first time Huck goes to the cornfields to find food. He says that “Pap always said there was no harm in borrowing things if you intended to pay them back, one day…” (102). It's true. Borrowing is of course not stealing, but if a person borrows and never pays back, that is absolutely stealing. However, Huck doesn't do it this way at all. While he and Jim, a runaway slave, were drifting on a raft along the Mississippi River, Huck "crept into some cornfields and borrowed a watermelon, or a watermelon... or things of that sort..." (102). It is impossible for Huck to return these foods. They travel down the Mississippi River and... middle of paper ... is harmful to minor breeds. Slavery is a huge mistake and he wants to euphemistically plead for equality between blacks and whites. Mark Twain cannot directly tell people that racism is bad, because people would oppose him and the KKK might get him in trouble. Writing this novel is a good way to indicate what he thinks about society. The author uses hypocrisy to reflect the negative side of slavery and racism. Racism and slavery as well as social conditions are revealed through the hypocrisy of the novel. Because the social value of the 19th century is different from today, people of that era do things that are controversial to what we think is right. It is difficult to distinguish good from bad. So, people should examine our conscience to improve ourselves, which can also lead us to a better future. Works Cited The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn