"The only very marked difference between the average civilized man and the average savage is that the one is gilded and the other is painted."
By brielle
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Huck's Conscience vs. Civilized Society's Conscience
"Now was the first time that I begun to worry about the men- I reckon I hadn't had time to before. I begun to think how dreadful it was, even for murderers, to be in such a fix. I says to myself, there ain't no telling but I might come to be a murderer myself, yet, and then how would I like it?" -
Mental Hypocrisy: Huck's psychological viewpoint on society vs. himself while on the river.
"I see it warn't no use wasting words--you can't learn a nigger to argue." (Twain, 80)
"It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger--but I done it, and I warn't ever sorry for it afterwards, neither." (Twain, 87) -
Huck's Thoughts vs. "Civilized" Society
"Why nothing-only it's on account of the feud." (Twain, 108). -
Huck's Encounter with Hyprocrisy in a Civilized Society
"It was pretty ornery preaching-all about brotherly love, and such-like tiresomeness; but everybody said it was a good sermon, and they all talked it over going home, and had such a powerful lot to say about faith, and good works, and free grace, and preforeordestination-" (Twain, 110) -
"Civilized Society"'s Integrated Hypocrisy
"Well by-and-by somebody said Sherburn ought to be lynched. In about a minute everybody was saying it; so away they went, mad and yelling, and snatching down every clothes-line they come to, to do the hanging with." (Twain, 146)
"The idea of 'you' lynching anybody! It's amusing. The idea of you thinking you had pluck enough to lynch a man!...The average man's a coward!" (Twain, 147) -
Foolish Pride
"The boys jumped for the river- both of them hurt- and as they swum down the current the men run along the bank shooting at them and singing out, "Kill them, kill them!" It made me so sick I most fell out of the tree. I ain't ginna tell ALL that happened- it would make me sick if I was to do that." -
Unnecessary Conflict and Best Interests
"The duke done it, and Jim and me was pretty glad to see it. It took away all the uncomfortableness, and we felt mighty good over it, because it would a been a miserable business to have unfriendliness on a raft; for what you want, above all things, on a raft, is for everybody to be satisfied and feel right and kind towards others." -
Two-faced-ness: Civilized society further shows the cruelty of people in a raw manner.
"We are sold--mighty badly sold. But we don't want to be the laughing-stock of this whole town, I reckon, and never hear the last of this thing as long as we live. No. What we want is to go out of here quiet, and talk this show up, and sell the 'rest' of the town! Then we'll all be in the same boat. Ain't that sensible?" (Twain, 153) -
Revenge within a Civilized Society
"I smelt sickly eggs by the barrel, and rotten cabbages, and such things; and if I know the signs of a dead cat being around, and I bet I do, there was sixty-four of them went in." (Twain, 154)
