Satire Mark Twain and Henry James Novels

Satire is a literary device used heavily by both Mark Twain and Henry James. Both men address various topics this way, and in many cases, they both address the same topics with satire. Two such topics are religion and art. Within the framework of these subjects, however, their targets are much different. When satirizing religion, Twain chose Calvinism as his target, while James concentrated on Catholicism. Their respective treatments of art are similar, as Twain seems to show no preference for any particular art form, satirizing literature, paintings and theater, while James sticks with the more traditional forms of art, such as painting and sculpture.

The American Heritage Dictionary defines satire as "a literary work in which human vice or folly is attacked through irony, derision, or wit." In other words, the author of satire uses humor in the form of wit, sarcasm and irony to draw attention to things he feels are in need of change. Both Mark Twain and Henry James use satire throughout the works under consideration here, namely Huckleberry Finn and The American.

Mark Twain certainly uses satire in relation to religion. He especially targets many different tenets of the Calvinistic approach to religion. Twain addresses the tenet of total depravity when he discusses Huck's struggle with turning Jim in. There is a long discussion in chapter 31 of Huck trying to pray but finding that he can not because of the guilt that he feels for not following the religious principles he had been taught, namely that assisting a runaway slave was a sin. As he is torn between doing what society deems right and what his own heart is telling him to do, Huck finally exclaims "All right, then, I'll go to hell" as he decides he will not turn Jim in. Twain presents the idea that it is better to do what one's heart tells him is right than to follow societal norms.

Twain also addresses the strict educational requirements of the Calvinistic preacher. The ideal preacher would have been highly educated, especially as concerns scripture. Twain, however, tells us of Uncle Silas Phelps, saying:

"But it warn't surprising; because he warn't only just a farmer, he was a preacher, too, and had a little one-horse log church down back of the plantation, which he built it himself at his own expense, for a church and schoolhouse, and never charged nothing for his preaching, and it was worth it, too. There was plenty other farmer-preachers like that, and done the same way, down South."

Phelps was not an educated member of the clergy, but rather a simple farmer practicing religion as best as he knew how.

Twain deals with various forms of art in this novel as well. He broaches the subject of literature by naming the sinking paddle-wheeler after Sir Walter Scott, author of such works as Ivanhoe and Rob Roy. Twain brings Victorian art, specifically paintings, under scrutiny when discussing the work of Emmeline Grangerford. He goes out of his way to portray these works in an extremely melodramatic fashion, especially concerning the titles given to the paintings by the artist. Twain moves on to theater later in the book, where the king and the duke put on a "Shakespearean Revival," only to have their show out-attended by a traveling circus. From this, the duke concludes that "what they wanted was low comedy," which leads to the "Royal Nonesuch" scheme.

Henry James also satirizes religion, but his target is not Calvinism. Rather, he attacks Catholicism. His satire is at times much more subtle, such as when Christopher Newman and Mrs. Tristram are discussing the location of the convent where Claire de Cintre has gone. Mrs. Tristram informs him that there are two possible locations, "One is in the Avenue de Messine; they have learned that Madame de Cintre is there. The other is in the Rue d'Enfer. That's a terrible name; I suppose you know what it means". Rue d'Enfer is, of course, Hell Street. So, we have the irony of the Catholic convent on Hell Street. When again discussing this subject near the end of the book, Mrs. Tristram informs Newman that "She has gone to the other house--in the Rue d'Enfer". At this point, James seems to be saying that Claire is better off going to hell, so to speak, rather than being around her family. In a sense, this is not a far cry from Huck Finn's declaration, discussed previously.

There is one section of The American that really pulls these two subjects of James' satire together. When Babcock sends a letter to Newman expressing his belief that Newman did not approach art seriously enough, Newman was initially unsure how to respond, and so he chose not to write to Babcock. He did, however, send him a gift, "a grotesque little statuette in ivory." James goes on to describe the statuette as "a gaunt, ascetic-looking monk, in a tattered gown and cowl, kneeling with clasped hands and pulling a portentously long face." James is emphasizing the serious nature of this religious piece of artwork. He goes on to say, however, that "through one of the rents of his gown, you espied a fat capon hung round the monk's waist," introducing some levity to the description of the statuette. James satirizes religion in describing a Catholic monk but also addresses art by describing the statuette as "grotesque."

Mark Twain and Henry James both use satire in their writing. They both address some of the same subjects, including religion and art. Though the specific targets within these categories are different, they come to some of the same conclusions. When addressing religion, they both present the idea that following one's heart is better than succumbing to societal pressures.