... ironic because the townspeople complained about the separation of the enslaved family, but they did not mind that the family was being sold. The incident gives the feeling that the town would not have complained if the family had been sold intact, "ethically." Mark Twain introduces this episode to mock the ignorant and illogical attitudes of Southerners in his era. The ... Wilks is an example of a perceptive verbal irony. The conversation reaches its climax when Joanna asks Huck, "How are servants treated in England? Do they treat "em better "n we treat our niggers?" (173). Huck, who is...

• Word Count: 989
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School