The endemic insecurity of such a society required all of its members to deceive themselves in order to survive and make "sense- within the social context they were born. ... Oftentimes the best way to approach seemingly unmentionable themes was through the side door of comedy and satire - areas where Mark Twain had few, if any, equals. ... Early in his career he exhibited the humor that allowed for social commentary and criticism without attacking his subjects head on. ... Like so Many of Twain's protagonists, both black and white, including Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn, Jim, Pap, The Boss, P...

• Word Count: 3141
• Approx Pages: 13
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate