Jun 22, 2022
This paper explores how Mark Twain, Richard Francis Burton, and Walt Whitman expressed religious beliefs in their writings. All three writers were known for their criticism of organized religion, and all three used humor to express their views. Twain was raised as a Presbyterian but later became an agnostic. Burton was a convert to Islam but later left the faith. Whitman was raised as a Quaker but later became an atheist.
Twain's views on religion are most clearly expressed in his novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. In the novel, Huck Finn is torn between his religious upbringing and his own common sense. He eventually comes to the conclusion that "all right, then, I'll go to hell" (Twain 4), indicating that he would rather go to hell than follow the hypocritical and judgmental teachings of organized religion. Burton's views on religion are expressed in his travel writing. In his book The City of the Saints, Burton describes the Mormon practice of polygamy as "a filthy and unnatural custom" (Burton 1). Whitman's views on religion are expressed in his poem "Song of Myself." In the poem, Whitman proclaims that he is "large, I contain multitudes" (Whitman 1) and that he is "the poet of the body and the poet of the soul" (Whitman 2). He rejects the idea that there is one true religion, instead asserting that all religions are equally valid.
Twain, Burton, and Whitman all used humor to express their views on religion. Twain's humor is evident in his novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, in which he pokes fun at the hypocrisy of organized religion. Burton's humor is evident in his travel writing, in which he often makes light of the religious practices of the cultures he encounters. Whitman's humor is evident in his poem "Song of Myself," in which he playfully mocks those who would try to pigeonhole him into one religion or another.
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