The duke and the king are bad people --- and huck realizes it. the novel takes a turn in darker satire. Is the novel pessimistic or optimistic? analyze a scene to give examples.

initially, Huck thought the two men were harmless entertainment. He also felt their was a certain amount of cleverness to their crazy con-jobs. By chapter 24, Huck is realizing that these men are more than buffoons: they are sinister people. They use people and actually cause damage and ill-will. Huck loses any respect that he might have had for them. n particular, the Duke and King print up phony leaflets to get Jim captured. They also desecrate a church with their crazy play and con-job. The book actually takes a very dark turn at human nature because of these two men. The do not care if they ruin lives of people that have been kind to them.