There are many people who are skillful in arguing and know how to use tricks to win an argument. The classic novel, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain displays examples of argumentative tactics during a scheme with the real brothers and the fake brothers. After Peter Wilks passed, the con artists, King and Duke, decided to pretend as the brothers to inherit the money and estate. In the scene after the true Wilks brothers arrive, the real and fake brothers go through rounds of identification and debate. In an attempt to establish themselves to be true brothers, the King and Duke use different methods to prove the validity of their claims.
One method often used is “stealing thunder”, which is using someone’s proposition for one’s advantage or to pre-empt them. An example is seen in the con artists and the real brothers' second round of investigation. Initially, the real Wilks brothers, Harvey and William, arrive and claim to be Peter Wilks' true brothers. There is, however, no proof of identification available from the real Wilks brothers. The brothers explain their luggage had allegedly been delayed and William’s arm had been injured too. In this way, the King uses these misfortunes to his advantage. He mocked them since they were also incapable of proving they were the real brothers either. In this scenario, the King stole thunder in an effort to make people aware of the flaws of the real brothers and to prove them wrong. Rather than attempt to convince people the authenticity of his fake identification, he decides to put the blame on the real Wilks brothers. Furthermore, the King uses it to shift the burden of proof of he and the Duke to the real brothers. Despite trying to win the argument using evidence, the King decided to prove that the real Wilks brothers are wrong instead by stealing thunder.
Another strategy many, mostly unintentionally, used is lying. Although used, it is not a righteous way of arguing as the truth always comes out in the end. In the first round, the Wilks brothers were seen with a proper British accent, whereas the King's imitation was somewhat unnatural. Regardless, the King is unafraid and shamelessly shows off his poor accent. The fourth round was no different when the lawyer discovered that the Wilks brothers' handwritings were identical in letters, making Harvey’s claim that William wrote for him was shown to be true. After hearing, the king immediately lied, claiming the Duke was the “cussedest joker in the world, and hadn't tried to write.” It was obvious that the King was only making an excuse, but he still boldly lied. Then in the fifth round, the real Harvey challenged the King and asked him what was tattooed on Peter Wilks’ body. The King had no way of knowing and even Huck was sure that the King would give up. However, although the king didn’t know what was on the body, he made it up to make his lie appear credible. These examples show the sheer cruelty of the King and the Duke and how they are willing to do anything just for money.
Furthermore, the King and Duke used the simple “tactic” of avoiding the argument in general. In the third round, the lawyer questioned the King and the Duke about the way they arrived. The King, expectedly, lied at first, saying “I come down on the Susan Powell from Cincinnati.” In response, the lawyer claimed to have seen the King and Huck in a canoe with another boy in Pint. Although the king claimed he was not in Pint, the lawyer said that he lived there and witnessed everything. The King eventually gave in, but instead of telling the truth or lying again, he avoided speaking anything further. Knowing that arguing was pointless, the King made a wise decision to stop. In spite of this, the King still lied and got himself into a worsened situation where he had to remain quiet. It is typically used in desperate situations where proof is impossible. Most of the time, this method is not used since it tends to weaken the evidence and the claim. In this instance, by refuting the King's claim that he was at Pint, the King's argument is already weaker. Then, the lack of an explanation or counter to the refutation made it even worse. Therefore, this occurrence displays the effects of lies and how it led to avoiding the argument.
The scheme in this novel between the real brothers and the fake brothers is characterized by many examples of argumentative tactics. A common technique is "stealing thunder," or using someone else's proposition for one's own advantage. It is seen in the scene when the real Wilks brothers had their own misfortunes and the King mocked them as they couldn’t provide identification either. Lying is another method in argument many use, mostly unintentionally. In this particular situation, however, the King and the Duke used it without shame in many instances and tried to lie their way out. Regardless, lying comes with its own consequences. After lying, a lawyer presented with evidence that the King’s claim was fake. Therefore, the King’s argument was weakened and he eventually gave up. As a result of all these flaws in his arguments, the real Wilks brothers ended up convincing more people and ultimately the truth came out. In general, this novel is entertaining and provides a variety of perspectives on the story.
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