The chapters in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn that star the Grangerfords contain humor, sadness, and an allusion to the play, Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare. There is some subtle humor when Huck first asks Buck about the feud between the Grangerfords and the Shepherdsons. “‘What was the trouble about, Buck?¾land?’ ‘I reckon maybe¾I don’t know.’ ‘Well, who done the shooting? Was it a Grangerford or a Shepherdson?’ ‘Laws, how do I know? It was so long ago’” (Twain 110).  The feud in itself is no laughing matter, however, the fact that there is no longer any living person who knows why the feud began in the first place is comical. People are killing each other and no one except for Huck even stops to ask why. Huck views the feud how most people would, as medieval. He does not understand it, but it is the only life that the Grangerfords have ever known. Though the Grangerfords are a generally happy family there are aspects of their lives that are a bit morbid.      

Both from the feud and other causes the Grangerfords have lost many family members. Emmeline was Buck’s sister and she was known for her artistic talents, primarily writing poems for the dead. Huck stumbled across Emmeline’s old room only to discover a shrine to her that was kept in perfect condition. “Poor Emmeline made poetry about all the dead people when she was alive, and it didn’t seem right that there warn’t nobody to make some about her now she was gone…” (106). On the surface the Grangerfords appear to be very happy. This quote reveals a darker side to their lives.  Though they are friendly people the Grangerfords are a bit morbid. While most people would view their relationship with the Shephersons as barbaric they do not think anything of it. The Grangerfords’ lives also contain an allusion to the play Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare.    

In the play, Romeo and Juliet, the two main characters come from rival families and get married in secret because they would never be given their parent’s blessings. This bears a striking resemblance to the scene in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in which Sophia Grangerford and Harney Shepherdson run off to get married. “‘Well, den, Miss Sophia’s run off! ‘deed she has. She run off in de night some time¾nobody don’t know jis’ when; run off to get married to dat young Harney Shepherdson’” (114). The families in both scenarios fight violently and most interactions end in death for one or both families. This is one allusion in the book that has remained timeless. The fact that Shakespeare’s plays have remained so well known adds to the timelessness of Twain’s novel. The Grangerfords give insight into the time period in which Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was written. Huck gets to see both the ironic and dark sides of the Grangerfords’ lives.