Huck’s father is a very unsympathetic character. He’s the town’s drunk, a drifter and a violent child-beater. Because Twain has always described him in a very naturalistic and sarcastic manner, this line of dialogue is not an exception. The author’s goal is to expose, to mock and thereby to denounce.
Furthermore, since Jim, the slave will be like father figure for Huck later in the book; his father will be a perfect foil for Jim’s character. Jim is a slave of the system of slavery and Huck’s father is the slave of his addition and his depravity.
