Dehumanism In Huckleberry Finn Essay

A majority of people in American society believe that school systems must teach children that racism is morally wrong. Often, however, tension has builds over how to teach this important lesson. Unfortunately, a controversy has built over the teaching of Huckleberry Finn. Although some believe that Mark Twains' novel perpetuates racist feelings, in fact Twain uses the characters to demonstrate the immorality of slavery. Miss Watson and Pap, the reprehensible objects of Twains' satire, demonstrate the racist views that society takes towards slaves. The slave Jim, who may appear stereotypically ignorant, in reality represents the true goodness and humanity which society impedes upon

“All modern literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn,” this is what fellow writer had to say about this classic novel. Still, this novel has been the object of controversy since it was published more than 150 years ago. Some people argue that Huckleberry Finn is a racist work, and that the novel has no place in a highschool classroom. This feeling is generated because a main character in the story, Jim, and other slaves are referred to many times as “niggers.” When Mark Twain wrote this book, he was striving to show the general public that society was wrong in the past, that the way white people thought black people were less than human was a wrong viewpoint. The

Mark Twain has always been one of the most controversial authors of all time. Though in recent years, there has been increasing controversy over the ideas expressed in his novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. In some extreme cases the novel has even been banned by public school systems and censored by public libraries. The basis for this censorship is the argument that Mark Twain's book is racist, but in reality Twain was against racism and used this book to make people aware of what was going on in the south. He did this by using the regional dialect of the south, showing the attitude of the other characters in the novel toward black people, and showing his depiction of black characters. If one were to "read between the lines"

Ernest Hemingway once said, “all modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain, called Huckleberry Finn:” However, Huck Finn has had its share of controversy. There has been an ongoing debate to whether or not schools should continue to teach Huck Finn because of the obvious racial components and the constant use of the word “nigger”. This word has evolved to be very hurtful and very sensitive to African-Americans and the constant repetition of this word in the novel causes teachers and students alike to be uncomfortable. A southern publishing company has

"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” by Mark Twain, is considered to be one of the greatest American works of art. The novel was published in 1885 and was “one book from which all modern American literature” came (Ernest Hemingway). The novel was so powerful because it introduced new ideas into book such as the vernacular language and strong expression of racism. As being one of the greatest American novels, it was one of the most controversial. This novel has faced banishment from schools and libraries over the years, even including shortly after it was published due to the idea of a white boy hanging out/helping a black boy. The continuous argument on whether this novel should be taught in schools is still alive and as strong as ever. “Huckleberry Finn” should be taught in schools for its powerful depictions of racism, which in return does more good than harm. This novel deserves to be presented to all high school students for what it accomplishes to present to the reader.

Since its publication, whether or not the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is racist and if it should be taught in the classroom has been highly debated. Many critics posit that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is extremely racist and to teach it in classrooms would have adverse consequences. One of the reasons for this sentiment is the widespread use of the N word in the novel. Many scholars argue the use of N word enforces the black-white binary and highlights the distinctions established between races (Alberti 932). The frequent use of the N word in Huckleberry Finn shows innate racism in the novel, experts suggest, because it contributes to the portrayal of blacks as separate beings (Valkeakari 30).

The omnipresent social ideals in “Huckleberry Finn” relate to white supremacy and beliefs of black inferiority. Because this social ideal is not completely extinct today, teaching its past may be bitter for some, as immature students could victimize students of color and make them more vulnerable (Butler). The distress and discrimination forced upon students should always be minimized to the greatest extent within the power of the school and teachers, so if a material enables discrimination, it should not be taught. The persistence of racism in modern American societies is what causes the racial slurs of “Huckleberry Finn” to become problematic in the classroom (Fishkin). If racism did not exist today, “Huckleberry Finn” could be taught without any controversy and nobody would be oppressed by it.

Unquestionably Mark Twain’s most influential work, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn remains one of the most well-known American novels to date. It is known for its raw, often humorous depictions of southern antebellum society. Being an iconic classic, however, hasn’t protected Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from being criticized and “cleaned up,” There prove to be many controversies over the famous novel over the frequent use of the N-word throughout the book, but it is still celebrated as one of the best books written and is still read in schools today.

While many people only beginning this book will say that it is a racist novel, if you open your eyes to the undertones of the story you will see that it really is not. Twain may have chosen racial diction, but we need to remember the time period the story takes place in. It takes place in the 1800s, when slavery was still going on. Certain words that we consider racist were much more commonly used then. Twain uses these words to get his point across.

Mark Twain paints a colorful, grossly inaccurate, picture of the “typical” black slave of the antebellum south. Simple, superstitious, subhuman. Twain’s use of Africanism in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn allows the reader to view the slave Jim in a light that dehumanizes him and so to cause a lack of emotional attachment to him. Because of this, he is at the same time able to hold up a lens to the contradictory nature of the “fictional black” and “actual black” that is the character of Jim. To mirror this image, we see the innocent intelligence of Huck throughout the narrative.

Often, the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is regarded with much controversy by parents in America. Aside from the heavy use of the “n-word” in the book, it touches on some rather controversial themes, such as social equality, slavery and many other things. However these themes should not be frowned upon, but rather, they should be analyzed and interpreted for what they truly are; satire against racism in the South. Over the course of the book, the main character, Huckleberry Finn, embarks on an adventure with a runaway slave named Jim down the Mississippi River on a raft. Through the course of their journey, both undergo great changes, especially Huck, who is torn between what he has been taught and what he is constantly

The book, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain is about the adventures that Huck and Jim go on. Huck runs away with Jim and does all he can to get Jim out of Slavery at last. The book takes place in the deep south, pre-Civil War, and shows how prevalent racism was. This historical fiction story goes far enough to humanize Jim and really expose the fallacies of the racist assumptions of slavery effectively attacking racism.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is the most exciting novel in the world. Mark Twain certainly has a style of his own that shows a reality in the novel about the society back in eighteenth-century America. Mark Twain definitely characterizes the main character, the smart and kind Huckleberry Finn by the direct open manner of writing. Huck is so exact it reflects even the racism and black labels typical of the era. And this has led to many difficult battles by several readers since the release of the book. Though inspiring some. Many authors livid by Twain’s constant use of the shameful word ‘nigger’. The disagreement behind the novel has been and will always remain the root of any readers who still are truly racist. Twain sure does use the word ‘nigger’ often, both as a reference to the slave Jim and any other slaves that Huck encounters with and as the height of insult and weakness. However, the reader must also not fail to recognize that this type of racism, this hateful behavior towards African-Americans is all natural of the pre-Civil War tradition. Racism is only said in the novel as an object of natural course and views of the setting then. Huckleberry Finn still stands as an influential picture of experience through the fresh eyes of an innocent boy. Huck only says and treats the African-American people accordingly with the society that he was raised in. To say anything different would truly be out of place.

Throughout the novel, Huck’s treatment of Jim is demeaning and racist. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, set in the 1800’s, Huck, a white boy, and Jim, a runaway slave, travel together on an adventure to escape. They form a bond throughout the story, although Huck’s use of the n word and other problematic remarks have raised the question can his racism be justified?

Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn shows the horrors of slavery and the racist beliefs people held in the early to mid-1800s. Twain depicts these horrors by discussing how slaves were treated like property. Blacks