Gender Stereotypes In Huckleberry Finn

Aside from the scientific aspect of social influences, we can observe this habit in fiction as well, like Huckleberry Finn. In the novel, the whole society follows a collective reasoning and collective values, specifically around slavery. Blind conformity was not a rare2 theme in this novel, as well as going off of what was learned and taught. This is represented through Huck when he chooses to listen to others on slavery until he has a personal experience with Jim, a slave, and begins to change his mind. The transition between blind conformity and independent thinking shows that Huck begins to think for himself and follow his conscience instead of following what he was told instead.

In society, there is usually some type of opinion or stereotype placed upon what the role of man or woman should be. Normally, people see the man as the provider meaning he works outside the home and brings in the income. Meanwhile, the woman is to stay home and take care inside the home, as well as raising the children, if any. As far as today’s society, that has very much changed for the most part. One can compare the role of women today to the role of women during the time of Huckleberry Finn and see the difference. Twain once gave a suffrage speech and that was confirmation to people the he was possibly a feminist. His female characters lacked basic traits and were based off of societal standards of women. Women characters in Huckleberry Finn were scarce compared to the number of men characters. It can be seen throughout the novel how Mark Twain uses women to place emphasis on gender roles yet some did not follow these rules.

“Orphans are easier to ignore before you know their names. They are easier to ignore before you see their faces. It is easier to pretend they’re not real before you hold them in your arms. But once you do, everything changes” by David Platt. David Platt’s quotes fits in with The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain’s theme of learning and education and the archetype, The Orphan because it is talking about how you could oversee something or someone a million times, but once you actual know them, you start to care about them. The archetype the orphan motto is every man is created equal.

Twain continues to use stereotypes typical to minstrel shows, a common format of storytelling in antebellum America, throughout the novel. Although, atypical to minstrel shows, Jim does not always act as the unknowing interlocutor. Instead, he and Huck trade roles as the so-called ‘butt’ of the joke, either acting as a naive child, or “as a comic stage Negro" (Hansen 46). This depiction of African American slaves is by no means progressive or radical, however what transforms this stereotype is Jim’s role when not he, but Huck is the butt of such joking dialogues. Take, as an example, the slapstick conversation between Jim and Huck about Louis the Sixteenth. Jim proposes that French people should speak English just as Americans do, and Huck dismisses him, by saying “Looky here, Jim, does a cat talk like we do?” (Twain 89). Jim obviously agrees that, no, cats do not speak English, and if the dialogue were to end here, then this scene would play out with Jim once again acting “as a comic stage negro” (Hansen 46). However, Twain continues, pressing Huck for a better explanation. Jim demands, “Is a cat a man?” (Twain 89). Along with pointing out the ridiculous nature of their conversation, Jim manages to overturn all of Huck’s reasoning, proving Huck to be the naive child and ‘butt’ of their jokes, all while subtly poking fun at the idea of racial essentialism. Of course a cat cannot talk like a man; but why can a man not speak like other men? Well, of course everyone knows that

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn explores the ideas of racism and slavery through the eyes of a young white boy during slave times, who throughout the book is faced with ideas and people that force him to question the morals of which he was raised with. It's very important for us to know that Huck was raised by adults with superior attitudes toward Jim due to the color of his skin. Mark Twain wants the reader to realize that Huckleberry changes over time, and as an example, Twain writes about Huck eventually helping Jim out of slavery when he knows in his mind it's the wrong thing to do. A key theme in the story is the relationship that has been built between Huck and Jim.

Although the 19th century was a time of progress and innovation, women were relegated to raising children and taking care of the household rather than contributing to the workforce. These gender roles supported the idea that women were in some way less than men and thus deserving of fewer rights. This societally ingrained sexism is evident in Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain.. Huckleberry Finn takes place in early 19th century America in a community where people are socially conservative and slavery is legal. The book follows the story of Huckleberry who runs away with a slave named Jim; The two protagonists travel north along the Mississippi river in pursuit of their freedom. While Twain appears to be liberal in his social views, especially regarding slavery, upon further examination it becomes evident that Huckleberry values women more from how they look than how they behave. Moreover, most the of the women in the book occupy roles that confine them to be housewives who don’t play a major role in the development of the story. The role that women play in Huckleberry Finn reinforces the theme that women are less valued than men and should conform to traditional gender roles.

In the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain utilizes the archetypes of the Unwilling Hero, the Shape Shifter, and Haven vs. Wilderness to show that Huck Finn and Jim can find freedom all along the banks of the Mississippi River.  Huck portrays the unwilling hero because he puts a lot of thought into something before he does it, even though it will benefit everybody.  He is also very hesitant to perform heroic acts.  The King and Duke show the archetype of the shape shifter because they are constantly lying about their identities and deceiving everybody.  The Mississippi represents the characters “haven”, and Huck and Jim’s home represents the “wilderness”.

Huckleberry Finn is the most creative and witty individual portrayed in the book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. As Huckleberry lives his criminalistic life among the subpar charters surrounding him, Huckleberry shows off his strong traits with precision. As Huckleberries actions are shown it challenges the reader to accept what side Huckleberry is fighting for; the greater good or the wicked. As Huckleberry goes about his business his traits are used to survive in many situation normal people may not live through.

Another woman in the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is Sally Phelps, the aunt of Tom Sawyer and the wife of Silas Phelps. She is a woman who is totally dependent upon her husband and is a typical housewife. She has the same function as that of Miss Watson and Widow Douglas, that is, of civilizing Huck. She does all the things that any common wife has to do. In a way, she depicts what a typical married woman has to do.

Alved King says, “Racism springs from the lie that certain humans beings are less than fully human. It’s a self-centered falsehood that corrupts our minds into believing we are right to treat others as we would not want to be treated.” This doesn’t just apply to race. It applies to different genders, religion, ethnicities, and sexualities. Women, today are marching in the streets just to be treated equally, not for a woman to go to an interview and get upset that she didn’t get the job because she's a woman or claims she deserves it because she’s is. There are still traces of discrimination against race and gender, but it’s a lot different than when we started out. It just comes quietly, slowly, sometimes so quietly that you don’t realize it until you start looking back. Women outrank men in both undergraduate and graduate degrees by a minimum of 14%. Some states, including California, have passed laws that prohibit the consideration of race, gender, or ethnicity when considering public education or public

“Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” is a novel written by Mark Twain, it is also a

Huckleberry Finn is a novel written by Mark Twain in 1884 and is a staple of American literature, even though it contains strong themes of racial relations that would seem out of the norm in today’s literature. Yet, instead of finding these themes just in old literature we are now finding them in the modern world. This paper will focus on past and modern-day racial relations by looking at historical events and the use of literature.

There are many exciting happenings up until the end of Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn. Jim is finally able to be free, and people start to treating him like a normal human being. During all of the chaos, a lot of things change, but women’s roles throughout society do not change. My role is to analyze how women are portrayed throughout Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn. I am doing so by viewing his novel through a feminist lens. Although Mark Twain was an avid feminist, he still fully encompases how women were portrayed in the past throughout his novel.

Jim from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn starts the novel as a simple and trusting slave working for Miss Watson. However, when he comes to learn that he will be sold down South, taken away from his family, he decides to run-off, where he encounters Huck Finn. This is the moment that the central conflict of the novel starts, that being Jim’s quest to find his way to freedom along with Huck Finn. Jim’s characterization shines through as one of the major attractions of the book. He is loyal, choosing to stay with Huck throughout their time together, and compassion, which is seen numerous times later in the novel. This specific set of traits that the author chose to ascribe to the character of Jim is what shapes the larger motifs of the novel,

The United States has been plagued with various race-related issues for the last 240 years. These issues have led to several historical milestones, such as the abolition of slavery, the right for blacks to become citizens, and the achievement of suffrage for African Americans. One of the best ways to learn about this history is through the reading of great literature by many historic authors. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain presents information about slavery and racism during the 1830s through the experiences of Jim as he tries to escape slavery with the help of Huck. Next, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee depicts racism in the 1950s through the eyes of Scout Finch as her father, Atticus, tries to defend a black man, Tom Robinson. Finally, How it Went Down by Kekla Magoon depicts present day racial tensions after the death of a black teen, Tariq Johnson. Race and racism are two common themes that run through the entirety of all three of these novels. Although the relationship between blacks and whites has greatly improved over the past two centuries through the abolition of slavery and the establishment of civil rights, this relationship continues to be strained by violence against blacks that still infiltrates society today.