Huckleberry Finn Literary Analysis

In chapter 31, Huck becomes faced with either helping Jim escape, or to abide by slave laws, which “is still a critique of slavery and racism” (Smith 184). Even though Twain used the word nigger, “the novel still presents teachable moments--provoking conversations about slavery, its moral dilemmas for the country, and its historical consequences” (Smith 184). Mark Twain wrote in a way that “enables its American readers to approach the most profoundly troubling issue in their history without risk of being overcome with the fear and guilt that is attached to this subject” (Kaye 14). Twain’s writing style makes this story so understandable that you fail to notice the gap of 132 years between then and now and you realize how similar things are to this

Since its publication in December of 1884, Mark Twain’s novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, has created a great deal of controversy in American society. This well-known story follows a troubled young boy and a run away slave as they adventure down the Mississippi in search of new lives. Huck Finn longs for freedom from both his father, and from the society he has been exposed to. Jim longs for freedom from slavery and racism. Readers have argued over the matter of whether or not this novel should be banned from schools due to the frequent use of the “n-word”. It has caused many to question Twain’s intensions throughout the book, and is often seen as offensive. Although slavery has remained a difficult and upsetting issue in our nations

People often hesitate to accept what they do not understand. In the absence of love and compassion, it is no question that fear, ignorance, and hatred, all contribute to a melting pot of negativity in the world. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, is about the love and friendship cultivated by a young boy and a black slave on the Mississippi River. Despite the pair’s differences, they are able to endure the struggles and difficulties that the toilsome journey brings. Mark Twain, in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, emphasizes the shift in Huck’s view towards slavery by contrasting Huck’s initial tone of reflectiveness to his assertive tone, both collectively addressing the issue of racism in society.

But according to Michael Meyers, “It is in the classroom, exactly, where the word ‘nigger’ belongs. It does not belong in the street, in casual conversation among whites or between blacks.” (67). John Wallace feels that because the word “nigger” appears over 200 times throughout the story, it “has caused him to be traumatized as a high-school student when it was required reading.” (“View of Slavery Still a Hot Topic”). Wallace went so far as to change the book, replacing any words that he felt were offensive to black people with other non-offensive words like slave or black man. When Wallace changed this book to what he felt was less offensive, the novel lost its irony, and its values (“View of Slavery Still a Hot Topic”). Other people argue that the text is harmful for young African-American students to read, but they must realize that Twain was writing for the time of the story. He wrote these words as a reminder that the way people acted in the past was unacceptable, and should not be tolerated, nor repeated. He knew that the way he had the characters treat Jim and the other slaves was wrong, but he was writing a period piece. These actions fit the way people acted in American society in the 1830's and 1840's (Cryer 60). Twain goes on to show that even though Huck has been brought up to think of blacks as only slaves, and that he knows that freeing a slave, is not only

     Despite the few incidences of which Jim's description might be misconstrued as racist, there are many points in the novel where through Huck, Twain voices his extreme opposition to the slave trade and racism. In chapter six, Huck's father fervently objects to the governments granting of voting rights to an educated black professor. Twain wants the reader to see the absurdity in this statement. Huck's father believes that he is superior to this black professor simply because of the color of his skin. In chapter 15, the reader is told of an incident which contradicts the original "childlike" description of Jim. The reader is presented with a very caring and father-like Jim who becomes very worried when he loses his best friend Huck in a deep fog. Twain is pointing out the connection between Huck and Jim. A connection which does not exist between a man and his property.

Mark Twain went against endless amounts of criticism about his racist’s comments in his novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The character of Jim is demeaning to African-Americans as he is portrayed as a foolish, uneducated, black slave. The “n” word is also used in the book describing him and many other African-American characters in the story. However, some see this book as anti-racist and believe that the use of racist’s comments is not racist at all. Those who think that are mistaken because Huck Finn in clearly a racist novel.

However, in the context of Huck Finn, it is an essential part in the accurate depiction of the south. Twain uses the word “not just as a trigger to outrage but, more important, a means of understanding the precise nature of American racism” (Smith 364). When this word is used in the story, it brings out emotion in the readers and sometimes makes them uncomfortable. Marylee Hengstebeck decided not to teach this book because she had students “firsthand [tell her] how it made them feel…and now [she thinks] that it’s not only insensitive but abusive”. However, the emotion that the word “nigger” creates makes Huck Finn an impactful book. Once a reader closes the book, they see the horrors of racism and this doesn’t occur without the use of “nigger”. By replacing or deleting the word, “it is difficult to imagine how Twain could have debunked a discourse without using [this] specific [term] of… discourse” (Smith, 367). Not only do the white characters use this word, Jim does also. When Jim and Huck first meet, Jim tells Huck that he ran away because “‘[he] noticed dey wuz a nigger trader roun’ de place considable, lately, en [he] begin to git oneasy” (Twain 55). By using the word “nigger” trader, it emphasizes the harshness of slave traders and slavery. Twain uses this word because it common in the 1800s and to pull on the emotions of the

This generally tends to be in older books, and could contain any perception of racism, from the blatant word calling, to the general notion of discrimination. Racism in banned books is generally the act of older writing, as many books written in this time period do not contain any such acts. Since these books have been written in an older time period, the discussion of slavery is frequently enforced, with it often being written about in a casual manner. Many opponents refer back to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain for the frequent use of racialism. Dominica Ruta discusses this saying that it involves the “Casual use of the N-word, unapologetic portrayals of racism and racists, and grotesque stereotyping, essentially, all the ugly reminders of a past we still find too uncomfortable to talk about in mixed company.” It involves many accounts of racism, all of them which recurrently states off-the-cuff uses of discrimination. There is also the topic in the book with one of the main characters being a slave and Dominica Ruta describes it as being a “Dilemma where Huck faces about Jim’s status as a slave. At several points in the book, Huck is baffled by Jim’s levelheadedness, and doubts the adult man’s insights simply because of race. It is a revelation to Huck, a narrative turning point, when he realizes Jim has feelings. However, Huck

    Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn is perhaps one of the most controversial novels the North American Continent has ever produced.  Since its publication more than a hundred years ago controversy has surrounded the book.  The most basic debate surrounding Twain's masterpiece is whether the book's language and the character of Jim are presented in a racist manner.  Many have called for the book to be banned from our nation's schools and libraries.  Mark Twain's novel is about a young boy who was raised in the south before slavery was abolished, a place where racism and bigotry were the fabric of every day life.  The novel is the account of how Huck Finn, who is a product of these

“The situation of the orphan is truly the worst, you’re a child, powerless, with no protectors or guides. It’s the most vulnerable position you can be in, to see someone overcome those odds tells us something about the human spirit. They are often depicted as the kindest or most clever of characters.” Michelle Boisseau describes how important these types of characters are. In a Sunday Times article, she states that a lot of the stories and novels are considered to be apologues about orphans becoming the hero of the book. Huck’s story is quite like this subject. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a novel written by Mark Twain, it’s about a boy named Huckleberry Finn, who sets

In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain we learn about a young boy named Huck Finn and his friend, a slave named Jim, and the adventure they embark on together. The entire book is written in first person dialect and is regarded as one of the most influential fictional writings in American literature. With its popularity comes much scrutiny as well, many feel that the book has a racist element due to the cruel language used throughout. The word “nigger” is used over 200 times leading to “skepticisms and disapproval from whites and, decades later, even harsher criticism from African Americans” (Fikes, 240). Mark Twain demonstrates throughout the book that people 's morals and standards in society during that time period

As twain wrote the book, Jim is a living refutation, through his evident sensitivity, intelligence, and honor, of that terrible term Huck uses to dismiss him. But in the reformulation, many of those qualities become less evident, so that ironically, “Slave Jim” seems much more like a minstrel-show caricature than does “Nigger Jim.” Worse still, the irony of Jim’s name is lost too, so that where Twain’s book shows how wrong it is to think of Jim as subhuman and

A major theme in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is slavery and our evolvement towards the institution. “In fact, Twain’s novel is often taught as the text that epitomizes this tradition, with Huck held up as its exemplar: a boy courageous enough to stand against the moral conventions of his society. . .” (Bollinger, 32 – Say It Jim) In the beginning of Huckleberry Finn’s relationship with Jim, he has little respect for him and as their journey progresses he

Mark Twain being raised in a town where slavery existed and slaves were called “niggers” this was normal for him and wasn’t considered offensive to Blacks. This racial term is repeatedly used in the book and today that word is very offensive to most people, but during the era Twain set the book in it was not like that. Black people were just called this without any thought to the name. Throughout the novel, Huck struggles with dealing with how different Jim is, and learns of Jim’s heart and humanity. A word that is commonly used today that we might not find offensive could be in forty years to other people; because they see a meaning behind the word that actually had no meaning when it was originally used. Twain was clearly not writing to offend anyone or make it so people felt uncomfortable teaching it, like he said in the beginning before the novel " Persons attempting to find a

Throughout the evolution of the world’s societies, the roles of women seem to act as a reflection of the time period since they set the tones for the next generation. Regardless of their own actions, women generally appear to take on a lower social standing and receive an altered treatment by men. In Mark Twain’s pre-civil war novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, lies a display of how society treats and views women, as well as how they function in their roles, specifically in regards to religion and molding the minds and futures of children. The novel’s showcase of women affords them a platform and opportunity to better see their own situation and break away with a new voice.