Racism In Huck Finn

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a Mark Twain classic, wonderfully demonstrates pre-Civil War attitudes about blacks held by whites. Twain demonstrates these attitudes through the actions and the speech of Huckleberry Finn, the narrator, and Jim, Miss Watson's slave. These two main characters share a relationship that progresses from an acquaintance to a friendship throughout the novel. It is through this relationship that Mark Twain gives his readers the realization of just how different people's attitudes were before the Civil War. Twain also reveals the negative attitudes of whites toward blacks by the cruel manner in which Jim is treated with such inferiority.

When taking a look at Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn, racism is a large theme that seems to be reoccurring. What some may think to be racism in Twain's words, can also be explained as, good story telling appropriate to the era the story takes place in.

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.

to look past conformist and the effects of his environment. Huck was born into a

Friendship Doesn’t Stop at Skin Color “I have a dream that one day… little black boys and black girls will be able to hold hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers” (King). In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Huck, encourages the equality our society has today when he doesn’t let race come in between a friendship. Huck isn’t racist because he helps set Jim free, he feels guilt for Jim, and he becomes friends with Jim.

portraying a very realistic slave raised in the South during this time period, and to

However, if you look at the arguments that people who oppose the reading of the book, some of them are fair. The “N” word is a very sensitive word for many people. It brings them back to a time when their people were viewed as less than human, and only very few people treated them with respect. Even now in 2017, they still face racism and discrimination from people in the country. For them, this book just serves as a painful reminder of how much progress society has to make. Many people know that Huck Finn is not a racist novel, but still disagree with the use of the “N” word. One professor, Alan Gribben, has been teaching Huck Finn, without its use of the “N” word. In defense of his decision, Jane Sullivan writes, “For 40 years he has been

Some literary critics agree with Ernest Hemingway that "all modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn… it's the best book we've had. All American writing comes from that. There was nothing before. There has been nothing as good since,” (Hemingway). While others feel that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn does not belong in the literary canon and that it “is itself literally incoherent” (Jehlen). Unquestionably, it is now one of the “most often debated major work in American literature” (Fertig). Although The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has caused several controversies, one major debate is whether if it is racist or not.

The story tells the life of the American South before the Civil War. The nigger Jim, who is an industrious and simple, honest and enthusiasm, and loyal, heard that his mistress would sell him, so he fled to the north. In the midway, Jim encountered Huckleberry who is a smart, kind, and brave white boy. Huckleberry was unbearable his father’s beaten while wandering outside. They live in the pursuit of freedom, fled to the Mississippi River.

Through different situations, Twain is able to represent racism issues through drastically contrasting characters, including a drunk, a nun, and a slave. However, besides the white, young, pure main character, Huck’s experience with the pressures of society on racism, Twain was also able to give the readers the point of view of fully grown white men at the time: the Duke and the King. The Duke and the King, unlike Finn, have already been subjected to years of brainwashing by society on the topic of racism. Yet these men are more concerned on survival than on social values and appropriation. This sets a circumstance to consider racism when the living state of the immoral, white crooks are at the level of “dirty”, runaway blacks under the law

Abraham Lincoln once said, “Achievement has no color.” What he meant was that no matter what you achieve, it is not because of your skin color. For instance, if a white man starts a successful business, it is not because he is white. No matter what, people are equal in success, as long as they try. Racism is a topic known everywhere, and everyday, kids read books with racist characters. However, even when kids learn about the evils of racism in reading these novels, it is not good to let these kids read books like these. Reading novels with portrayals of racist characters does not teach about the evils of racism because these novels give children a bad influence, and make them feel uncomfortable in their own class.

Prompt:Racial issues are shown huck finn, and the author uses racist language to convey his anti slavery ideals, Why is the books not racist?

Mark Twain, the author of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, grew up in the antebellum south where blacks were often viewed as nothing more than just ignorant, lazy, pieces of property with no feelings. As Mark Twain grew older, the perception of blacks as ignorant property with no feelings remained the same and even intensified to a certain extent. Surprisingly, around the time The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was written, Mark Twain opposed slavery and presumably cringed at the common notion that blacks were just pieces of property and not even human beings. Coincidentally, a significant character in the novel, Jim, and other minor characters that are black, are portrayed throughout the novel as being stereotypical unintelligent, lazy

Huckleberry Finn or Huck Finn for short has had plenty of controversy since the book was first published. Many people believe that because of the words Twain used in the book many people blatantly believe that the book Huck Finn is racist. Since the book was First Published people have been trying to ban and not allow people to read Huck Finn. Many people believe that Huck Finn should not be taught in school simply because of the tone and words Twain decided to use while writing the book while others, on the contrary, believe that Huck Finn had a powerful message that spoke against racism and slavery. “ Falling from grace” ( Twain 35) This quote can mean many different things, but how most people see it, it can show how much this book affected racism and hate in the U.S.A it really portrays what life was like during the time period that Huck Finn was set in. Why should Huck Finn be taught in school and why is there so much controversy surrounding a novel.

“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect” (Mark Twain). Mark Twain was born in 1835 into a very hostile and racially fueled country. He was an author, teacher, comedian, and journalist in his time. During the 1800’s slavery and traditional white manners was being practiced all around the country. Twain wrote over 20 books and all of them sold well. His most famous and impactful book is The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, published in 1884 almost 20 years after the Civil War ended it involved many problems that were seen in society back then and now. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck runs away from his abusive father and finds another black runaway. Together they take free will and natural