Racism In Huck Finn

Twain’s purpose in writing that part was to get people to realize and understand how ridiculous it is to treat someone differently just because of the way they look. Twain’s depiction of Huck’s moral struggle has been just one of the ways he gets his readers to understand the idea he was trying to convey. Throughout the book, Huck begins to gradually change his views on the issues of racism and slavery. He is quoted saying, “Alright then, I’ll go to hell.” (p.195) Right before tearing up a letter he wrote to Miss Watson telling her where Jim was. Huck realizes that he would feel even more guilty if he turned in his friend. Throughout the book, it had been hard for Huck to separate himself from society’s view of African Americans, and this part is a definite turning point for him, but also an important lesson. Huck’s decision reminds the reader that society doesn’t always know what is best, and makes people realize that the right decision might not always be the popular one. As Huck’s friendship with Jim begins to form as the book progresses, he soon realizes that his perception of Jim and other African Americans isn’t entirely

In this passage, Huck is writing a note to the rightful owner of Jim, the runaway slave. He decides that

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is an important novel that shows how the two worlds of Huck and Jim collide to bring out the problems of racism and slavery before the Civil War. Huck is depicted to be a young boy who is oblivious to the outside world, and Jim a slave with a big heart who looked at the world in a different perspective. Throughout the journey together, Huck and Jim’s relationship was shaken by the cold reality of racism and slavery, thus opening Huck's eyes to the world around him, where Jim and Huck grow as individuals but also creating a new foundation for their friendship.As Huck and Jim embark on an adventure together to run away from there lives, Huck noticed to see Jim as a person then property.

In the beginning of the novel, Huckleberry doesn’t see slaves as equals he just views them as slaves until he starts to view Jim in a different light and sees him as an equal and a friend. Huck gets to know Jim personally and realizes that Jim has a family and people that he cares about who he was taken away from because of slavery and societies beliefs. This development is shown in chapter thirty-one when Huck realizes how much Jim means to him, “...and such-like time; and would always call me honey, and pet me, and do everything he could think of for me, and how good he always was…” (Twain 206). Huckleberry remembers all of the good things that Jim has done for him while they’ve traveled together and he realizes what Jim means to him. Furthermore showing how Huck’s views have changed from just seeing Jim as another slave to seeing him as his friend and someone he cares for and wants to help. When Huck’s views on Jim change it shows that people really can

The two men live a dangerous life that any moment, they could be captured, especially Jim. One of the many times that Huck could have told on Jim, was when some men approached him looking for five black men run off that night. Instead of letting the men know that he have one black man with him, Huck told them that it is a white man with him. Despite saying that, the men still want to make sure. So, Huck has to make excuses as to not let

Huck comes to the realization that Jim cares about his family as much as a white person would. At this point Huck stops seeing Jim as a slave, but sees him as a companion and as an equal. This is a major step in his moral development in the fact that he no longer follows what is sociably expected but rather takes his own path on what he consciously knows is

One would doubt that Twain would input the N-word into his book without having a good reason to do so. At the time of writing this book, the Civil War was over and the general thought was that slavery and racism was over. The thought then leads to the fact that Twain wanted to make a point of letting readers know that, just because you have abolished slavery does not mean that the racism and bigotry has gone with it. The repel of slavery made no difference to the racism card, and he wanted his Northern readers to know it.

The most obvious piece of evidence towards proving Mark Twain’s novel racist is his use of the “n” word. The word is used more then 200 times in the novel and the way it is used makes it look like

I warn't afraid of him telling the people where I was. I talked along, but he only set there and looked at me; never said nothing” (8.25). Huck is realizing all colors are the same they have the same emotions and the same blood. Talking or being friends with an african - american is wrong in Huck’s society. He is forming a relationship with Jim because he is a human just like him.

Less subtle are Huck’s observations of Jim as their relationship progresses. Jim at first is nothing but a source of amusement for Huck, but Huck slowly discovers the real person inside. In Chapter 23, Huck states, “…I do believe that he cared just as much for his people as white folks does for ther’n.” Later, Huck goes even further to say, “I knowed Jim was really white inside.” From Huck, this naïve statement was the highest compliment he could have given Jim, and reiterates the idea that a black man can have true emotions and real feelings, something that was not commonly believed at the

Jim’s life changed forever all because of these few months and Huck’s influence . Jim’s views on his own slavery were changed though this book. Jim had only known being a slave, and when Jim had left Mrs. Watson’s, he found something new, something he had never thought he would find, someone to help him. Jim was in slavery for as long as Huck knew him.

Huck begins to write this letter to Miss Watson to tell her where Jim is even if it means Jim is back to being her slave and Huck will be stuck with this widow again but he realizes Jim is gonna be sold either way so he rips up the letter. Huck says he is going to “Hell” because instead of writing her he is just going to help Jim escape slavery which goes against society but he’s following his heart and what he believes is right. Huck learns a lesson about following your heart if you if it is the right thing which teaches the readers the same lesson.

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.

The heart of the story begins when Huck meets up with the escaped slave Jim. Huck’s first step to overcoming society’s prejudice and racism occurs when he meets Jim on the island. "I was ever so glad to see Jim. I warn’t lonesome, now" (Twain 36). From this point forward, Jim is not a just a slave to Huck. He is a partner.

Despite an ardent view on slavery evident through interactions with Jim, Huck’s slowly shifting view of Jim from that of ignorance to seeming acceptance expresses his ability to stray from flawed societal values to his own developed moral code of conduct. This becomes evident when Huck protects Jim from men who board his raft, by hinting he has smallpox. Although one can see this as compassion for Jim, Huck questions with racist undertones, “s’pose you done right and give Jim up; would you felt better than you do now? No, says I, I’d feel bad” (Twain 127). However, he later affirms himself to “do whatever come handiest at the time.” (Twain 127). At this point, society still influences Huck, but his statement marks his decision to detach from societal values, and eventually allows him to form his own views on Jim. This comes slowly, as Huck cannot shake free from racism.