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.

Despite all the criticism, of racism and other questionable material for young readers, Mark Twain’s The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn is a superbly written novel, which in the opinion of this reviewer should not be remove the literary cannon. Twain’s novel is a coming of age story that teaches young people many valuable lessons and to some extend makes students reexamine their own lives and morals. The most common argument for its removal from the literary canon is that the novel is too racist; it offends black readers, perpetuates cheap slave-era stereotypes, and deserves no place on today’s bookshelves.  However one must ask if Twain is encouraging

Bell, Bernard W. "Twain's "Nigger" Jim." Satire or Evasion? Black Perspectives on Huckleberry Finn. Ed. James S. Leonard, Thomas S. Tenney and Thadious M. Davis. Durham and London: Duke University Press, 1992. 124-140. Print.

     In extreme cases the book, Huckleberry Finn, has been banned from some schools because of the depiction of racial tension towards Jim, the black slave, in Huckleberry Finn. This story takes place at a time where slavery was considered moral. Blacks were considered inferior to whites, but Huckleberry challenges the notion that he was raised upon. Through Huckleberry’s adventures Twain expresses his challenge towards civilization’s rules and moral code. One must read between the lines and reach for the meaning in Mark Twain’s subtle literature dialog. If one were to do this that one would realize that it is not racist, but anti-slavery. For someone

     In recent years, there has been increasing discussion of the seemingly racist ideas expressed by Mark Twain in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. In some cases, the novel has been banned by public school systems and even censored by public libraries. Along with the excessive use of the word, “nigger,” the basis for this blatant censorship has been the portrayal of one of the main characters in Huck Finn, Jim, a black slave who runs away from his owner, Miss Watson. At several points in the novel, Jim's character is described to the reader, and some people have looked upon the presented characterization as racist. However, before one begins to censor a novel it important to distinguish the ideas of the author

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.

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.

Racism has been a problem for a long time. The story “The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn” talks a lot about racism. In this story, Jim was a running way slave. Throughout the book Huck, the main characters in the story treat Jim badly pranking him and making him feel bad until they become friends Huck decide to help Jim escape to the free state. In this story, the word nigger used to describe slaves/African. Pap, Huck Finn’s harsh father is a very racist person who sees blacks people as property. “But when they told me there was a state in this country where they’d let that nigger vote…..I says to the people the people why ain’t this nigger put up to auction and sold?” (pg.26). pap didn’t want to vote for the state he was live in because blacks/slaves

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.

Unmatched in vulgarity, filled with taboo diction, and continually banned from school curricula, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain has become an extremely controversial book in American history. Those who protest the book are most often berating its oversimplification of blacks, its anti-American bite, or its excessive use of the word “nigger.” Advocates for the teaching of this book often argue that it is important to learn from the past or that the art of satire was so masterfully crafted within the pages of the novel that it must be taught to those with the stomach to sift through the pages. Huckleberry Finn, the novel’s protagonist, is a thirteen year old white boy in the 19th century. Huck did not have an easy childhood,

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.

When Racism was Socially Acceptable Racism was not always looked upon as offensive and arrogant. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Huckleberry, also known as Huck, constantly uses the ‘n- word,’ along with many other characters. Today, this would be socially offensive. However, in Huck’s time, he is raised to describe African Americans this way unlike modern times.

Since its first publication in 1884, Mark Twain’s masterpiece The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has proven to be one of history’s most controversial novels; especially recently, the novel has often been banned by schools and censored by libraries. Characters in the book are constantly using disparaging language toward slaves, and the repeated use of the word “nigger” makes many sensitive and offended. Critics denounce the novel and Mark Twain as racist for this word being insulting and politically incorrect and for its depiction of black people and how they are treated. However, Twain was not attempting to perpetuate racism; on the contrary, he used satire to expose the ignorance and paradoxical views held by many in America at that time.

It is a well-known fact that Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is not only difficult to read, but also difficult to teach. It is hard for students to understand Twain’s true message without the help of prepared teachers with the tools to put the story into historical context. The history of American racism and hatred is a particularly ugly one. However, to effectively critique racism, one must experience the racism in all its ugliness. Too often in society nasty bits of this country’s past are swept under the rug so as not to admit that there once was a massive blemish on our nation. This book embraces shameful parts To expose and criticize a racist society is to fully expose racists as they are and use the language they use.