Racism In Huckleberry Finn

Black. Nigger. Slave. All were common words in conversation before the end of slavery, and even until the Civil Rights movement 100 years later. Mark Twain’s “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” provides clear examples of racism present in the mid- to late-1800’s, but with a central focus on showing how attitudes can change.

Question: Should the word “nigger” be censored and replaced with the word “slave” in the newly published editions of Huck Finn? Defend or Reject claim

“It was 15 minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger” (Twain 86). The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is a story about a young boy and a runaway slave, and their adventures down the river. It is a story about racism and the developing of a young person’s mind with the influence of society and the influence of his heart. While this novel is a great story about issues that are still occurring today, many schools have decided to take this out of their curriculum. Many people believe that the N word which is featured in Twain’s novel 219 times should be taken out and replaced with slave. The N word should not be taken out because it is a real reflection of the way it was and this is changing Twain’s

Though I disagree entirely with the prompt, for the sake of this essay I will assume the façade of high school teacher defending The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Now, many people claim that usage of the n word is very offensive, and that the book carried an underlying theme of racism. However, at the time the book was written it was the norm. It carries important pieces of out history that are vital to know so that they are not forgotten.

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 novel Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain has sparked the question as to whether or not the novel is racist. Many may argue that it is racist, however when you take the time period into consideration, the novel doesn’t seem nearly as racist as it does for today’s standards, you also have to take into account that Huck’s dad Pap was a very racist man.

Racism in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain was known for writing numerous classic novels such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. This novel includes many uses of derogatory terms and harsh racism towards black people. Some claim that Twain intended the book to be racist, which is not true. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was not meant to be racist, it only seems that way because racism was so prevalent in that time period.

What would life be like if everyone you knew was a racist? This is what Huckleberry Finn went through and because of it he himself turned out to be a racist.In the beginning of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck was indifferent towards slavery; he thought that slavery was okay, and why wouldn’t he? Society brought him up with the notion that whites were fundamentally better than blacks. However, during his adventures with Jim, Huck starts to realize that Jim is a human too, just like a white man. Huck begins to understand that Jim is no longer a slave, but instead one of his best friends. Huck no longer cares about what society has to say about slavery; he begins to understand that slavery is immoral and wrong.

In Mark Twain’s novel, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”, the novel merely holds a mirror to a racist society. Twain’s technique of displaying slavery, shines a light of how white Americans saw slaves throughout various situations in the novel. He displays a society that is racist by the use of the “n” word, Pap’s views of African Americans and Twain’s portrayal of Jim. Through the use of the “n” word, the novel simply shows a racist society.

For decades the constant battle of racism has filled an aspect of our lives that controls much of our actions or non-actions and our moral beliefs as an individual and as a society. During the time of the antebellum South, African Americans were poorly treated and lived in inferior circumstances. They were looked down upon by others in society and were not given a fair chance at success. There was little to no education for African Americans and any chance of moving up in society was limited. White people did not see blacks as humans, they saw them as less than themselves and as property that did not deserve respect or fair treatment, resulting in harsh

Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is considered by a great many to be a racist, highly offensive novel; however, though many of his characters posses racist qualities, the book itself is not racist. In order to accurately represent the natural dialect of the time period, Twain included seemingly racist words and attitudes in his characters. Twain is strongly criticized for the abundant use of the n-word throughout his novel, yet this expression is necessary in order for the novel to be historically accurate, and to ensure the reader’s complete understanding of the characters’ actions and thoughts. Twain’s historically accurate portrayal of commonalities in society also furthers the reader’s understanding of Twain’s ultimate purpose;

In Mark Twain’s novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a young boy runs away with a slave in order to escape the harsh lives that they live. The plot may seem simple at first glance, but in reality for centuries this book has been one of the most talked about, which include many claims over a wide range of topics that appear in the text. Racism is amongst those many topics.

“There is always a time and a place for everything.” This is a phrase many of us may have already heard at least once, and it’s true. There is a certain time and a certain place for everything, especially with what words one can say or write. A person must be able to know when is the appropriate moment to say a certain something. This is Mark Twain is criticized about his novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a novel about a runaway orphan boy named Huckleberry Finn who is accompanied by a runaway slave named Jim. As they sail down the Mississippi Rive, together they encounter problems and life lessons. Throughout this novel Twain uses the term “nigger” because of this there has been a controversy about whether the n-word should be removed and replaced with the term “slave” or whether it should be left the way it already is. Although Twain intended for the word to be in the novel, because he wanted to give a vivid experience of what it felt like to live in the South during the 1830’s. But should there really be a version of the book with the n-word removed and be replaced with the term “slave,” even though we’ll be destroying Twain’s purpose of the novel.

Rather than censoring the n-word, there should be an emphasis on the usage and history of the n-word (Smiley). The novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn could potentially be used as a vehicle for discussions regarding race . Twain intentionally uses the n-word to galvanize the reader and rouse feelings of shock and offense (Smiley). He wants readers to discuss the horror of the word and the damage it can cause (Matthews). However, by removing the word, one is completely avoiding this discussion and loses out on this message. Students today must understand the racism, slavery, and violence towards blacks throughout American history. This will help students, the future of America, to recognize the injustices of the past and hold them responsible for making changes in the future

Samuel Langhorne Clemens, known better as Mark Twain is the writer of one of the most popular books with over 20 million copies sold. The novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The novel has been read for years, with comes some questions. Is the novel racist? Could it be racist because of Twain’s background which influenced the novel? No, Mark Twain background didn’t influence the book to make it racist.