Racism in Huckleberry Finn Essay - 832 Words

Is The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn a Racist Novel? While many people only beginning this book will say that it is a racist novel, if you open your eyes to the undertones of the story you will see that it really is not. Twain may have chosen racial diction, but we need to remember the time period the story takes place in. It takes place in the 1800s, when slavery was still going on. Certain words that we consider racist were much more commonly used then. Twain uses these words to get his point across. Twain draws attention to the racial issues of the 1800s , but not by outright stating the problems of the era. He draws attention to them by illustrating the adventures of a thirteen year old white boy, Huckleberry Finn†¦show more content†¦While some might find that somewhat selfish, we must remember that Huck is only thirteen. That sight could have been traumatizing to him. No one wants to see the disturbing sight of a parent’s corpse. As the two leave the island, Huck becomes overcome with conflicting feelings. His brain goes back and forth between whether or not he should turn Jim in on continue helping him get to the free states. He thought about the widow and Miss Watson who had tried to raise him right and felt guilty for possibly hurting them. Huck makes up his mind to row to shore in their canoe and turn Jim in, until he hears Jim call Huck his only friend. Our narrator changes his mind after hearing this and protects him from two white men who want to search the raft for runaway slaves. Throughout the book, Huck and Jim develop their friendship. Jim thinks of Huck as a close friend and, I think, almost looks at him like a son. Jim was separated from his wife and two children. So it makes sense that he would look at Huck, a fatherless child, and see a son like figure. We have to remember that being racist isn’t just a white person hating blacks. A racist is someone who hates any different rac e. It is very possible that blacks could be racist towards whites. However there is absolutely no indication that Jim is racist towards whites. Also though Huck makes what seem like racist comments saying things like â€Å" he was the easiest ... to laugh that ever was,†(pgShow MoreRelatedRacism In Huckleberry Finn Essay1354 Words   |  6 PagesThroughout the novel, Huck’s treatment of Jim is demeaning and racist. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, set in the 1800’s, Huck, a white boy, and Jim, a runaway slave, travel together on an adventure to escape. They form a bond throughout the story, although Huck’s use of the n word and other problematic remarks have raised the question can his racism be justified? If we look at the dictionary definition of racism it states â€Å"prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a differentRead MoreSlavery and Racism Shown in Huckleberry Finn620 Words   |  3 PagesIn the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain establishes three very prominent themes. These themes include racism and slavery, intellectual and moral education, and the hypocrisy of civilized society. The most dominant theme, racism and slavery, is recognized when the main character feels that he is doing the wrong thing in helping a runaway slave. It is also recognized in the passage where the main character talks to a boy who compares a black slave’s worth to two-hundred dollarsRead MoreEssay on Racism in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn576 Words   |  3 Pagestime. Though in recent years, there has been increasing controversy over the ideas expressed in his novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. 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Miss Watson and PapRead More Racism in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay765 Words   |  4 Pagespeople, but they all accept and participate in, whether they realize it or not, racism. Almost all of the characters in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain seem to have pre-conceived ideas towards blacks, and the author does not seem to have any trouble writing the words of their pre-conceived thoughts or ideas. Mark Twain has an accepting attitude towards racism in his book, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Characters in the story easily accuse the slaves of being wrongdoers or stupidRead MoreEssay on Prejudice and Racism in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn833 Words   |  4 PagesPrejudice and Racism in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn      Ã‚   The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, is an excellent example of racism in literature, because it uses language describing African Americans which goes beyond satire.   It treats them as objects and perpetuates stereotypes. It does not expose and deal with racism, as many advocates of its reading claim, but encourages an attitude of superiority that is unnecessary and intolerable. In order to ridRead More Huckleberry Finn ( Huck Finn ) - Racism Essay572 Words   |  3 PagesHuck Finn Racism Is Huck Finn A Racist Book? Ever since its publication over a hundred years ago, controversy has swarmed around one of Mark Twain’s most popular novels, Huck Finn. Even then, many educators supported its dismissal from school libraries. For post Civil-War Americans, the argument stemmed from Twain’s use of spelling errors, poor grammar, and curse words. In the politically correct 1990’s however, the point of argument has now shifted to one of the major themes of the book:Read More Themes of Morality and Racism in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn863 Words   |  4 Pages The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is a novel full of racism and hypocrisy of the society that we know. Huck continually faces the many challenges of what to do in tough situations dealing with racism and what the society wants him to do. With the novel being written in the first person point of view gives us insightful information into the challenges the Huck is facing and gives us a look into Huck’s head. Huck uses many different techniques to deal with his problems and he getsRead More Prejudice and Racism in Mark Twains The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn1062 Words   |  5 PagesPrejudice and Racism in Mark Twains The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn    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 argumentRead MoreEssay about Examples of Racism in The Aventures of Huckleberry Finn1080 Words   |  5 Pagesto be served, they are refused, and told to leave. 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 â€Å"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. Throughout the book nearly everyone Huck and Jim encounter treats Jim as if he is inferior and not worthy of respect or equal