Racism in Huck Finn Ever since it was written, Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn has been a novel that many people have found disturbing. Although some argue that the novel is extremely racist, careful reading will prove just the opposite. In recent years especially, there has been an increasing debate over what some will call the racist ideas in the novel. In some cases the novel has even been banned by public school systems and censored by public libraries. The basis for the debate is how Jim, a black slave and one of the main characters, is depicted. However, if one was to look at the underlying themes in the novel, they would realize that it is not racist and could even be considered an anti - slavery novel. The most popular problem people have with this book is the use of the word “nigger”. It must be remebered that during this time period it was not considered much of an insullt. You can also notice in the book it was not meant offensively by Huck, or taken offensively by Jim. This is what Stephan Shepard had to say about the banning of the book and the use of the word “nigger”: In addition to removing Mark Twain's novel from the required reading list, the district decided to use a censored version of the novel on its optional list. Admittedly, the censorship is minor the infamous "n-word" is deleted throughout the novel - however, it is not only a dishonest alteration of Twain's craft, it is also an unfair attempt to enforce the tastes of a few upon all students in the district. (Shepard 1) Also a column in The New York Times pointed out, "Huckleberry Finn is in constant trouble with teachers, librarians and parents because of its iterations of “nigger”, a word that has a preemptive force today that it did not have in Huck Finn's Mississippi Valley of the 1840s" (Ritter 2). Another aspect of the novel that some consider racist is the description of Jim. The first time the reader meets Jim, a very negative description is given. It is said that Jim is illiterate, childlike, not very bright and extremely superstitious. However, it is important not to lose sight of who is giving this description. Although Huck is not exactly a racist ... ... middle of paper ... ... Twain meant no disrespect to black people in his novel Huckleberry Finn. It can even be said that this book was anti - slavery and did more disrespect to whites than blacks. Works Cited Allen, Micheal. Classic Literary Criticisms. New York: Oxford University Press. 1981 Baldanza, Frank. Mark Twain. New York: Barnes and Noble, Inc., 1961. Conn, Peter. Literature in America. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1989. Fishkin, Shelley F., Was Huck Black? (New York: Oxford University Press, 1993), p.3. Marx, Leo, "Huck at 100," The Nation, Aug. 31, 1985. Nichols, Timothy. Classic Criticism. New York: Cambridge University Press. 1976 Ritter, Frank. “Polically Correct”. Op - ed page, Tennessean Times. September 18th 1996. Shepherd, Stephen (Oak Leaf Staff Writer) “Was Mark Twain Racist?”. New York: Oxford university Press. 1983 Smiley, Jane, "Say It Ain't So, Huck," Harper's, January 1996. Twain, Mark. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn The Norton Anthology of American Literature_. 2 vols. Ed. Nina Baym, et al. 4th. ed. New York: Norton, 1994. 29-214. Wallace John H, The Case Against Huck Finn
Another controversial aspect of the book would be the use of the word "nigger" and its being in the book over 200 times creates constant scrutiny. I feel the word was not used to be racist and its usage in the book gives great representation of the way life was during the pre-civil war era. People need to grasp the concept that that's how black were treated then. In today's society, we would find quotes such as, "Good gracious! Was anybody hurt?" "No'm. Just a nigger," APPALING! But in fact, it was written in an earlier time setting when quotes like that were okay to say.
The novel is set in the antebellum south, and throughout the course of Huck Finn we see Twain poke fun at the injustices of race relations by exploiting the importance and power of friendship. Twain develops a friendship between a White boy by the name of Huck, and a “runaway” Black slave named Jim. “Dah you goes, de ole true Huck: de on’y white genlman dat ever kep’ his promise to ole Jim.” (Twain Pg. 90) This quote satirizes the views of many White people in the Antebellum South. During this time period when many Blacks were enslaved, and those not enslaved were treated as slaves, it was extremely unusual for a Black person and a White person to be friends at all. It would be unheard of to see the two conspiring, and further - unthinkable that they may have a strong and lasting friendship built on trust and loyalty. Twain contrasts this racial standard by establishing and demonstrating the power and importance of friendship, no matter the color or social status of the persons involved. Huck and Jim defy civil law by becoming the best of friends, thereby letting morality nullify law to illustrate the fundamental moral injustices of race relations in the Antebellum South
Why should this novel be banned from use in schools? Students should be able to hear these words and talk about them and not use them offensively. Racial content, tension, and slurs are used in people’s everyday lives. If people can use these words outside of school why would they not be allowed to be talked about in school? It is important for everyone to be informed about these racial tensions. This book also shows the reader what is was like to be growing up in this time period. Although this book uses the n-word, it uses it in a historical way. Using these racist words explains the way of thinking of the south in the 1930s. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is appropriate to use and read in school.
'The novel has long ignited disapproval, and it was the most frequently banned book in schools between 1966 and 1975. Even before that time,
When Mark Twain finished writing the book around the reconstruction period, even though slaves were supposed to be free, this wasn’t really the case. African American slaves were still discriminated against even though under law, African Americans had equal rights during the reconstruction period. Twain effectively gave the readers an idea of what the period was like at the time. Tom, a white boy who tortured Jim, an African American
novel has a very important message for readers today. In the novel, The Chrysalids, and in reality presently,
...n's Racism Goes Beyond the N-Word: African-Americans have Every Right to be Offended at being 'Invisibled Out' by Mark Twain [Eire Region]." The Times: 18. ProQuest Newsstand. 2011. Web. 5 Apr. 2011 .
One example of this for me would have to be the treatment of the only female role in the entire book. People cover up the fact that were being mistreated by saying that were “trouble.”Reading
...e end of the novel, Huck and the reader have come to understand that Jim is not someone’s property or an inferior man, but an equal. To say that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a racist novel is absurd, but there are always some hot-heads claiming that the novel is racist. These claims are not simply attempts to damage the image of a great novel, they come from people who are hurt by racism and don’t like seeing it in any context. However, they must realize that this novel and its author are not racist, and the purpose of the story is to prove black equality. It is vital for the reader to recognize these ideas as society’s and to recognize that Twain throughout the novel does encourage racist ideas, he disputes them. For this reason, and its profound moral implication, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should not be removed from the literary canon. [1056]
Mark Twain has been critically accused of being a “racist writer.” His writings have been extremely insulting towards colored people. In the book, Jim is portrayed as a stereotypical African American man and is often called hurtful names, which can be offending to many who read the book. Jim is described to be dumb because he believes in witches and is superstitious. He also appears to be very gullible. The other slaves in the book aren’t even acknowledged as people but rather depicted as property. Although Jim does not necessarily show emotion when being called hurtful names, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t affect the reade...
constant comparison and view of blacks vs. whites in the novel. “ To show too much intelligence
the racial hatred of the people. Black people were thought to be inferior to white people and in the 1960s when the novel was written, black communities were rioting and causing disturbances to get across the point that they were not inferior to white people. After Abolition Black people were terrorised by the Ku Klux Klan, who would burn them, rape the women, and torture the children and the reader is shown an example of. this in Chapter 15 where a group of white people, go to the county. jail to terrorise Tom Robinson.
Not all the things and facts seen on the surface correspond to the message of the book! This is a law that should be always kept in mind in order to get the right understanding of the author’s thoughts, especially in terms of non-fiction. The writings “A river runs through it” written by Norman Maclean and “Desert solitaire” by Edward Abbey are bright examples of such phenomenon. On the surface they seem to depict one definite thing whether it is fly-fishing or description of wilderness but both posses the depth of the human soul and its conflicts which may result in isolation or even violence.
Back then, they would only think of African Americans as property and not humans. “No! That old fool sold him,” “Sold him?” I says, and begun to cry,” as they proceed talking Huck gets him to tell him to whom Jim has been sold… “A farmer by the name of Silas Ph— and then he stopped,” the man now knew that he had messed up. As Huck now knows, he goes along with what the man is saying , the man has changed and said that who really bought Jim was a Feller by the name of Abram G Foster, but Huck already knew that Silas had him. As Huck has now encountered the Phelps plantation, he had first seen a nigger woman and behind her little girl then two boys. After them comes the white woman with her children, “Children, its your cousin Tom!” Huck is now acting as if he is Tom Sawyer, as he proceeds on talking with his Aunt Sally about what has took so long and him not knowing the direction of the river, he proceeds to say “It warn’t the grounding—that didn’t keep us back but a little. We blowed outs a cylinder-head.” Aunt Sally says,” Good gracious! Anybody hurt?” “No’m. Killed a nigger.” Huck says, “Well, it’s lucky; because sometimes people do get hurt.” Aunt Sally has referred to Jim as in “it” instead of the human he was, she would have considered the white folks as the people that do get hurt. This showed that Aunty Sally did not care about African American people, while
In “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” Mark Twain shows the racism by portraying pretty much every white male except for Huck as racist, and most black characters as very ignorant. At the beginning of the book Jim, a black slave, is portrayed as a really dumb character because Twain has him believe in witches. The narrator, Huck, says “Niggers is always talking about witches in the dark by the kitchen fire; but whenever one was talking and letting on to know all about such things, Jim would happen in and say, “Hm! What you know ‘bout witches?” and that nigger was corked up and had to take a back seat. Jim always kept that five-center piece around his neck with a string and said it was a charm the devil give to him with his own hands and told him he could cure anybody with it and fetch witches whenever he wanted to, just by saying something to it; but he never told what it was he said to it. Niggers would come from all around there and give Jim anything they had, just for a sight of that five-center piece; but they wouldn’t touch it, because the devil had had his hands on it. Jim was most ruined for a servant, because he got so stuck up on account of having seen the devil and been rode by witches.” This makes all the blacks look extremely stupid, so much so that it is almost dehumanizing, ...