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Critiques of the adventures of huckleberry finn
Racism in literature
Critiques of the adventures of huckleberry finn
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One way Mark Twain reflected on cultural undertones, was by dehumanizing slaves in Huckleberry Finn. Twain used racism as a literary tool. It was used to make racism look silly and pointless, but TwainMark also used racism in a more sinister and cruel way. Huck says of the King and the Duke,; “Well if I ever struck anything like it, I’m a nigger. It was enough to make a body ashamed of the human race” (Twain, 216). This quote is an great example of dehumanization, because Huck is saying that it is shameful to be any other color than white. The person is actually ashamed to “act like a slave”. Like Huck, Tom Sawyer is a childish character, who treats fiction books as real life scenarios. Tom likes to act as the leader, even if it makes other people …show more content…
uncomfortable.; Literary critic Francis Kaye states, ¨Tom’s plan does more to harm Jim than simply make him uncomfortable; it prevents him from being a man; it stimulates fear in him just as many of the actions of white persons in the South during the post-reconstruction period injured black people, emotionally and spiritually.¨ (Kaye,19).
Tom does not care about what happens to others, unless it is a close friend, like Huck. Unlike Tom, Huck is an evolving character. Huck goes from being a childish and selfish kid, to being a slightly more mature, young adult. Tom has an aunt named, Aunt Sally, who is also poor influence on the boys. Sally was being told a story, about a boat hitting a bar, and blowing out a cylinder. Then the Aunt asked; “‘Good gracious! Anybody hurt?’ ‘No’m, killed a nigger.’ ‘Well it’s lucky; because sometimes people do get hurt hurt.’”(Twain, 293). Aunt Sally did not care about a slave getting hurt, because to Sally, family is more important than another person’s life. That slave died, and nobody cared. Like Aunt Sally, The kKing and the Duke, are both characters who do not n’t no contractions care about slaves’
lives;. Brownell suggests, ¨The King and the Duke betray Jim as a slave, and “sell” their “rights” to him, a farmer, Silas, Phelps.¨ (Brownell, 4). The Kking and Duke do not n’t care about Jim’s life. To them, it does not matter because of the profit. Money is more valuable than a black man's life. Throughout the novel, Twain depicts characters who devalue and dehumanize Jim and other slaves because of the color of their skin
Many words the book contains are full of vivid disgust towards black slaves. Every single line talks about how white people despise and refuse to accept the black race. Answering Aunt Sally's question about whether or not anyone is hurt Huck answers, "no mum, just killed a nigger."(Twain 213) This is the one and only acceptable way to talk about black people in the "white" society. In addition to this, not only is the black people treated differently from the white, they are also considered to be one's property. "He is the only property I have," (Twain 122) Huck is perforce to say in order to save Jim. This is the only way to get through without the essence of suspicions. Though Huck shows racism in public as society teaches him, deep inside he understands that Jim is a great person. Through the eyes of Huck Finn, Mark Twain shows that there is more to people then looks and race, showing the importance of beliefs and character.
Humanity Exposed in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. & nbsp; People are the picture of contrast, sometimes strong and heroic, and other times weak and lamentable. In the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain illustrates both the good and the disagreeable portions of human nature. The good side of humanity is shown through his depiction of people's courage. The irrationality of mankind is exposed through the actions of characters in the novel. The unproductive self-serving attitude of many people is also shown in Huck Finn.
Growing up in civilization, Huck had recognized owning a slave as a societal norm. He slowly begins to realize the impact of society, on slaves and slaveholders. The more analyzation of the situation, the less comprehensible slavery became, and light was shown on the evils around it. Moral confusion ensues as those who seem to be kind and heaven bound, such as Miss. Watson and Sally Phelps, are oblivious to the inhumane injustice done to Jim and all of those enslaved. In this instance, Huck Finn has a more sound idea of morality than the adults in his life. During Huck’s impersonation of Tom, he is asked why he was delayed replying that a cylinder on a steamboat had blown up. When asked if anyone had been hurt, he comments that a “ni**er” has been killed. Sally then disregards this as a human life, and responds “Well
Mark Twain's novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn depicts how he is a racist. He shows it in many ways in which his characters act. All of the people in the towns are slave owners, and treat black slaves with disrespect. In the time period of the novel slavery was not legal, but racism was. Many scenes in his novel make slaves look like fools. Mark Twain does this purposely to make colored people look and sound like fools, because he is a racist person.
In the novel Huck Finn, the author repeatedly uses satire to ridicule the insanity of racial ignorance and inequity of the time period. With his masterful use of role reversal, irony, and the obvious portrayal of double standards, Twain exemplifies the injustices of different races contrasting them with example after example of counter-argument shown through the friendship and adventures of Jim and Huck together.
who is more commonly known by his pen name, Mark Twain. He was born in
In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Twain’s main characters depicted the societal issues of racism in the South. Huck Finn, a poor white boy, and Jim, an African American slave, both encounter situations that cause these characters inter turmoil because of the societal standards of the time. According to Mark Twain in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,
The reinforcement of racial stereotypes in literature and films can be a difficult topic for many individuals. There have been a great deal of works throughout the history of our country that have encouraged and promoted racial stereotypes among the African American race, such as the sambo; the buck; the mammy and the magical negro. All of these racial stereotypes have desensitized the American culture and created the view that racism in literature and films is acceptable. In the movies and novel The Help, The Whipping Man, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the rude and offensive ways in which African Americans were seen and treated, only worked to promote the horrible, racial stereotypes that many people are still trying to challenge to this day.
Dehumanization-To dehumanize is to treat someone or something as if they are not human; living and breathing like you and I. It could happen to anyone from any race or social class, and even animals. There are many large occurrences of it throughout human history like the Holocaust, and even small instances that happen on a daily basis like bullying. Throughout their adventures, Huck and Jim encounter dehumanization on quite a few occasions. Within this essay I plan to analyze the dehumanization of animals; all the unsuspecting pigs and dogs that get put down, tortured or killed. On top of that I plan to touch on Pap and Boggs- two characters encountered by Huck and Jim, who are dehumanized due to their love for liquor. The final case of dehumanization I will analyze is one that many may not have noticed; our narrator himself, Huckleberry Finn- Especially how Tom Sawyer views him in comparison to how he views Jim.
Mark Twain had written two very similar novels that are based on the ideas of racism, or prejudice against certain races,(in this case, Afro-American during his lifetime. These two novels, Huckleberry Finn and Pudd'nhead Wilson, depict a very satirical yet realistic view of the way society behaves and how people in general live and grow in different social systems or positions. Huck Finn depicts a strong basis on racism and society, where as Pudd'nhead Wilson illustrates how slavery and racism are portrayed in his society.
Mark Twain’s book, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, educates high school students on how the Southern society operated at that time. When analyzing the novel, one can see that Twain’s writing clearly does not endorse slavery or the use of derogatory language toward African-Americans. In a petition to remove this book from a high school required reading list, a school board in New Jersey concluded, "the literary value of the book outweighed the negative aspect of the language employed.” (2) Huckleberry Finn is a satirical novel that was written to show the flaws of 19th century American society. It shows how people thought and acted back then, and points out what was wrong with the white supremacy mindset of many Southerners during these years. “The book itself is a great testament that...
When taking a look at Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn, racism is a large theme that seems to be reoccurring. What some may think to be racism in Twain's words, can also be explained as, good story telling appropriate to the era the story takes place in. Twain himself has been suggested as a racist based on the fact that he uses the word "nigger" in his book. However, Twain was an avid abolitionist. For those who claim that Twain was a racist, they must have only been looking out for themselves and not those who are willing to learn about the past, whether it be ugly or perfect.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, is considered a classic novel from the realism period of American Literature that accurately depicts social conventions from pre-civil war times. Despite this reputation as a historical lens of life on the Mississippi River, elements of blatant racism overshadow the regionalist and realist depictions. Huck Finn does not promote racism because all derogatory or racist remarks are presented as a window to life during the 1850s, in a satirical context, or to show Mark Twain's moral views on racism. Huckleberry Finn accurately presents the mistreatment, abuse, and hatred that African Americans faced in pre-civil war times. Huck Finn portrays racism as a part of life and as a social normality accepted by most people.
Huck Finn, a narcissistic and unreliable young boy, slowly morphs into a courteous figure of respect and selflessness. After Pap abducts the young and civilized Huck, Huck descends into his old habits of lies and half-truths. However, upon helping a runaway slave escape, Huck regains morality and a sense of purpose. Throughout The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Huck lies to characters, casting the authenticity of the story into doubt but illustrating Huck’s gradual rejection of lying for himself and a shift towards lying for others.
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 traditional southern racism or is Twain disputing these idea.