Mark Twain's The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn And The Pre-Civil War

Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has faced both criticism and support for its portrayal of the Pre-Civil War South. Twain’s controversial novel has been accused of preserving the derogatory stereotypes of the time by some, while also praised for ironically revealing the true nature of the old South. Despite many critics’ portrayal of it as a racist novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn serves, instead, as an explicit criticism of the racism present in the Antebellum South through its objective narration, harsh language and satirical intent, and emphasis on black equality. Twain choses to narrate his novel through an objective voice; therefore allowing the reader to see the novel through the eyes of an impassive observer,

Huck Finn has “vision” and the ability to see the world as it truly is. Twain emphasises the abilities of Huck’s character to “not judge [the real world]” but to “allow it to judge itself” (T.S. Eliot). By presenting Huck in such a way, Twain leaves room for the audience to form their own views and opinions on the critical moral issues presented in the novel. Seeing the world Twain creates with an objective lens, the reader is able to witness the harsh realities and racism of the South and condemn it on their own merit. This freedom given to the reader is a critical element in Twain’s writing, as one can view the elements of the novel critics immediately label as racist and form their own conclusion on it. The “greatness” of the novel lies in its “power of telling the truth, because no one...sets a higher value on the truth than a boy” (Lionel Trilling). Twain’s literary decision of presenting the novel through a boy’s eyes allows the novel to reach a higher degree of truth unattainable if narrated by an adult. Employing the voice of innocence as the narrator and highlighting the qualities of a young boy: his moral