Racism in Huck Finn Essay example - 3609 Words

Racism in Huck Finn Kids are often exposed to books long before they are ready for them or exposed to them in a manner that seems almost calculated to evaporate whatever enthusiasm the student may bring to them. Very few youngsters of high school age are ready for The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Leaving aside its subtle depiction of racial attitudes and its complex view of American society, the book is written in a language that will seem baroque, obscure and antiquated to many young people today. The vastly sunnier Tom Sawyer is a book for kids, but The Adventures for Huckleberry Finn most emphatically is not. (Baker 114) The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been considered one of Mark Twains best works. Huckleberry Finn, Jim†¦show more content†¦And even after he has decided to help free Jim, Huck indicates that he still does not see black people overall as human beings. When Aunt Sally asks Tom Sawyer why he was so late in arriving, he tells her the ship blew a cylinder head. â€Å"Good gracious! Anybody hurt?† she asks. â€Å"No’m. Killed a nigger.† â€Å"Well, it’s lucky; because sometimes people do get hurt,† she responds (Telgen 9). As some critics have pointed out, Huck never condemns slavery or racial prejudice in general, but he seems to find an exception to the rule in Jim. Nevertheless, the fact that Huck does learn to see beyond racial stereotypes in the case of Jim is a profound development, considering his upbringing. He lived in a household with the Widow Douglas and Miss Watson where slaves were owned. And Pap’s ranting over a free black man indicates his deep racial prejudice. When confronted with the fact that a free black man was highly educated and could vote, Pap decides he wants nothing to do with a government that has allowed this to happen. He wants the free man, whom he calls â€Å"a prowling, thieving, infernal, white-shirted free nigger† to be sold at auction (Telgen 9). In other words, all black people are slaves, white man’s property, in his eyes. Such are the views on race with which Huck has been raised. But there is no agreement to what Twain’s message on the subject of race is. While some critics view the novel as a satire on racism and a conscious indictment of a racistShow MoreRelatedRacism In Huck Finn1867 Words   |  8 Pagessaid â€Å"Racism is taught in our society, it is not automatic.† Everyday, people come face to face with racist ideas. People see racists stereotypes and prejudices. Individuals experience struggles based on these stereotypes and prejudices. Society has formed its ideas, and beliefs on black people, and these ideas are passed from person to person, until an entire civilization is aware of these ideas. Some believe these ideas are true, and others reject them. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, theRead More Huck Finn Racism Essay723 Words   |  3 PagesHuck Finn Racism The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a Mark Twain classic, wonderfully demonstrates pre-Civil War attitudes about blacks held by whites. Twain demonstrates these attitudes through the actions and the speech of Huckleberry Finn, the narrator, and Jim, Miss Watsons slave. These two main characters share a relationship that progresses from an acquaintance to a friendship throughout the novel. It is through this relationship that Mark Twain gives his readers the realizationRead More Huck Finn Racism Essay630 Words   |  3 Pages quot;To Be or not To Bequot; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;In extreme cases the book, Huckleberry Finn, has been banned from some schools because of the depiction of racial tension towards Jim, the black slave, in Huckleberry Finn. This story takes place at a time where slavery was considered moral. Blacks were considered inferior to whites, but Huckleberry challenges the notion that he was raised upon. Through Huckleberryamp;#8217;s adventures Twain expresses his challenge towards civilizationamp;#8217;sRead MoreEssay on Huck Finn And Racism867 Words   |  4 PagesIn the book, Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, the main character Huck, is able to look past conformist and the effects of his environment. Huck was born into a society that was supposed to hate black people. Huck was able to see good in a amp;#8216;niggeramp;#8217; , and further a healthy relationship with his slave, Jim. Huck is a very strong and smart person, although he isnamp;#8217;t learned, and can act ignorant from time to time. Mark Twain, many times makes Huck look like a non-admirableRead MoreEssay on Racism In Huck Finn2470 Words   |  10 Pages Racism in Huck Finn nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;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 publicRead 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 MoreEssay on Analysis On Racism In Huck Finn2025 Words   |  9 Pagesfinished writing the novel in 1884, eight years after it was begun, he had produced The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, his greatest work and possibly on of the greatest works of American literature. With The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain attempted to illustrate his contempt for certain aspects of specifically pre-Civil War Southern society through the eyes of the innocent Huck Finn. However, his focus was not entirely on pre-War Southern society, for criticism of aspects of modern society asRead More Racism In Huck Finn Essay1082 Words   |  5 PagesHuckleberry Finn. Huck was not raised in accord with the accepted ways of civilization. Huck faces many aspects of society, which makes him choose his own individuality over civilization. He practically raises himself, relying on instinct to guide him through life. As portrayed several times in the novel, Huck chooses to follow his innate sense of right, yet he does not realize that his own instincts are more moral than those of society. From the very beginning of Hucks story, Huck without a doubtRead More Huck Finn: The Twisting Tides Of Portrayal - Racism Essay731 Words   |  3 Pageshas been increasing discussion of the seemingly racist ideas expressed by Mark Twain in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. In some cases, the novel has been banned by public school systems and even censored by public libraries. Along with the excessive use of the word, â€Å"nigger,† the basis for this blatant censorship has been the portrayal of one of the main characters in Huck Finn, Jim, a black slave who runs away from his owner, Miss Watson. At several points in the novel, Jims character is describedRead MoreShould the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Be Required in Shcool?983 Words   |  4 PagesAdventures of Huckleberry Finn be required in school? Mark Twain’s â€Å"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn† is said to be one of the greatest American novels to ever be written and is what all other pieces of American literature are based off of. The novel has been debated for over an entire century and will continue to be debated for much longer. Never the less, Huckleberry Finn teaches young students and adults the important life lessons. †The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn† by Mark Twain should remain