Racism In Adventures Of Huckle Essay, Research Paper
Racism in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
During the Antebellum period of American history and for decades after, authors
often wrote works regarding the tragedies of slavery. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,
written by Mark Twain, is one of the most famous works of literature dealing with the
issue of slavery. Unfortunately, some claim that Twain s writings are offensive to black
readers, perpetuates cheap slave era stereotypes, and deserves no place on today s
bookshelves (Salwen 1). This work reflects a boy s struggle dealing with slavery while
growing up in the South during the era of slavery. In fact, the style of the book, which is
the style of Huck, is what makes it a far more convincing indictment of slavery than the
sensationalist propaganda of Uncle Tom s Cabin (Eliot 64). Furthermore, Huck Finn
savages racism as thoroughly as any document in American history (Morrow 159).
However, Attempts have been made to deprive children of the right to read Adventures
of Huckleberry Finn on the grounds that it is a racist tract (Morrow 155). Twain s
controversial usage of literary devices such as the vernacular of the time period and
various speeches by the characters has raised many issues as to the worth of the work
itself. Teaching Adventures of Huckleberry Finn can surely open students eyes to the
racial tension caused by ignorance.
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is one of the deepest stories written on slavery.
The main question that arises from readers and critics alike is What is the book really
about? (Salwen 1) This question is one that the reader will have to answer for himself
after reading the novel. As with any good work of literature, there always remains a range
of interpretation that is still correct though it may differ from other readers. T. S. Eliot
commented on Twain s writings stating that he wrote with just the right details and no
more, and leaving the reader to make his own moral reflections (64).
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is about the realization that everyone deserves to
be treated as a human being, as Huck finds out while on the river journey with Jim, and
about the horrors of slavery. Jim, as Twain presents him, is hardly a caricature. Rather,
he is the moral center of the book, a man of courage and nobility, who risks his freedom–
risks his life–for the sake of his friend Huck (Salwen 2). The trials and tribulations that
both Huck and Jim encounter while on the river serve to shape not only their relationship
as friends, but also to transform Huck s view of sivilized life. Having gone through his
life up to the present, he sees it as a whole and sums up what he sees in his decision to run
away from civilization (Miller 22). Huck yearns to find something better in life than
childish games of bandit and hypocritical prayers to save one s soul as is evident in his
decision to run away and to fake his death.
Twain s intent in writing Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is to satirize the
ridiculous lifestyle of the South during the slave era and to illuminate in a personal manner
the tragedies of slavery. One such example of the personal portrayal of the injustice of
slavery is a recantation that Jim gives to Huck while on the river. In a way that almost
made it seem okay, Jim tells Huck the story of his family and how they are separated as a
result of slavery. In the beginning of the novel, Huck uses the word nigger to describe
Jim and the other slaves living on the Widow Douglas s plantation. From his experiences
during the journey on the river, Huck learns from within himself that he does not agree
with slavery. This is evident in his attempt to save Jim from being turned in and in his
risking his life for Jim in the end of the book. The law [at that time] [ ] says Huck is
doing an awful thing in harboring Jim (Morrow 158).
A closer reading of the book reveals Twain s serious satiric intent. For instance, in
the scene when Aunt Sally hears of a steamboat explosion, Twain s usage of satire comes
across as particularly harsh.
Good gracious! anybody hurt? she asks.
No m, comes the answer. Killed a nigger (Twain 167).
Anyone who feels that Mark Twain meant this literally is clearly missing his true intent.
Twain is trying to effectively underscore the chilling truth about the old south–that it was
a society where perfectly nice people did not consider the death of a black person worth
their notice (Salwen 1).
Understanding what the piece is saying and recognizing that it is written in satiric
form, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn proves to be some of the most significant
anti-racist literature rather than the pro-slavery work it is often proclaimed to be (Fishkin
3). These judgments often come from readers abhorred by reading only a few chapters of
the book. [I]f the content of Huck Finn is read carefully, it is clear that the message
Twain is sending is anything but racist (Phan and Nguyen). One could blame the
misperceptions of Twain s writings on the ignorance of today s readers and their lack of
knowledge in understanding a literary work.
The real controversy comes from Twain s usage of this casual dialogue which is
used to underscore the chilling truth about the old south (Salwen 1). Twain wrote
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn with the intent to prove a point about the racial tension
in the South before the Civil War (Phan and Nguyen). This controversy, however, is
understandable for those who have not taken the time to sit and read the book, cover to
cover. Most presume that Mark Twain was a racist writer because of hear-say or
simply because they were turned off from the book after reading just a few chapters. For
most of Twain s critics, Huckleberry Finn is instantly deemed a racist novel, and for the
most obvious reason being that many of the characters use the word nigger throughout
it. Twain s reference to the runaway slave Jim as the nigger Jim creates a
misconception about his intent (Nichols 338). Given that the time and setting in this book
is in the South twenty years before the Civil War, it would be amazing if this word was not
used. Twain tried to be as accurate as possible in depicting the conversations in the South
during this time period.
Many of Twain s critics are African-American parents, who are simply trying to
shield their children from the cold truth of racism, which still exists today. These critics
only take Twain s writings at face value and fail to explore the literary significance of the
work.. Readers must take the time to experience literature slowly, taking in each element
as if it were a savory drop of rich coffee. In order to understand a work thoroughly, a
reader must carefully consider all elements comprising the work as a product of history
and not simply as a piece of work standing on its own. This consideration includes the
author s own experiences. For Twain, this experience includes fighting in the Civil War
himself, and growing up in the Antebellum South.
Critics often accuse Twain of being a racist. Huckleberry Finn, which tells
the story of boyhood in the Mississippi Valley in the 1840 s, has been criticized by
some Negroes as racially offensive (New York Times). Some of his critics say
that his repeated use of the word nigger proves to be offensive and derogatory
toward African-Americans who read the book. Others argue that the word usage
is superfluous to convey his point. The story does not focus on sex or profanity
but instead on race, and the deepest, most painful American memory, slavery
(Morrow 156).
Twain s intention in writing the novel was to simply tell the truth about
Huck s life on the Mississippi River, without diluting the truth about the Old
South. The question of whether the presence of the word nigger makes
Huckleberry Finn racist needs to be looked at in the context of the story as a whole
(Fishkin 1). Twain succeeds in depicting an atmosphere of causal hatred of a
society that classifies Jim as less than human. The word nigger is central to
depicting both that society and the people in it with chilling accuracy (Fishkin 2).
The word, however, still packs a painful punch. This word makes
African-Americans wither up with shame and whites, with guilt. It is a word that can hurt
and that can be used to deny the personhood and humanity of the person to whom it is
directed. This is partially due to our failure to deal with racism in our society today. It
seems that we just push it aside in hopes that the wound will heal itself. Some
African-American parents sensing their own helplessness, decide that the least they can do
is see to it that their children are not exposed to this book, because they feel it is offensive
and derogatory (Fishkin 3).
Some officials submit to the parents wishes, without reasoning with and without
informing them of the benefits of having this novel openly read. This approach seems only
to add fuel to the fir
and not just pushed aside. Racism and slavery both are issues that need to be dealt with in
the classroom. This novel has the power to elicit open-ended classroom discussions of
various methods that can be used to deal with these issues. A tremendous amount can be
learned from reading this novel about the history of racism and slavery as a whole. Twain
does an extraordinary job in perpetrating the realism of the views of society during this
time. Examining all views is necessary if one really wants to learn more about racism and
its origin and what society can do to help heal this painful wound.
Racism is an institution that is still present in society today, so for this
reason Americans are very touchy on this subject. This is especially true for those
who had to endure the cruelty that was present during the slave era, and more
recently, the Civil Rights Movement. Naturally, African-American parents want to
protect their children from reading Huckleberry Finn. To anyone who has studied
the book with an open mind clearly Huck Finn does not agree with slavery, despite
his upbringing. Most objections to having their children read Huckleberry Finn
come from African-American parents who are trying to draw some lines. Lance
Morrow adds, If Huck Finn were merely a nineteenth-century minstrel show-the
n-word slurring around in an atmosphere of casual hatred above a subtext of white
supremacy-then no one could object to African-American parents removing the
book as a precaution to keep gratuitous germs away from their children. Rather
than having the book banned, it should be thoroughly studied and read in
conjunction with works on the reality of slavery and the similarities between Huck
and Mark Twain s many black friends (Morrow 155).
The book, however, has come to be appreciated for the core of its realism, and as
a feature that makes the book a valuable document of its time (Morrow 157). It was for
this reason that Ernest Hemingway issued his famous dictum that all modern American
literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn It s the best
book we ve had. All American writing comes from that. There was nothing before. There
has been nothing as good since (Morrow 157).
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a major American novel known for its authentic
vernacular. Various school officials and librarians across the nation have regarded the
book s language as unnecessarily coarse and have banned it for this reason. In addition,
critics claim it is full of objectionable morals. Parents who lack the initiative to sit and
read the book primarily think Twain was a racist writer. Many have a tendency to
prejudge the book without giving Twain s story a chance. This is probably due to them
having read only a few chapters and being turned off from reading it completely. One
must read each page thoroughly and open-mindedly, while trying to fully grasp Twain s
satiric intent, as he proceeds in successfully molding each of his characters. When read
carefully it becomes clear that the message Twain is trying to send is anything but racist.
Huck tells the reader that Pap Finn, had been drunk over in town and was just
all mud (Twain 20). He erupts into a drunken tirade about a free nigger from Ohio a
mulatter, most as white as a white man, with the whitest shirt on you ever see, too, and
the shiniest hat; and there ain t a man in town that s got as fine clothes as what he had
(Twain 20).
they say he was a p fessor in a college, and could talk all kinds of
languages, and knowed everything. And that ain t the wust. They said he
could vote when he was at home. Well, that let me out. Thinks I, what is
the country a-coming to? It was lection day, and I was just about to go
and vote myself if I warn t too drunk to get there: but when they told me
that there was a state in this country where they d let that nigger vote, I
drawed out. I says I ll never vote again. Them s the very words I said.
And to see the cool way of the nigger why he wouldn t a give me the
road if I hadn t shoved him out of the way (Twain 20).
Anyone who imagines that Twain meant this literally is clearly missing the point.
Here, we see an example of Twain s ironic use of casual dialogue, as a means to
underscore the chilling truth about the Old South. Twain succeeds in depicting the
extreme hatred within Pap Finn when he hears of a black professor, who dresses nicer than
any of the people around him and can vote. By doing this, he submerges his readers into
becoming a listener of Pap s drunken rage, thus showing his audience exactly to what
extreme hatred that Huck is exposed to when at home.
Having Adventures of Huckleberry Finn taught and thoroughly studied in the
classroom offers a tremendous step in fulfilling Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. s dream of
having a racially united nation. This novel contains many real-world values throughout.
One value it teaches young readers is to use their own best judgment to determine what is
right and wrong, even if this means not following the path of their parents. Twain shows
in this remarkable piece of literary work that he was decades ahead of his time in that he
coaxes and requires his readers to become critical thinkers. This is a tremendous step in
breaking the barrier on the views of racism that are present now and those that were
present in previous generations. In other words, instead of one pre-judging someone by
the color of their skin, as their parents or grandparents may have done, they may take
Huck s approach and use their conscience to decide what is ethical.
In order for society to outgrow the stereotyping of others based on their skin
color, we must first start with teaching our children the reasons behind the mindset that
was present in society during the era of slavery. If Jim emerges from the degradation of
slavery to become as much a man as Mark Twain could make him be, we must remember
that Jim s growth marks a progress in Twain s spiritual maturity too (Hoffman 107). If
we neglect to use this extraordinary piece of literature as a means to introduce the issue of
racism to our young and to show that we as individuals have the ability within ourselves to
move beyond it, then we fail to use history as a teacher.
If Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is taught, it can open students’ eyes to
the racial tension caused by ignorance and avoidance of the topic of racism
by society. The literary and real-world significance should be stressed
above all. By studying Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the door for
discussion of race is opened ushering in a new light on the topic for
students. Though Twain’s efforts may be controversial, this work may be used
to put a spin on slavery and create a positive outcome. If the controversial
aspects of Twain’s writing are not dealt with, the work may very well
prove offensive to readers, however, open discussion may be the key to
dissolving at least some of the pain. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is one
of the most influential works on slavery. What a shame it would be to let it
sit on the shelf and collect dust because of the unresolved controversy it stirs.
Works Cited
Eliot, T. S. Introduction to Huckleberry Finn. Critics on Mark Twain. Ed.
David Kesterson. Comal Gables: Florida, 1973. 64
Fishkin, Shelley. Mark Twian s America. 11 Apr. 1997.
Online posting. Online Newshour Forum: Mark Twain. 4 Mar. 2001
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/authors_corner/jan_june97/fishkin_4-1
1.html
Hoffman, Daniel G. Mark Twain: A Collection of Critical
Essays. Ed. Henry Nash Smith. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc.,
1963.
Miller, J. Hillis. Modern Critical Interpretations: Mark
Twain s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Ed. Harold Bloom. New
York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986.
Morrow, Lance. Readings on Mark Twain. Ed. Katie de Koster. San Diego:
Greenhaven, 1996.
New York Times 12 Sept. 1957
Phan, Giang and Diep Nguyen. Pro Huck Finn. Online posting . 12 Mar.
2001
Ramussen, R. Kent. Mark Twain: A to Z. Ed. Thomas Tenney. New York:
Oxford, 1995. 338
Salwen, Peter. Is Huck Finn a Racist Book? 1996. Online posting. Salwen
Business Communication. 4 Mar. 2001
http://www.salwen.com/mtrace.html
Twain, Mark. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. New York: Dover, 1994.
Works Consulted
Dudley, William, ed. African Americans: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego:
Greenhaven Press, 1997.
Lawton, Mary. A Lifetime With Mark Twain. New York: Haskell House
Publishers LTD, 1972.
Paine, Albert B. Mark Twain. Ed. Daniel Aaron. Vol. 3 New York: Chelsea
House, 1980.
Readers Digest Association. Great Lives, Great Deeds. New York: Coronet
Series, 1964.
Skarmeas, Nanny. Mark Twain. Nashville: Ideals Publications Inc., 1998.