Racism In The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn

1288 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: African Americans as a cultural group

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" - Unknown. Judging others has always been a big problem in our world. It doesn 't matter what ethnicity, religion, age, or gender someone is; we are all human. Racism is the main focus in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Mark Twain 's purpose for writing this novel was to show how difficult the life of an African-American was during slavery times. The book put one particular slave in the spotlight; Jim. Jim was Mrs. Watson 's slave; until he decided to run away with Huck along the Mississippi River, trying to become a free man. Being a slave was so rough, that he risked everything trying to get to the free states. All slaves suffered a great deal, and no one deserves to be treated
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was first published in late 1884, but that was just in England. It was later published in the United States in early 1885. During that time, America was going through the Reconstruction Era; building the country back up after the Civil War. Slavery was abolished in 1865, after the war was over, which made people from the South furious. They were racist and believed that if you weren 't white you weren 't good. Not all whites treated blacks like they were worthless; there were people that saw them as an equal. An example is Huck, he treated Jim like he was no different than anybody else. But others felt Jim was a nuisance; and they acted like he was a wild animal who should be locked up. A lot has happened between then and now, but there are still some people to this day that discriminate against African-Americans. Fortunately, we all have the same rights, so racist people are just going to have to get over themselves and learn to accept that everyone is
He uses a number of writer 's tricks, which are all applied very professionally. My favorite one is the simile. Similes are simple; they compare one thing with a totally different thing using "like" or "as" and it really helps stress how intense something is. He didn 't write too many similes in this book; but the ones he did put in writing really emphasize what is happening in the story. One simile used is ..."turned in and slept like dead people." (pg 193) When this was said, Huck had recently come in contact with the gang on the sinking ship, and thankfully gotten away before the ship sank. He and Jim had been apart and were just reunited when Huck saw Jim 's light. After that exhausting journey back to each other, they were exceedingly worn out. This simile helps the reader understand how weary they were; that they were "dead" tired and needed to

Show More
Related

  • Banned: "The adventures of Huckleberry Finn"

    1027 Words  | 3 Pages

    "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain was first published in the United States in 1885 as a sequel to the book "Tom Sawyer." The book, which uses Huck's or the first person point of view surrounds the events of two runaways: Huck Finn and a black slave by the name of Jim. Shortly after publication, the book became controversial because of Huck's casual use of the word "nigger." Due to Huck's careless grammar and the book's controversy, libraries began to ban the book from their shelves. The first library to ban the book from their shelves was the Free Public Library in Concord, Massachusetts (Greenhaven Press 12). The book was banned from the Free Public Library shortly after publication (Greenhaven Press 12). However, "More than a century later, some parents, educators, and public officials still say that students should not be required-or perhaps even allowed-to read the book" (Greenhaven Press 12). Adults fear that the uncivilized Huck Finn would be impressionable on young minds, and may cause them to use "faulty grammar, play hookey, steal, lie, and run away" (Greenhaven Press 12). Others fear "that the use of the word nigger in the book is offensive, racist, and harmful to black students" (Greenhaven Press 112) "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" is a thoroughly debated book that should not be banned because it has transformed American literature, depicts a realistic look of race relations, and is a classic book that is loved by Americans.

    Read More

  • Racism In Huck Finn

    1017 Words  | 3 Pages

    How would you feel if a white boy couldn’t apologize to a grown black man because it goes against his faith? If I was in the black man’s position I would feel disrespected but I wouldn’t blame the white boy because he was brought up like that and it’s in his mentality to look at African Americans as property and with disgust. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain incorporates racism and slavery to show how and why it is wrong. He uses Huck, one of his man characters, to demonstrate how a white boy breaks forth from society’s racist ideas and the people around him to have a strong friendship with a slave name Jim, who becomes a fugitive. He uses Jim to demonstrate humanity and how it has nothing to do with the color of your skin. He also shows the struggle African Americans had to go through during that period of time in order to be free. Through friendship Huck learns that Jim is a regular human being just like everyone else.

    Read More

  • Huckleberry Finn Persuasive Essay

    1233 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was written by Mark Twain, published in 1884, and according to Alison Flood in the article US school stops teaching Huckleberry Finn because of 'use of the N-word', “one of the most-challenged [novels] of all time.” The story depicts the relationship between a young white boy who is running away from home and a grown slave who is running away to escape slavery. The novel focuses on Huck Finn growing up pre-civil war in deep and very racist south. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should stop being taught to high schoolers because it is too open to interpretation, and doesn't

    Read More

  • Alienation of Huckleberry Finn in the Advertures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

    1178 Words  | 3 Pages

    Mark Twain throughout the book showed Huckleberry Finns personal growth on how he started from the bottom as a lonely, racist, immature kid who knew nothing to where he is now, by finally breaking away from society’s values he was taught in the beginning. He has alienated himself from the from that society and revealed how in fact these values were hypocritical. He realized that he can choose his own morals and that the one he chooses is the correct one.

    Read More

  • charhf Changes in Huck Finn's Character

    669 Words  | 2 Pages

    Twain 2: This is showing the ignorance and stubbornness that all children experience throughout life. He thinks everything he does is right and everyone else is wrong. " That all comes of my being such a fool as to not remember that wherever you leave a dead snake its mate always comes there and curls around it." Twain 40: This goes one step further. This shows Huck's immature and stupidity gone one step too far when he puts the snake in Jim's bed and he ends up getting bit by it.

    Read More

  • Racism In Huckleberry Finn And Dances With Wolves

    698 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout the 1800s, racism evolved to be less violent. As seen in Huckleberry Finn and Dances with Wolves, it became more acceptable for blacks and Native Americans to coincide without blatant and harsh interactions. Both Huckleberry Finn and Dances with Wolves illustrate the positive growth between both minorities and whites over the past hundred years. While racism is not totally eradicated, these sources foreshadow the future and a country without segregation.

    Read More

  • Abolitionist Mark Twain

    1400 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Ironic or Inept: Analyzing Huckleberry Finn's Ending

    1696 Words  | 4 Pages

    Perhaps the most controversial part of Huckleberry Finn is the ending, fondly dubbed by some as the Phelps Farm Fiasco. Directly preceding this is a scene where Huck struggles with himself, deciding whether to be “good” and turn Jim in or “go to hell” and free his friend. Dramatically, he chooses the latter -- casting aside his attempt to conform -- and heads to the Phelps farm in order to rescue Jim. However, once Tom appears, Huck and Jim both seem willing to play along with his ineffective, elaborate rescue scheme. Furthermore, Tom later reveals that Jim was free the whole time! Is this ending ironic or is it just bad writing? Bernard DeVoto spared no opinions when he said that “In the whole reach of the English novel there is no more abrupt or chilling descent” (DeVoto). DeVoto was correct -- and this is what makes the ending so

    Read More

  • Racism In Huck Finn

    2464 Words  | 5 Pages

    The most popular problem people have with this book is the use of the word

    Read More

  • Racism: A Lingering Echo in Huckleberry Finn

    1113 Words  | 3 Pages

    Racism, a major issue in society for hundreds of years, even after the abolition of slavery, still affects millions of people. African Americans today still sensitivities towards racism, and the reading of Huckleberry Finn demonstrates the pertinence of racism today similarly to two hundred years ago. When reading novels containing nineteenth century racism, African American readers are exposed to the torments their ancestors were put through, and the novel can have a positive or negative effect in that the reader may enjoy the learning of their history but may also feel humiliated in relation to their classmates of other races. In the literary novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, the apparent racism in the book affects

    Read More

  • Dreadfulness of Modern Experience

    1404 Words  | 3 Pages

    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,

    Read More

  • Discrimination In The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn

    932 Words  | 2 Pages

    Discrimination has been a dark shadow over America for decades. African Americans, Indians, women, and people of different religions and views have always been treated differently than the so-called average white European descent. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, discrimination is pointed towards Blacks. Some characters develop a new vision of Blacks in this classic novel and unintentionally develop the idea of an African American being able to be equal to a Caucasian. Not in all circumstances can the people of America rise above these ideas of discrimination though. White’s attitudes toward minorities grew increasingly worse in the 1800’s The Emancipation Proclamation and black codes helped much of America change their views, but the

    Read More

  • Mark Twain of Huck Finn - Satire

    854 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Racism In Jane Smiley's The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn

    849 Words  | 2 Pages

    Why would a man who fought against slavery, injustice, and discrimination write a racist book ? For some time, many students, educators, and scholars debated whether The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain deserves its place in our literary canon. Certain readers find the relationship between Huck and Jim especially problematic due to abundant use of the N word and Twain’s stereotypical depiction of Jim. On one hand, Jim is viewed as an uneducated slave who is always in peril due to Huck’s playfulness and immaturity. Yet, on the other hand, Jim is a complex secondary character crucial for Huck’s development from naiveté into maturity. Despite, the glaring overuse of racial epithets, Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn should remain in the literary canon and continue to be taught as it allows readers to address racial misconceptions, such as racial

    Read More

  • The Theme Of Racism In The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn

    1226 Words  | 3 Pages

    Holy Names students should read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, because it teaches students of the ideals of American society in the 1840s. In this novel, students will learn how people in society lived, how their religious system was structured, their senses of right and wrong, racism, and old forgotten traditions. Though this book is known to be controversial for its demeaning language and ideals, it should not be forgotten. Rather than letting the issues surrounding the book be ignored , they should become known. Students should be aware of the problems in history, not hidden from it.

    Read More

More about Racism In The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn

Open Document