Huck Finn the Racist
analytical Essay
1334 words
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 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. Racism was and forever will be a dark part of the American past, and no one can change that, no matter how many books one may alter.
In this book a number of dialects are used, to wit: the Missouri negro dialect; the extremest form of the backwoods Southwestern dialect; the ordinary “Pike County” dialect; and four modified varieties of this last. The shadings have not been done in a haphazard fashion, or by guesswork; but painstakingly, and with the trustworthy guidance and support of personal familiarity with these several forms of speech. I make this explanation for the reason that without it many readers would suppose that all these characters were trying to talk alike and not succeeding. (Twain 2)
This is how Twain starts his book off. In this "explanatory"(Twain 2) he calls it, one sees that he dares the reader to try and find meaning in the dialect of which his characters speak. He tries to make the reader understand that he, the writer, still realizes that this dialect is not the prettiest and even calls it an "extremest form"(Twain 2). The issue that one can see is that Twain wants the reader to understand this was the dialect of the time. Howe...
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...n's Racism Goes Beyond the N-Word: African-Americans have Every Right to be Offended at being 'Invisibled Out' by Mark Twain [Eire Region]." The Times: 18. ProQuest Newsstand. 2011. Web. 5 Apr. 2011 .
Paine, Albert B. A Biography The Personal Literary Life of Samuel Langhorne Clemens. Vol. 2. New York and London: Harper and Brothers, 1912. Print.
"Should 'n-Word' be Removed from 'Huckleberry Finn'?" Sentinel & Enterprise: n/a. ProQuest Newsstand. 2011. Web. 6 Apr. 2011 .
"Racism | Define Racism at Dictionary.com." Dictionary.com | Free Online Dictionary for English Definitions. Web. 06 Apr. 2011. .
Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. New York: Bantam Books, 1965. Print.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how racism in mark twain's huckleberry finn is a large theme that seems to be reoccurring. good story telling appropriate to the era the story takes place in.
- Opines that twain was an avid abolitionist. racism was and forever will be an dark part of the american past, and no one can change that.
- Explains that in the book a number of dialects are used, such as the missouri negro dialect, the extremest form of the backwoods southwestern dialect and the ordinary "pike county" dialect.
- Analyzes how twain dares the reader to try and find meaning in the dialect of his characters. censorship is one, while replacing the 219 times the word "nigger" with "slave."
- Analyzes how twain wanted to make a point of letting readers know that abolishing slavery does not mean that racism and bigotry has gone with it.
- Analyzes how the argument of replacing the word "nigger" with "slave" loses its effect on the reader.
- Argues that even if one looks back to see the ugly head of racism, one still understands that it is essential to keep that part of the past a good reminder of why one is not racist today.
- Explains that racism can be construed different ways, but huck meant no racism towards jim on their journey, that was a common term in his time.
- Analyzes how the fuss over twain is a futile effort to silence the fact that racism happened and still does.
- Opines that the link between mark twain and racism in the novel must be severed abruptly.
- Opines that mark twain's literary genius would call all the professors and naysayers utter buffoons, for taking the n-word out of his work.
- Concludes that mark twain is one of the most influential authors of our time. he is probably rolling over in his grave at the great travesty that is befalling his work.
- Opines that twain may rest in peace. the berkshire eagle. huck finn's racism goes beyond the n-word: african-americans have every right to be offended.
- Opines that 'n-word' should be removed from "huckleberry finn." sentinel & enterprise. 2011.
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- Racism In Mark Twain's The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finnanalytical essayThe largest debate as to why the novel is a racist work is because of the use of the "N-word." Although there is an abundance of evidence pointing towards the theory that Mark Twain was a racist, therefore making the book itself a reflection of his ideologies, Huckleberry Finn is created as a form of social commentary, on the racism of the time period. As reflected in the essays in Satire or Evasion?, the perspectives on the views of racism in Huckleberry Finn vary widely (Arac 113) and it can be concluded that “there is no single ‘black’ position on Huckleberry Finn any more than there is a monolithic white one” (Leonard
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how mark twain uses the "n-word" 213 times to portray the african-american characters as inferior to their white counterparts in the adventures of huckleberry finn.
- Analyzes the controversy in critical sources surrounding the racism of huck finn.
- Analyzes how shelley fisher fishkin debunks the argument that huckleberry finn is racist, arguing that twain's portrayal of jim portrays blacks in a negative light.
- Explains that the book is a textbook illustration of antiracist uses of racism. the "n-word" is used to depict blacks as racist propaganda, while huckleberry finn is social commentary.
- Analyzes the background of mark twain and huckleberry finn. jim, the slave of miss watson, has a wife and children that he is afraid of never seeing again if she makes good on her plan to sell him.
- Analyzes the use of racial epithets in huckleberry finn, which drew both censure and commendation from the audience of the novel.
- Analyzes how mark twain's use of the "n-word" was intended to make a statement about its use, in general, language and society.
1177 wordsRead More - Racism In Huck Finnanalytical essayMark Twain wrote The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to expose the hypocrisy of racism and religion in society. In the period he wrote the book, there were two contradictory belief systems regarding race: one stated all men were equal, while the other stated the exact opposite, as it stated all blacks were inferior to whites. This divided society into two groups: the “civilized” (whites) and the “savages” (blacks). Through his writing of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain displayed his opposition of this arrogant and hypocritical belief system, a belief system that unfortunately still exists in today’s world.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how mark twain wrote the adventures of huckleberry finn to expose the hypocrisy of racism and religion in society.
- Compares twain's portrayal of huck’s father, pap, and widow douglas’ slave, jim, as examples of his opposition to this belief system.
- Compares richard sherman (black) of the seattle seahawks to justin bieber (white) on social media.
- Analyzes how the playbills of one of the duke and king's cons show that black adults were placed below white adults and on the same level as white children.
- Analyzes the "rooney rule" in the nfl, which states that teams must interview at least one black candidate for coaching jobs.
- Analyzes how twain touched on racial profiling in the adventures of huckleberry finn. when huck is spying on the duke and the king in an effort to find the stolen money, the two conmen decide to change the location of the hidden money.
- Explains that racial profiling still takes place in today’s society, especially by ities. in newark, two youths aged 15 and 13 were riding in a car driven by their football coach.
- Analyzes how twain's criticism of society was based on his belief that society practiced and preached religious values that were convenient to them.
- Analyzes how the widow douglas can be seen as one of twain's examples of religious hypocrisy. in the name of her religious beliefs, she urges huck to help other people, yet she sees nothing wrong with owning jim, another human being.
- Analyzes how the grangerfords are another example of religious hypocrisy used by twain. they have bibles and other religious symbols in their house to symbolize they are religious people, but are in a battle with the neighboring family, the shepherdsons.
- Analyzes how john jay college of criminal justice conducted a study to look at sex abuse by priests from 1950 to 2002. since the 1980s, nearly 15,000 victims have come forward and pressed charges.
- Explains that jihads are an example of the hypocrisy of religion in today's world.
- Analyzes how mark twain wrote the adventures of huckleberry finn to expose the hypocrisy of racism and religion in society.
1227 wordsRead More - The Theme Of Racism In The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finnanalytical essayHoly 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.
In this essay, the author
- Recommends holy names students read the adventures of huckleberry finn because it teaches students of american society in the 1840s.
- Analyzes how the adventures of huckleberry finn takes place in st. petersburg, missouri, around 1845. the country woman tests huck to see if he is an apprentice to a farmer.
- Analyzes how the book exposes racist thoughts back then, such as the disapproval of helping runaway slaves.
- Analyzes how huck felt wrong for opposing the establishment of slavery, for fear of consequences. he held many controversial opinions, including toward religion.
- Analyzes how mark twain's novel is a way to put the reality of racism in the eyes of others.
- Concludes that holy names students should read the adventures of huckleberry finn, for it is an iconic book that provides valuable information. though it contains too much racism and offensive language, such aspects of american history should not be hidden.
1226 wordsRead More - Huck Finnanalytical essayWhat makes a novel enjoyable? Usually one that is intriguing, insightful, or controversial. All of these things compiled in one book can make a book even more enjoyable. Mark Twain in the unabridged version of “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” manages to include some form of those aspects. I would recommend it as a must read although some deem it inappropriate. There has been controversy over whether Huck Finn should be admitted in school libraries or whether the text should be altered in order to be appropriate for students. Twain uses literary devices that makes this novel a must read. With careful analysis, it is clear this novel captures the time of the novel through diction, keeping readers intrigued, while incorporating insight through struggles and change, therefore making this book worthwhile to read.
In this essay, the author
- Recommends mark twain's "adventures of huckleberry finn" as a must read although some deem it inappropriate.
- Analyzes how twain creates a feel throughout the novel that forces readers to feel as though they are there, in that place, watching the events occur.
- Opines that students and even adults would consider this novel inappropriate because it is the unedited version. the word "nigger" is mentioned over 120 times, and in some ways extremely vulgar.
- Analyzes how mark twain's "adventure of huckleberry finn" makes one feel offended, disgusted, or uncomfortable, but it is the mind of the reader.
616 wordsRead More - Reminders of Heartlessness: Racism in "Huckleberry Finn" and Blackface Minstrel Showsanalytical essay..., one often blames it on where or how we were raised. Realistically, Mark Twain should have rights to the same excuse. He wrote his novel years after the “end” of racial discrimination, but references it because of how he was raised. In other words, Twain mirrors the immortality of society’s racism and stereotypes. All in all, Twain teaches that although we believe ourselves not to be stereotypical, these things will doubtlessly continue to survive many eras past Realism.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how mark twain's depiction of jim and use of the most powerful racial epithet in african american history caused ire to many who analyzed it as harsh and unnecessary to the publication of a "good" novel.
- Analyzes how twain's jim and black minstrel shows exemplify blacks alienation from society.
- Analyzes how black minstrel shows publicize a white man appearing in blackface makeup and replicating the acts of slaves. they demonstrate whites conception of blacks as property, and not as an equal being.
- Analyzes how jim and the black minstrel shows share the representation of blacks displaying idiocy.
- Explains that black minstrel shows are the earliest publication of blacks displaying idiocy. the storyline originates from the white man's stereotypes of slaves with slurred dialect and incoherence in its characters.
- Analyzes how twain's portrayal of huckleberry finn reflects on human nature, civilization, growth from boy to man, and racism.
- Explains that black minstrel shows are seen today through styles of entertainment based on stereotypes developed in these shows.
- Concludes that twain's treatment of jim serves as a lesson in humanity to realistically teach how society staunchly continues to corrupt us.
980 wordsRead More - Why Should Huck Finn Be Taught In High Schoolsopinionated essayMark Twain’s use of dialect and colloquial language is very strong in the characters of this book. Nationwide there has been an argument of whether or not this text is appropriate for highschool students studying American Literature. Schools should continue teaching Huckleberry Finn to high school students because of its distinguishing dialect.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that mark twain's the adventures of huckleberry finn has proved controversial over the years and still holds an argument whether it is appropriate to teach in high schools nationwide.
- Argues that mark twain's use of dialect and colloquial language is very strong in the characters of this book. schools should continue teaching huckleberry finn to high school students because of its distinguishing dialect
- Explains why high schools should keep huckleberry finn apart of the curriculum because mark twain's dialect and colloquial language leads to an overall realism and vividness to the story.
- Opines that high schools should keep huckleberry finn apart of their curriculum because of the real and deeper meaning behind the text. mark twain chose to use the ‘’n’’ word because he wanted to capture the truthful colloquial style.
- Explains that some schools have considered removing this book from the curriculum or censoring the ‘’n’’ word throughout the original text. the profoundness of the text makes teaching it problematic when you are uncertain how someone may react to it.
- Opines that mark twain's use of dialect and colloquial language is very strong in the characters of the adventures of huckleberry finn.
446 wordsRead More - Racism In Huck Finn Essayanalytical essayFor nearly two and a half centuries people were worked to death and treated like animals just because of the color of their skin. Slavery was a racist social invention to degrade and use a group of people for their differences. In Mark Twain’s time he witnessed the prejudices against black people that lasted long after the abolishment of slavery. The social stigma around colored people did not change after slavery ended. Black people were still segregated in society and made to feel inferior. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by repetitively portraying white people as backwards and corrupt, Twain strives to overcome the racist belief of white superiority.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how pap is a verbally and physically abusive father to huck, whereas jim is patient and nurturing.
- Analyzes how jim's nurturing and kind actions towards huck make him a father-like person for him, revealing the backwards thinking of society when pap, the least moral person in the book, has more rights than jim.
- Analyzes how twain uses the deplorable fate of the duke and king juxtaposed with jim's eventual freedom to show that race does not equal wealth or happiness.
- Analyzes how twain shows that white people don't always end up better off, even in a time of slavery and prejudice.
- Analyzes how the civilized people huck meets believe themselves to be good christians, but jim's actions are more true to the morals of christianity than anyone else.
- Analyzes how each generation passed down the grangerfords hatred of the shepherdsons, and instead of acting like true christians, the most well-respected families in town massacre each other.
- Analyzes how twain's portrayal of jim as the most compassionate character in the novel shows the human qualities of african americans that people had refused to see during and after slavery.
- Analyzes how mark twain's 'the adventures of huckleberry finn' tries to overcome the racist belief of white superiority.
1882 wordsRead More - Huckleberry Finnanalytical essayMany people think that Huckleberry Finn is a racist novel and they have even gone as far as banning the novel from certain schools. They base this view on the fact that the word “nigger” is used very often and they see the black people being portrayed in a degrading way to show that they are inferior to the white society. Contrary to this idea, Huckleberry Finn is not a racist novel. Mark Twain actually attacks racism by satirizing the lifestyle of the white people and shows that they have no reason at all to think that they are better than the blacks. This satirizing of the white people is effectively seen in the portrayal of the king and the duke.
In this essay, the author
- Argues that mark twain attacks racism by satirizing the lifestyle of the white people.
- Analyzes how mark twain starts to mock the king and the duke as soon as they are introduced in the novel. their appearance gives a negative impression right from the start.
- Analyzes how mark twain shows his disgust for society's materialism through the king and the duke.
- Analyzes how mark twain shows his disgust for society through the king and the duke's conniving and deceitful ways.
- Analyzes how mark twain attacks racism by focusing on the white people and their wrongdoings for the intent of changing them to see that everyone is equal no matter what color
976 wordsRead More - Huckleberry Finn Dialect Analysisanalytical essayHuckleberry Finn stands as one of the strongest condemnations of racism in American literature as Huck chooses to go to hell rather than send Jim back into slavery. Mark Twain wasn't a racist, but he was a local color writer intent upon capturing both the romance and the realism of his part of the country. The romance of the Mississippi River and the beauty and freedom of life on a raft is an integral part of the novel, and Twain's use of vernacular style and his attention to specific detail contribute to its realism. In writing in the dialect and the diction of his characters, Twain made them real.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how mark twain was a local color writer intent upon capturing both the romance and the realism of his part of the country.
109 wordsRead More - Mark Twain's View On Racismanalytical essayGrowing up in the pre-Civil War era, Mark Twain’s writings reflect racism in society which raises suspicion that Twain is racist; although racism could be traced to influences from the time period. In many ways, Twain is thought to have reflected himself within his novel, through the characters and their actions. For example, while growing up, Twain loved his career of piloting steamboats up until the Civil War. Similarly Huck expresses that “Other places do seem cramped up and smothery, but a raft don’t. You feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft.” (116). However, Mark Twain does not excessively express his views towards society to the point where he looks racist, but instead fitting for the time period.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how mark twain's writings reflect racism in society in the pre-civil war era, which raises suspicion that he is racist.
- Analyzes how mark twain was raised in an unforgiving society where he witnessed brutal deaths and treatments of slaves. huck struggles with defining his own morals towards jim.
363 wordsRead More