Racial Stereotypes in Invisible Man and Huck Finn

Throughout the years, racial stereotypes have played a major role in society. Even today, one combines racial stereotypes and prejudice thoughts before one even says a word to the person. Just seeing an African- American man while in a parking lot and pulling out ones phone, can be a simple example of modern-day racial stereotypes.

Both novels illustrate the difficulty of overcoming racial stereotypes, while the narrator in The Invisible Man is invisible; Jim in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is identifiable.

The narrator encounters racial stereotypes throughout the novel. He first encounters Tod Clifton selling Sambo dolls on the streets. Clifton is singing a jingle trying to promote the dolls:

Shake it up! Shake it up!

He’s Sambo, the dancing doll, ladies and gentlemen.

Shake him, stretch him by the neck and set him down,

-He’ll do the rest. Yes!

He’ll make you laugh; he’ll make you sigh, si-igh.

He’ll make you want to dance, and dance-

Here you are, ladies and gentlemen, Sambo,

The dancing doll (431).

The dolls are racial stereotypes of African-Americans, which symbolizes a Sambo slave- one who acts indolent yet submissive. Also, the doll represents a negative African-American entertainer that makes a fool of himself for white people’s entertainment. Moreover, the Sambo doll is able to move when pulled by the strings above. This implies that African-Americans act like puppets with strings, which are controlled by the whites. This degrading symbol shows that African-Americans act in certain ways because of the white people and the racist society created. Another symbol that represents a racial stereotype is the coin bank. While living in Mary’s house, the Invisible Man sees the bank, “…the...

... middle of paper ...

...wears the 5-cent piece around his neck, which Tom leaves for the candles, saying it is a good luck charm. Huck believes all African-Americans are superstitious, which is a racial stereotype, “Niggers is always talking about witches in the dark by the kitchen fire; but whenever one was talking and letting on to know all about such things, Jim would happen in and say, ‘Hm! What you know ‘bout witches?’” (6). Lastly in the end of the novel, everyone still believes Jim is a slave, but in actuality he is a free man “He aint no slave; he’s as free as any cretur that walks this earth!” (399). Miss Watson writes in her will, that once she is dead, Jim is freed. Miss Watson dies, but since Jim is African- American it is difficult for others to realize he is a free man. Twain created this character to show how racism and racial stereotypes play a major role in society.