Racism In Huckleberry Finn Essay

One of the innumerable reasons social media has made such rapid progression throughout the past decade is the craze of deciphering current events in a matter of seconds on the Internet. Oftentimes, prevalent information is accessed instantly for fear of being swept away from mainstream knowledge. Therefore, the notion is inconceivable to fans of instant gratification as to why Mark Twain would postpone transcribing a novel until two decades following the event. Generally, historical events are best rendered by those who describe what had happened a few weeks or months following the incident. However, Huckleberry Finn was conceived by an author twenty four years following the liberating victory of the Civil War. It was certainly not to avoid

Is Huckleberry Finn racist propaganda bundled in the disguise of classic American literature, or is this depiction an accurate representation with the purpose of reconciling the past and understanding the steps taken to reach the present day. First it would be enjoyable to play devils advocate... Throughout the novel, Huck's treatment of Jim is racist, demeaning and insensitive. At one point, Huck is telling Jim the story of King Solomon and Jim has difficulty understanding Huck's skewed version. As Huck becomes frustrated by Jim's incomprehension, he laments, "I never see such a nigger." (p. 147). This racist comment is tainted with Huck's irritation at Jim's 'stupidity'. Huck sees himself as smarter despite his youth. For Huck, it is not a matter of age and experience, race is the primary determining factor of one's intelligence. Now, for a countering argument. It addressed many Cold War predicaments: More than any other major work of nineteenth-century American literature, its use of dialect and regional settings made it seem authentically and distinctively American. In addition, it spoke to the greatest contradiction in American history: the existence of slavery and virulent racial prejudice in a country dedicated to liberty and