Huck Finn Racist

The book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is a controversial book. Some people will say that it is a racist book, while others will argue that it isn’t a racist book. People don’t like the book's use of the word, “nigger”. The ‘n’ word appears 219 times in the novel (Phillip Rawls). Huck Finn is not a racist book because Twain made Jim a likable character, he used that word for a reason, and Twain is a realism writer. Mark Twain made Jim a likeable character. Jim was an honest, loyal, kind, caring, and admirable character. Even though the author also made him a little dumb and superstitious, he was still one of the most likable character in the book. Twain also made Huck’s father out to be a bad guy, he was mean and he was
an alcoholic, but Jim was kind, and he was more of a father figure to Huck. “Jim is, in fact, the best person in the novel: honest, perceptive and fair-minded, a loving father and loyal friend. In contrast, the white characters include, among others, Huck’s father, a child-abusing drunkard; the Duke and King, who are frauds and swindlers…” (Apstein). Some of the other characters in the book are not good characters, yet Jim is. Twain made Jim likable, and one of the better characters. Twain used the word “nigger” for a reason.
“Thoughtful examination of Twain’s use of the word “nigger” can help teach students the importance of understanding the context in which a word is used.” (Apstein). The word can help students learn about how African-Americans were treated and viewed back then. He wanted to show the importance of the word. He couldn’t have just switched out the word for slave, because anyone can be a slave. Also if Twain didn’t want to use that word, he wouldn’t have. Twain put that word in there for a reason, he wanted it to spark conversations and controversy. He wanted the readers to understand what type of language people used back then and how certain people were treated and
viewed.
Lastly Twain is a realism writer, so he would have to use dialogue true to the time period and region. Twain used that word because that is the type of writer he is. He writes about how things would have been back then and how they would have talked. Twain stays true to his literary movement, and how he writes his novel and the things he puts in there shows that. It would be amazing if they wouldn’t have said that word back in that time period and region. Realism writers need to stay true to the time period and region, and Twain did a great job of that. He used the type of language and words that they would back then and in the region. He even made Jim talk differently since back then slaves normally weren’t educated, and that showed in the author’s writing. If Twain wouldn’t have written the book like that then he wouldn’t have been following the realism writing rules. He had to use those certain words, and how certain people acted because that is truly how they talked and acted back then in the South. Now some people argue that the book can be racist. In the story, Huck plays some mean tricks on Jim. Huck puts a dead rattlesnake at Jim’s feet while he is sleeping, and then the mate comes and bites Jim. Huck also worries Jim when he gets lost in the fog. When they find each other again Huck lies and tells Jim it was all a dream. Jim then finds out it really wasn’t just a dream,
“When I got all wore out wid work, en wid de callin’ for you, en went to sleep, my heart wuz mos’ broke bekase you wuz los’, en I didn’t k’yer no’mo’ what became er me en de raf’. En when I wake up en fine you back ag’in, all safe en soun’, de tears come, en I could ‘a’ got down on my knees en kiss yo’ foot, I’s so thankful. En all you wuz thinkin’ ‘bout wuz how you could make a fool uv ole Jim wid a lie.” (Twain 85).
Jim was upset with Huck since he lied to him, which is understandable since Jim was so worried about Huck.
While all this is happening, while Huck is playing these tricks on Jim, we have to remember Huck is still a kid. He’s only around 13 years old, and that’s what kids do. They don’t think before they do things, and they like to play pranks and tricks on people. Huck was just trying to have fun with Jim, not be mean to him and be racist to him. In the novel Huck and Jim have a good relationship, they become friends and Huck starts seeing him as a person rather than a slave. They form a bond, a friendship. Mark Twain’s book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is not a racist book. The book may have racist character’s, but that does not make the whole book racist. Twain makes Jim a admirable and likable character, he wants to show the importance of the word “nigger”, and lastly he is a realism writer so of course he will use that kind of language and that’s how people would act. Just because a few characters in the book are racist, it doesn’t make the whole book
racist.