Is Mark Twain's The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn A Racist?
Is Mark Twain a Racist? Do literary writers see Mark Twain as a racist? Many racial overtones exist in the classic tale of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. This has fueled a great controversy by characterizing Mark Twain as a “racist writer”(Powers 495). The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was published two decades after the Civil War, but its antebellum setting obviously makes for many examples of racism and slavery (Pflueger 83). Although Mark Twain’s writing implies offensive racism to some critics and readers, researchers have had to analyze his early life, the time period, and the transformation of his writing, in order to gain a real opinion on whether Mark Twain truly falls under the category of a racist. If social
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Critics accuse him of racism because his writing draws from the Missouri Negro dialect and his use of the word “nigger” two-hundred times throughout the book (Powers 495; Twaynes 8). In stating that Huck says, “Niggers would come from all around,” Twain seems to be trying to capture the common vernacular used during the era as opposed to displaying a form of racism (Powers 496; Twain 223). Mark Twain adopts one particular voice from his past, the voice of “Uncle Dan’l,” a middle aged slave emancipated by his Uncle John Quarles. Young Samuel Clemens would sit and listen to Uncle Dan’l’s stories and later in life staged him in his works as the character, Jim. Twain later in his life stated he finally obtained a strong liking of Uncle Dan’l’s race and an appreciation for its fine qualities (Powers 12). No one who knew Samuel Clemens, including abolitionist Frederick Douglass, ever accused him of animosity to blacks. Other friends and writers viewed him as respectful to blacks and thought that through his writings Twain showed a level of admiration he saw in this country (Twaynes 12). Unless one becomes prejudiced against, one must consider a testimony given by Mark Twain, in which he states he has no race or color prejudices and can stand any society. All Mark Twain really cares about prevails as “that a man is a human” (Powers
Critics accuse him of racism because his writing draws from the Missouri Negro dialect and his use of the word “nigger” two-hundred times throughout the book (Powers 495; Twaynes 8). In stating that Huck says, “Niggers would come from all around,” Twain seems to be trying to capture the common vernacular used during the era as opposed to displaying a form of racism (Powers 496; Twain 223). Mark Twain adopts one particular voice from his past, the voice of “Uncle Dan’l,” a middle aged slave emancipated by his Uncle John Quarles. Young Samuel Clemens would sit and listen to Uncle Dan’l’s stories and later in life staged him in his works as the character, Jim. Twain later in his life stated he finally obtained a strong liking of Uncle Dan’l’s race and an appreciation for its fine qualities (Powers 12). No one who knew Samuel Clemens, including abolitionist Frederick Douglass, ever accused him of animosity to blacks. Other friends and writers viewed him as respectful to blacks and thought that through his writings Twain showed a level of admiration he saw in this country (Twaynes 12). Unless one becomes prejudiced against, one must consider a testimony given by Mark Twain, in which he states he has no race or color prejudices and can stand any society. All Mark Twain really cares about prevails as “that a man is a human” (Powers