Stereotypes In Huckleberry Finn

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain is a book I have been hearing about my whole life. This book still causes national discomfort. I had heard about it being banned by schools and libraries since it was first published. It is still banned in some school districts today. I had heard that what we euphemistically call “the N-word” is printed in its un-euphemistic state in this book. I had heard that Huckleberry Finn is a masterpiece of American literature, and must continue to be taught in junior high school through graduate school. I had heard that great care should be taken as to how it is taught. I had the impression that this book is kryptonite and, without careful scholarly supervision, it will unleash disruption by inflicting fresh
I wondered: what was Twain thinking? Eventually I concluded that Twain stereotyped Jim as a tactic to get readers to accept a black character as a major character in the story. Twain portrays Jim as naive, superstitious, and gullible—someone you can play tricks on, and probably get away with it. But as the story progresses, Twain turns the stereotype completely on its head. Jim’s actions display that he is a remarkable individual, not a stereotype. He is a deeply moral man, very protective of Huck, and risks his freedom to help Tom, when Tom is shot. Jim’s character must be revealed gradually--by his actions—to (hopefully) change the racist, narrow-minded viewpoint held by many readers at that
I had everything I needed, and the boy was doing as well there as he would a done at home—better, maybe, because it was so quiet; but there I WAS, with both of 'm on my hands, and there I had to stick till about dawn this morning; then some men in a skiff come by, and as good luck would have it the nigger was setting by the pallet with his head propped on his knees sound asleep; so I motioned them in quiet, and they slipped up on him and grabbed him and tied him before he knowed what he was about, and we never had no trouble.” (Ch.42, p.