Theme Of Racism In Huckleberry Finn
Huckleberry Finn: Racist or Non-Racist
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is a book about the injustice of slavery and racism in the South. The novel details the experiences of Huck Finn, a thirteen year old white boy, and Jim, a black slave, who each escape in search of freedom. While Huck is escaping from a drunk, abusive father, Jim is escaping from slavery in order to prevent his owner from selling him. There is much debate over whether or not the book is racist. While many believe that Huckleberry Finn is a racist text due to the overuse of racial comments and inappropriate language throughout the novel, Huckleberry Finn is actually not racist because the book is about a boy who overcomes his racist upbringing by becoming acquainted with a slave. The first reason that or why Huckleberry Finn is a non-racist text has to do with what is considered acceptable during the period in which slavery is or was allowed. This is evidenced by the use of the “n” word throughout the book. Even though the “n” word is not appropriate language to use today due to the hurtful and offensive meaning of the word in modern-day society, it is a term that is or was commonly used in the mid-1800s. Depending on how the word is used, it can have either a positive or negative meaning. When Huck says, …show more content…
The novel is written in a way to not only document the evils of slavery and the existence of racism in the South, Twain also shows that the use of what we consider to be inappropriate language today is a true representation of language considered to be appropriate during the period of slavery. Lastly, the book is a symbol of humanity as a deep, unlikely relationship forms between a white boy and a slave. Huck protects Jim and helps him to escape, while Jim will risk his own freedom for Huck. In the end, freeing Jim from slavery helps Huck to free himself from the hatred of slavery in the
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is a book about the injustice of slavery and racism in the South. The novel details the experiences of Huck Finn, a thirteen year old white boy, and Jim, a black slave, who each escape in search of freedom. While Huck is escaping from a drunk, abusive father, Jim is escaping from slavery in order to prevent his owner from selling him. There is much debate over whether or not the book is racist. While many believe that Huckleberry Finn is a racist text due to the overuse of racial comments and inappropriate language throughout the novel, Huckleberry Finn is actually not racist because the book is about a boy who overcomes his racist upbringing by becoming acquainted with a slave. The first reason that or why Huckleberry Finn is a non-racist text has to do with what is considered acceptable during the period in which slavery is or was allowed. This is evidenced by the use of the “n” word throughout the book. Even though the “n” word is not appropriate language to use today due to the hurtful and offensive meaning of the word in modern-day society, it is a term that is or was commonly used in the mid-1800s. Depending on how the word is used, it can have either a positive or negative meaning. When Huck says, …show more content…
The novel is written in a way to not only document the evils of slavery and the existence of racism in the South, Twain also shows that the use of what we consider to be inappropriate language today is a true representation of language considered to be appropriate during the period of slavery. Lastly, the book is a symbol of humanity as a deep, unlikely relationship forms between a white boy and a slave. Huck protects Jim and helps him to escape, while Jim will risk his own freedom for Huck. In the end, freeing Jim from slavery helps Huck to free himself from the hatred of slavery in the