But is Twain in fact a racist as many people label him to be? Jane Smiley, a writer for Harper Magazine, calls Twain a "villain" and claims Twain does an inaccurate job of opposing slavery (Smiley). That statement is a very poor depiction of Twain. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is used to create a direct statement about how the laws that govern society during pre-civil war times were wrong; civilization itself was wrong. Twain applies satire to express his true philosophy on slavery, that it should not have existed, and the rules of society, and employs various characters found in the novel, such as Huck, Jim and the Grangerfords, to support his theory.

Frederick Douglass compares a slave to "a piec

The immorality of "sivilization" was demonstrated by Huck (Twain 88). Twain characterizes Huck as an ignorant child, unable to read and do arithmetic like the other kids. However, this ignorant child is able to see past racial differences and is "courageous enough to stand against the moral conventions of his society" (Bollinger). The free-spirited Huckleberry

off the rattles and tie them around his wrist" in belief that that would help heal him (Twain 40). Although these episodes make Jim look doltish and crazed, the imprint of Twain's satire comes back to show us that despite his ignorance, Jim was the only character with integrity and a good set of positive principles. Jim cooked for Huck and cared for him as his own son; he was a great friend who was the only one worthy to serve as a role model for Huck.

Through his thick southern dialect, literal-minded train of thought

As reflected in Twain's writing, satire is the primary tool Twain employs to expose the issues civilization possesses, and the characters are used to deliver his opinion on the matter. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn furnishes the ethical theory Twain has on slavery and racial indifference. Huck's philosophies and observations surpass that which might be expected of an illiterate orphan boy and it is through him who Twain sends his messages through.

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