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Is The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Racist?

            What is racism? Racism is discrimination based on the belief that some races are by nature superior. There is a current debate that the description of the novel "Huckleberry Finn" is racist leading to some schools banning it from their libraries. Jim's character is described as an uneducated and simple sounding; illiterate slave and some people have looked upon this characterization as racist. Jim is depicted as a slave in the south during a period when slavery was common and widely accepted as the way of life. Slaves of this time period were not provided any formal education; never allowed any independent thought and were constantly mistreated and abused. The author in my opinion is merely describing how a slave spoke in those days and was trying to give you the true feeling behind his thought, while writing this tale. I think that the book "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" isn't racist.
             The use of the word "nigger" is most certainly a very slanderous slang term that is not socially acceptable in present times. The dialect in which Jim is speaking indicates how Jim spoke do to his lack of education and refinement that white people refused to provide to slaves. This provision was not permitted as white slave owners viewed blacks as property and as being unable to learn proper grammar and structure of the English language. Some historians have stated that this was also so because it allowed the white's to maintain control over their slaves in order to "keep the upper hand." We as a modern society should maintain an open mind when dealing with literary works such as Huckleberry Finn and bare in our mind that novels such as these are written during socially diverse and sometimes opposite ways of thinking. We should not ban a literary work such as Huckleberry Finn simply because it is not accepted by modern day standards. As we look further into the character's dialogue we find that Twain has written as accurately as possible the way that he would sound, and also to make you stop and think and picture in your mind them speaking that way.


Essays Related to Is The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Racist?

1. Huck Finn

... the racial aspects of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The question began to arise about whether it was a racist book. Could a book that uses the word "nigger" over one hundred times not be racist? Many people believed it was racist and wanted it removed from their school's curriculum. Angry parents from the Piedmont Hills, California in 1996 to Cherry Hill, New Jersey in 1997 have protested the reading of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in schools due to the repeated use of the ... out like the sound of rifle fire as the bullet tears through the face of Dr. King, and like the sho...

  • Word Count: 1484
  • Approx Pages: 6

2. Is Mark Twain a Racist

... right they?re on the spot. Many of the slaves in this book lived in fear of their master and wouldn't ever think of running away. Many authors believe that Twain shows racism in the book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn based on the time period that Twain grew up in, more the way that he was raised, or the place of his birth. It is my opinion that Twain is not a racist and that he was ... just trying to get as close as he could to the perfect words or the way that it really did use to be back during his time. Twain in the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn ... isn't a racist is ...

  • Word Count: 1854
  • Approx Pages: 7
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

3. Banned Books-Huckleberry Finn

... usually white people who do not experience racism, so the racist comments do not bother them. They can enjoy the fact that the novel is about real life situations, and they read the book for its contents. They believe that a novel is evaluated by the quality of its plot, and that any language enhances the understanding of the time and social period in which the novel takes place (Hartford 1-4). A person's race, and how ... as an insult to their social status. However, this library was not the only one to believe The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was offensive. Many other libraries bann...

  • Word Count: 1219
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: High School

4. Book Banning and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

... on little boys. Since 1885, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has encountered a more modern wave of controversy that centers around race. The word "nigger" is used over 200 times throughout the novel. Many argue that Twain's novel is racist by using that word. However, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" needs to be read in the context of the time period and culture in which the novel is set. Although the word "nigger" is considered extremely offensive today, it was ... not so during the time period portrayed in the novel, and Twain's intentions ... ...

  • Word Count: 1176
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Has Bibliography

5. Huckleberry Finn

... treated. Many people see this novel as racist, but in fact Mark Twain wrote the book to satire slavery. In defense The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is not a racist novel and it should be taught in schools throughout America. The author Mark Twain, an accomplished writer, did not intend to cause controversy with his book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The story line of the novel proves that the novel is actually a satire of the way slaves and all together African Americans ... where treated. In the story Huck fakes his death ... ...

  • Word Count: 444
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

6. Mark Twain: Was he a Racist?

... he walked down Montgomery Street (in San Fransisco) arm-in-arm with the editor of the newly established African-American newspaper. (Titta) The most controversial, yet influential, piece of evidence proving Twain to be, or not be, a racist, is his novel "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." For over thirty years, critics have called attention to the "racial epithets in Huckleberry Finn as an example of the inherent racism of the author." (Smith) In particular, African-Americans have objected to ... the book and many school districts have either banned the book, or made alternate literar...

  • Word Count: 1090
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Grade Level: High School

7. Huck Finn's Rejection of Society

... The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. The reader can see the main character, Huck's, rejection of society as he faces inner turmoil when discovering the greed, corruption, selfishness, racism, and deceit of it. First the idea of slavery is questioned, then soon after followed by Huck running in with society's worst characters. These included the feud between the Grangerfords and Shepherdsons, the racist south, and the Duke and King. Throughout the ... I been there before" (Twain 319). This statement, made by Huck, is the closing line of the novel "The Adventures of Huckleberry...

  • Word Count: 2222
  • Approx Pages: 9
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

8. The Controversy Over Huckleberry Finn

... people who go to great lengths to see it taken off library shelves, and out of classrooms. The reasons why the book should be banned vary, but the goal of the people against the book remains the same. The number one reason why "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" is banned is because of the racism throughout the book. The constant use of the word "nigger", and the strong presence of slavery have thrown people into an uproar ever since it was published. African Americans ... by "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn". But, they must also understand that it was not meant to be a racist book....

  • Word Count: 905
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Grade Level: High School

9. Huckleberry Finn

... , not raised in a society as racist as the 1880's, to relive life as it was when Twain was growing up, many people are quick to read the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and label Mark Twain as a racist. However, with a deep examination of Twain's novel, people would come to the conclusion that Twain is not a racist, but instead an astonishing writer who was unfortunately raised in a racist society. Twain a racist? The answers to these questions lie ... in the examination of Mark Twain's life and historical era, incidents and character comments throughout ... ...

  • Word Count: 1716
  • Approx Pages: 7
  • Grade Level: High School

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