Huckleberry Finn Racism Essay

Throughout the course of the novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain utilizes morally questionable terminology, situations, and subjects in the book to draw attention to the racism so prevalent in southern White society during the 1800’s. Through the use of scathing commentary and major character development, Twain’s stance on racism is clear: he passionately disapproves of the treatment and objectification of Blacks. Although, by today’s standards, the novel is deemed by many as politically incorrect, Twain’s writing reflects the times in which the novel was written, and ultimately makes his position on the injustices and hypocrisy of White society be known. In the first paragraph of the first chapter, Huck makes strides to distinguish

Huckleberry Finn is a classic American novel that has brought up topics of debate all around the world. Mark Twain (the author of this novel) did not mean to bring out the coarse language in this novel, he just wanted to emphasize the time period. Huckleberry Finn is a novel where Mark Twain tells the story of a boy named Huck, who goes on an adventure with a runaway slave (Jim) and learns right from wrong while traveling the Mississippi River. Huckleberry Finn is a very valuable book which, attacks racism and shows a healthy relationship between both races in spite of all the racism present in the time period. Huckleberry Finn shows a healthy relationship between both races which makes the book even more valuable.

Several instances show in the novel that characters say something and their actions don’t match their word. For instance, when the Widow Douglas told Huck that he could not smoke because smoking was “a mean practice and wasn't clean” (2). Miss Watson herself, however, chewed tobacco. Other characters in the novel also serve as the form of satire to hypocrites. The duke, right away says that “ - all black men are thieves - ” (--).

(Ch.16, Pg.168) Mr. Raymond acted as if he was drunk so he that he wouldn't need to explain to anyone his love for a black woman. The alcohol, he said, gave the community of Maycomb a reason to say, he didn't realize what he was doing. These kind of relations were completely unheard of during this time. Aunt Alexandra demonstrates discrimination, even against her own race, when she refused to allow Scout to have Walter Cunningham over for

Ellison uses Invisible man to highlight the racism and Prejudice within society; despite the narrator’s lack of reliability, these themes are still conveyed effectively. Not only does our narrator detail the differences between black and white people, but also northern and southern people so that even the southern white man could read this book and relate to the feeling. All of his delusions, and outbursts add to the societal situation that Ellison wanted depicted in his work. The subtle racism that threatens to be brushed aside is deafening as I.M. rages on about Tobbit defending himself by being “...married to a fine, intelligent Negro girl” (468).

When The Second Continental Congress approved of the Declaration of Independence, it purposefully avoided the complicated situation that was slavery. African Americans, both freed and enslaved, were outraged. How could the Founding Fathers write such a riveting and long document for themselves, while completely ignoring the African American struggle for freedom on the basis of skin tone? The hypocrisy was too much for Benjamin Banneker, who took it upon himself to write a letter to Thomas Jefferson about the atrocities of slavery, and persuade him to abolish the practice. In it, Banneker used allusions, a melancholy diction, and deductive reasoning to state his argument against the enslavement of his color.

While learning to read and write ultimately helped him escape, it caused him suffering beforehand. More thorough understanding of slavery made him angrier with his masters, less satisfied with complacency, and more anguished at his position. What he read was liberating and crushing simultaneously, and he detailed this ironic duality in describing his anguished emotions at the time. The writings themselves also prompted discussion of the irony in hypocritically oppressive slave owners who claim to be Americans for freedom and Christians for equality but force the opposites on slaves. Describing his stressful emotions, which happened to be situationally ironic, creates an effective emotional appeal to sympathy similar to the childhood chapters.

You can feel this frustration in his writing. He demands respect and presents himself in a serious manner. Fredrick describes the horrors he experienced as a slave and reminds of how this rough experience changed his life. While he does aim to please his audience like Wheatley, he finds a way to merge Eurocentric and Afrocentric audiences. He makes sure not to disrespect his oppressors, but he manages to tell his story at the same time.

They even respected each other’s differences. Although, many argue that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is controversial due to racial slurs; Twain show how racism impacted his life as a young boy showing that he was against

Racism is defined as prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior (Oxford Dictionary). Many popular novels have tried to recognize prejudice and how is was wrong to discriminate colored people. Racism didn’t just stop after one generation, but continued on for a long time. Both To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee and The Help by Kathryn Stockett show how racism was taught down generations in the South during the 1900s. In To Kill A Mockingbird main characters Jem and Scout were left confused when Tom Robinson was convicted for a crime he clearly didn’t commit.