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Racism In The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain

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Huckleberry Finn Essay “I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality… I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.” (Martin Luther King, Jr., https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/racism). One of the main focuses in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain, is racism. The plot of the book is Huck and Jim travelling and going on adventures together as they both are on the run from their own homes and problems. There are multiple conflicts within the story, such as whether Huck should turn Jim in when first meeting him, since he is a runaway slave, and how the story could not have happened without Huck’s abusive father causing him to run off. Mark Twain is the author of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which was put on hold during the writing of it due to its darker tone in comparison to Tom Sawyer. Mark Twain had six children: Susy, Susy Clemens, Langdon, Jean Clemens, Clara, and Jean with his spouse Olivia Langdon Clemens. He was born on November 20, 1835 in Florida, Missouri and died of a heart attack on April 21, 1910 in Redding, Connecticut. …show more content…

From a young age, Huck was taught never to help a slave. He hesitantly goes along with Jim, knowing it is a disgrace to help or even befriend a slave. Surprisingly, Huck and Jim become close friends throughout the book, to the point where Jim states, “Dah you goes, de ole true Huck; de on’y white genlman dat ever kep his promise to ole Jim.” (Jim, Chapter 6). With Jim saying this, Huck feels incredibly guilty for having the thought of ever turning Jim in. Jim completely trusts Huck and sees him as a friend, and they continue to travel

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This is the climax of the novel, in which many of the underlying themes are made clear. Huck’s morals overcome his fear for punishment, and he is determined to help Jim even if he has to go to hell for it. Furthermore, Jim is a runaway slave, and in the context of the story, helping a runaway slave, albeit one that was sold and has a new owner, would be almost traitorous to Huck’s community. Another revelation is that Huck has transcended the racial constructs of the time, recognizing Jim’s humanity and considering him someone worth rescuing at great personal risk. In this scene, Huck finally breaks the restraints of society, and indeed, his environment, by ignoring all societal and theological constructs and instead choosing what is right by his conscience.

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Huck Finn, the main character, is a literary device developed by Mark Twain to alleviate racism in the 1800s. Huck has been adopted by the widow Douglas. She wants to save Huck because his mother is dead, and his father is the town drunk. Huck’s friend, Jim, is Miss Watson’s runaway slave. Jim’s plan is to sail a raft up the Missisippi, and over to the Ohio river toward the northern abolishionist states.

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Huck, therefore, sees Jim as his friend and ignores society’s expectations to treat him less than human. After tearing up the letter he writes to Miss Watson, Huck “... studied a minute, sort of holding my breath, and then says to myself: ‘All right, then, I’ll go to hell’” (214). Huck realizes that Jim is in need of assistance so he decides to do what is morally correct, which is to help Jim escape.

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This transition is the result of the extended period of time that the two spend together, which allows Huck to look past the differences that he has been taught to observe for his entire life and view Jim for what he is; a fellow man. By the end of this passage, Huck’s resolve to do right by Jim is so strong that he is willing to suffer eternal damnation rather than betray Jim. Perhaps Huck’s most important statement in this passage is “Alright then, I’ll go to hell”; here he decides he’s willing to go to hell for eternity rather than causing Jim to return to his life as a slave. At first Huck just thought of Jim the property of another person, a good to be bought and sold regardless of any evidence that he was a human being. As they travel together, this viewpoint is gradually weakened by examples of Jim’s humanity, culminating in a model shift that goes against everything Huck has been taught about the societal status of a

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