In the Oxford Dictionary, 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.” Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been removed from classrooms or even changed because of the controversy surrounding it due to the idea that racism is evident in the novel. The book is said to be controversial due to Mark Twain’s use of racial slurs and his style of writing. Though through close analyzation, it can be proven that the book is not racist at all because of Mark Twain’s use of satire, his portrayal of the time period, and his themes that are evident in the book. With the help of these, Mark Twain shows his position on racism and help him get his idea across to readers. With his use of satire, Twain shows that he is indeed not being racist in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, but pointing out flaws of human nature. There are several examples of Twain’s use of satire such as the scenes with the duke and dauphin where he expresses how much he dislikes human nature and how humans treat each other. Looking down on the duke and dauphin for their scheming ways, Twain eventually lets karma catch up with them, and they end up getting tarred and feathered for their wrongdoings, leaving Huck feeling remorseful for them. When Huck discovers they have been punished for their actions he says, “Well, it made me sick to see it; and I was sorry for them …show more content…
His use of the language and attitudes was normal and accepted by the people of his time so it was expected that he would use the languages and viewpoints of the people in his day and age. This helps prove that Twain was not trying to be racist, but his themes also show that the book is indeed, not