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Is Huckleberry Finn Relevant Today Essay

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Although The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was written over a century ago when the U.S. looked very different than it does today, the themes that it contains are still relevant in society. One of the most present themes in the story deals with racism and the treatment of African-Americans. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was set in a time and place when slavery was a part of life, and the attitude of white characters towards black characters reflects this; even more open-minded characters like protagonist Huck Finn seem to regard African-Americans as part of an inferior species. This theme is still relevant today because even though racism is in many ways less of a problem than it was in the time of the story, people, whether consciously …show more content…

Jim, who has strong morals, a personality, and is capable of love, defies the image of African-Americans held by other characters in the plot. Over the course of the story and Huck’s interactions with Jim, Huck becomes aware of and begins to reevaluate his stereotypes against African-Americans and acknowledges that African Americans are not the sub-human, inferior species he once thought them to be. Both Huck and readers learn a few important lessons throughout the plot: just because some ideas have been an unquestioned reality in the past does not mean that they are true. Furthermore, generalizations and stereotypes held against certain types of people are in many cases false, and just because a person looks or lives differently from you does not make them inferior to you. People today often assume things about people or groups of people they don’t know much about, and the lessons the protagonist learns in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn are very applicable to society; being open-minded and accepting of different people would be highly beneficial in today’s

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In the book "The Adventures if Huckleberry Finn", Mark Twain's writing mirrors the society and problems it had in that time. This book promotes seeing African-Americans as people, which is absolutely groundbreaking and unheard-of in the time it was written, right after the Civil War. Throughout the book,, Huck has a complete change in his feelings towards Jim, starting with his highly influenced young mind, only able to view Jim as a slave, all the way to seeing Jim as a father-figure who can protect and provide for him. Although Huck tries to see Jim as a friend and fatherly-figure, society's beliefs don't allow him to see Jim as anything but a slave.

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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is an American classic, it was the starting point for all great American Literature. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been awarded all of these honorable titles because of its abnormal and controversial plot line. During the time period when the book was written, it was unacceptable to view African- American’s as anything other than slaves. They were viewed as inferior to whites and were treated like property, they had no rights. The main character of the book, Huck, disagrees and disobeys these norms and pushes the boundaries of society when he becomes friends with a slave from his childhood; Jim.

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The old saying goes, “People can’t change,” but we can, just like Huckleberry Finn changes. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Huckleberry Finn is a young boy with a big imagination. He loves adventures, and playing tricks, but throughout the book, he starts to change. Huck changes in several ways; he sees African-Americans differently, he starts to believe in superstition, and he also changes the way he acts toward people. One of the ways Huck has changed, is the way he sees and treats African-Americans.

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1233 Words | 5 Pages

In the novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, is a book about a boy named HuckleBerry Finn who 's from St. Petersburg, Missouri. Huck has a drunk and abusive father who only wants huck for his money, so Huck fakes his own death. At the same time Jim (a black slave owned by Miss Watson) heard that he was going to be sold down south, where he would be mistreated and separated from his family. They team up and try to make it up to the free states up north. This book shows examples of large amounts of racism and stereotyping threw out the book, and the big question is show it be taught in today 's school systems?

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828 Words | 4 Pages

With the novel being told in the first person point of view of Huck, we get a first hand experience of the prejudices then. We are able to see just how stereotypical and racist white people were in the past. A majority of the people in the south viewed blacks as inferior, or below them in social ranking. They ordered around their slaves and treated them with little respect at times. Although The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn can make students feel “uncomfortable," it is beneficial for students to read it.

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Starting from a young age, everyone loves to go on adventures and have fun, just like Huck Finn. Growing up in St. Petersburg, Missouri, he is a white 12 year old boy and the son of a drunken father. In the beginning of the book, Huck is seen as a little innocent boy. Until he enters the world with his friend, Tom Sawyer, as they go on adventures, which creates problems and controversy through the history of the North and South, civilization, and racism and slavery. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Huck has many controversial experiences that are still a problem in today’s society, which is why we should keep teaching the book in school.

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Judging someone for their race, ethnicity, or skin color is never portrayed as the right thing to do. However, these are some of the main themes in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. This was taken place before the Civil War, when slavery was still legal. When Huck Finn and Jim meet, even though Jim is a slave, they connect immediately. Their friendship grows stronger and stronger as the novel continues, it got to the point where Jim was not only a friend, but a father figure to Huck.

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This book proves that not everyone who grew up around racism was cruel, as Huck began to love Jim for who he is, despite the society he grew up in. An example of Huck maturing could come from chapter forty, "I knowed he was white inside, and I reckoned he'd say what he did say - so it was all right, now, and I told Tom I was agoing for a doctor." (Twain 301). This quote clearly shows that Huck is maturing, and seeing past the color of Jim's skin. The book shows us how hard it was to grow up in a racist society and not be racist.

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A major theme throughout American history, as well as throughout Huck Finn, is racism. Racism, a topic still raw today, should not be ignored. Jocelyn Chadwick, a Mark Twain scholar, writes, “Twain brings into schools what most of us in this country desperately need, yet fear, most: discussions-frank discussions-about race”. With the use of the N-word and dialogue such as “‘We blowed out a cylinder head.’ ‘Good gracious!

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Essay The novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is a story about a young boy who is trying to find who he is during the civil war. In this novel by Mark Twain it speaks about this young boy, named Huck, and how his original morals are beginning to change while he helps free his friend Jim, who is a slave. Though People have argued that this book uses many racial slurs that demoralize the African American race. Though there is solid reasoning why those are not Mark Twain's true intentions.

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1059 Words | 5 Pages

Everybody has someone in his or her life who teaches him or her how to be a better person. Throughout the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain uses Jim, a slave, as a source of symbolism for Huck’s maturity. First, Jim teaches Huck about what it truly means to be civilized. Next, Jim shows Huck about the value of family. Lastly, Jim teaches Huck about racial inequality and how to accept people.

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464 Words | 2 Pages

The novel of, The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain is a famous novel about a boy named Huck Finn and his adventures. There 's a great amount of unique quotes in the novel and one of them is, “ Each person had their own nigger to wait them-Buck too. My nigger had a monstrous easy time, because I weren 't used to having anybody do anything for me, but Buck’s was on the jump most of the time” ( page 109). This quote shows something about Huck 's character, which is by the way, different from everybody else’s at that time. This quote also shows some things about history, which is the slavery of course.

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1403 Words | 6 Pages

The black man on the back porch is afraid of the rattle snake because it is bad luck, or the innocent little slave is quick to believe everything one tells them at the drop of the hat. These are just some of the many racist stereotypes of the 1840s. A character named Jim is the star African American whom Twain bestoys the mission of being the stereotypical black man to prove a point. He along with his much more pallor companion Huck go on exciting adventures that unfold the events which expose the racist conduct of the time. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain saturates his novel with potent images of acute racism severe enough as to create a satirical mien that exposes the absurdity of prejudice.

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Mark Twain emphasizes the theme that a person's morals are more powerful than the corrupt influence of society in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Based on how Huck Finn views the world and forms his opinions, he does not know the difference between right and wrong. In the novel, Huck escapes civilized society. He encounters a runaway slave, Jim, and together they travel hopes of freedom. But along the way, Huck and Jim come across troubles that have Huck questioning his motives.

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Individuals often say that the right way may not necessarily be the popular way, but standing up for the right thing, despite it being frowned upon, will be the true test of one’s moral character. This relates to the moral growth that Huck Finn experiences throughout his journey. Mark Twain’s controversial novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, can be said to be a compelling story about how one individual, Huck Finn, goes against society’s ideals. Huck’s moral development can be said to be based primarily on those around him, especially Jim. Many instances also influence Huck’s morals, particularly during the raft journey that will change his beliefs and morals.

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