Prejudice and Racism in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark TwainDespite all the criticism of racism and other questionable material aimed at young readers, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is a superbly written novel that, in this reviewer's opinion , should not be removed from the literary canon. Twain's novel is a coming-of-age story that teaches young people many valuable lessons and, to some extent, inspires them to re-examine their own lives and morals. The most common argument for its removal from the literary canon is that the novel is too racist; it offends black readers, perpetuates cheap stereotypes of the slavery era, and deserves no place on today's library shelves. However, one must ask whether Twain encourages traditional Southern racism or whether he challenges this idea. On a superficial level, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn can seem racist, and for the most obvious reason: many characters use the word "nigger" throughout the novel. . But since the book takes place in the South twenty years before the Civil War, it would be surprising if they didn't use that word. A closer reading also reveals Twain's serious satirical intent. In one scene, for example, Aunt Sally hears about a steamboat exploding. “Damn it!” was anyone injured? she asks. “No,” comes the answer. “Killed a Negro” (Mark Twain, Huckleberry Finn 1409). But anyone who imagines that Mark Twain literally meant this is missing the point. Rather, Twain uses this informal dialogue ironically, as a way to highlight the frightening truth about the Old South, namely that it was a society where perfectly "nice" people did not consider the death of a black person dignified. attention. To drive the point home, Twain asks the lady to continue: "We...... middle of paper...... at the end of the novel, Huck and the reader have come to understand that Jim is not not someone's property or an inferior, but equal man. To say that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a racist novel is absurd, but there are still hotheads who claim that the novel is racist. These claims are not simply attempts to damage the image of a great novel, they come from people who are hurt by racism and don't like to see it in any context. However, they must understand that this novel and its author are not racist and that the purpose of the story is to prove the equality of black people. It is vital for the reader to recognize these ideas as those of society and recognize that Twain, throughout the novel, encourages racist ideas and challenges them. For this reason, and for its deep moral implication, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should not be removed from the literary canon.. [1056]

Essay / Prejudice and Racism in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark TwainDespite all the criticism of racism and other questionable material aimed at young readers, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is a superbly written novel that, in this reviewer's opinion , should not be removed from the literary canon. Twain's novel is a coming-of-age story that teaches young people many valuable lessons and, to some extent, inspires them to re-examine their own lives and morals. The most common argument for its removal from the literary canon is that the novel is too racist; it offends black readers, perpetuates cheap stereotypes of the slavery era, and deserves no place on today's library shelves. However, one must ask whether Twain encourages traditional Southern racism or whether he challenges this idea. On a superficial level, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn can seem racist, and for the most obvious reason: many characters use the word "nigger" throughout the novel. . But since the book takes place in the South twenty years before the Civil War, it would be surprising if they didn't use that word. A closer reading also reveals Twain's serious satirical intent. In one scene, for example, Aunt Sally hears about a steamboat exploding. “Damn it!” was anyone injured? she asks. “No,” comes the answer. “Killed a Negro” (Mark Twain, Huckleberry Finn 1409). But anyone who imagines that Mark Twain literally meant this is missing the point. Rather, Twain uses this informal dialogue ironically, as a way to highlight the frightening truth about the Old South, namely that it was a society where perfectly "nice" people did not consider the death of a black person dignified. attention. To drive the point home, Twain asks the lady to continue: "We...... middle of paper...... at the end of the novel, Huck and the reader have come to understand that Jim is not not someone's property or an inferior, but equal man. To say that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a racist novel is absurd, but there are still hotheads who claim that the novel is racist. These claims are not simply attempts to damage the image of a great novel, they come from people who are hurt by racism and don't like to see it in any context. However, they must understand that this novel and its author are not racist and that the purpose of the story is to prove the equality of black people. It is vital for the reader to recognize these ideas as those of society and recognize that Twain, throughout the novel, encourages racist ideas and challenges them. For this reason, and for its deep moral implication, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should not be removed from the literary canon.. [1056]

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