Racial Issues in Mark Twains The Adventures of...

Racial Issues in Huckleberry Finnnbsp;nbsp; An issue of central importance to Huckleberry Finn is the issue of race. The story takes place in a time of slavery, when blacks were considered inferior to whites, sometimes to the point of being considered less than fully human. But Huckleberry Finn challenges the traditional notions of the time, through its narrator and main character, Huckleberry Finn. While in the beginning, Huck is as unaware of the incorrectness of society’s attitudes as the rest of society is, he undergoes many experiences which help him to form his own perspective of racial issues. Through the adventures and misadventures of Huck Finn and the slave Jim, Twain challenges the traditional societal views of race and†¦show more content†¦Once Huck takes to the river, he has escaped from society and can view it with a new perspective. The heart of the story begins when Huck meets up with the escaped slave Jim. Huck’s first step to overcoming society’s prejudice and racism occurs when he meets Jim on the island. I was ever so glad to see Jim. I warn’t lonesome, now (Twain 36). From this point forward, Jim is not a just a slave to Huck. He is a partner. From the first, Huck is willing to violate the rules of society. Jim implores Huck not to tell anyone that he has run away. People would call me a low down Abolitionist and despise me for keeping mum – but that don’t make no difference (Twain 38). In the beginning, Huck doesn’t turn Jim in to the authorities for two reasons. One is that he has very little respect for the authorities. Another is that it is not convenient for him to turn Jim in. Without Jim, Huck would be alone. And he does not want to have to deal with that again; he would rather have a partner. So in the beginning, Huck does not step far beyond the views of race issues that society holds. The society which Huck tries to escape looks down upon blacks. Society sees blacks as nothing more than slaves, possessions. Jim himself reinforces this: I owns mysef, en I’s wuth eight hund’d dollars (Twain 41). The society also sees blacks as superstitiously afraid. Huck and Tom tease Jim at the beginning ofShow MoreRelatedHuckleberry Finn and the use of Satire Essay1109 Words   |  5 Pages Huck Finn and the use of Satire Mark Twains The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been controversial ever since its release in 1884. It has been called everything from the root of modern American literature to a piece of racist trash. Many scholars have argued about Huck Finn being prejudiced. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain uses satire to mock many different aspects of the modern world. 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