Реферат: Racism In Huck Finn Essay Research Paper

is said that Jim is illiterate, childlike, not very bright and extremely superstitious.

However, it is important not to lose sight of who is giving this description.

Although Huck is not exactly a racist child, he has been raised by extremely

racist individuals and has had certain ideas about blacks put in his head. Also,

sad as it is, this description was probably pretty accurate for the time period.

Millions of slaves in the South were not permitted any formal education, were

not allowed any independent thought and were constantly abused. Twain is

portraying a very realistic slave raised in the South during this time period, and to

say that he is racist because of his historical accuracy is ridiculous. Casting

judgment upon him and calling him racist is not only unfair, but also

pointless. The values of Twain?s time were different than the values of today.

The very existence of slavery proves this. Twain has no obligation to live up to

today?s morals or ethical values, and cannot be expected to because they did not

exist when he was alive. Therefore, the present-day objections to Huckleberry

Finn are ridiculous. It is stupidity to go back and apply standards that are

predominate today, to novels written more than a hundred years ago (Baldanza

2). Also, it is important to remember in Chapter 15, the reader is told of an

incident which contradicts the original childlike description of Jim. In fact, the

reader is presented with a very caring and father ? like individual who becomes

very worried when he loses Huck in the fog (Twain 134). This is in order to

point out the connection made between Huck and Jim. A connection that is made

between two people, not a person and a piece of property.

There are many points in the novel were Huck voices extreme opposition

to the slave trade and racism. In chapter six, Huck?s father intensely objects to

the government granting suffrage to an educated black professor. Twain wants

the reader to see the foolishness of this statement. Huck?s father believes that

he is superior to this black professor simply because of the color of his skin

(Twain 69). Huck oppeses this statement made by his father and does not

understand. Twain wants the reader to see the foolishness of this notion.