Huckleberry Finn - A Racist Novel

A detailed Summary of Huckleberry Finn - A Racist Novel

There is a major argument among literary critics whether

Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, is or is not a racist novel. The

question boils down to the depiction of Jim, the black slave, and to

the way he is treated by Huck and other characters. The use of the

word "nigger" is also a point raised by some critics, who feel that

Twain uses the word too much and too loosely.

Mark Twain never presents Jim in a negative light. He does not

show Jim as a drunkard, as a mean person or as a cheat. This is in

contrast to the way Huck's (white) father is depicted, whom Twain

describes using all of the above characterizations and more. We see

Jim as a good friend, a man devoted to his family and loyal to his

He is, however, very naive and superstitious. Some critics say

that Twain is implying that all blacks have these qualities. When Jim

turns to his magic hairball for answers about the future, we see that

he does believe in some foolish things. B

racist, and the purpose of the story is to prove black equality.

examples of the way Jim is denigrated: by being locked up, having to

accurate book, as he did, then the inclusion of this word is totally

Approximate Word count = 718
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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