Racism In Huckleberry Finn

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Huckleberry Finn - Racism Debate

In recent years, there has been increasing discussion of the

seemingly racist ideas expressed by Mark Twain in Huckleberry Finn. In

some extreme cases the novel has even been banned by public school

systems and censored by public libraries. The basis for these

censorship campaigns has been the depiction of one of the main

characters in Huckleberry Finn, Jim, a black slave. Jim, is a

"typical" black slave who runs away from his "owner" Miss Watson. At

several points in the novel, Jim's character is described to the

reader, and some people have looked upon the characterization as

racist. However, before one begins to censor a novel it is important

to separate the ideas of the author from the ideas' of his characters.

It is also important not to take a novel at face value and to "read

between the lines" in order to capture the underlying themes of a

novel. If one were to do this in relation to Huckleberry Finn, one

would, without doubt, realize that it is not racist and is even

anti-slavery.

On a superficial level Huckleberry Finn might appear to be racist.

The first time the reader meets Jim he is given a very negative

description of Jim. The reader is told 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 and of

whom it is being given. Although Huck is not a racist child, he has

been raised by extremely racist individuals who have, even if only

subconsciously, ingrained some feelings of bigotry into his mind. It

is also important to remember that this description, although it is

quite saddening, was probably accurate. Jim and the millions of other

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

never allowed any independent thought and were constantly maltreated

and abused. Twain is merely portraying by way of Jim, a very realistic

slave raised in the South during that time period. To say that Twain

is racist because of his desire for historical accuracy is absurd.

Despite the few incidences in which Jim's description might be

misconstrued as racist, there are many points in the novel where

Twain through Huck, voices his extreme opposition to the slave trade

and racism. In chapter six, Huck's father fervently objects to the

governments granting of suffrage to an educated black professor. Twain

wants the reader to see the absurdity in this statement. Huck's father

believes that he is superior to this black professor simply because of

the color of his skin. In Chapter 15 the reader is told of an incident

which contradicts the original "childlike" description of Jim. In

chapter 15 the reader is presented with a very caring