Huck Finn Persuasive Essay
Many people would argue that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a racist novel, and Twain has a mean spirited attack at black people through the use of his novels language, and some of the characters actions. You could argue that it is racist but in reality Twain is using the real language of the time to capture and portray the south at the time, and how blacks were being treated.
Through out the novel the word "nigger" is used quite frequently by white southerners... Many believe that was Twain being racist but that's not why it's in the book. Twain is using to show how the south was in that time period before and well after the civil war. He uses it ironically to show how white people were cruel and didn't care about black people at all, and to show the reader that it is wrong and unjustified. Also what book would be accurate if white people in the south during the early 1800's didn't use that word at all, it backs up the stories accuracy and makes it an overall more believable story and also helps reinforce Twains main notions that all humans are equal regardless of their skin color. He uses it also to ironically show that even the nice southern bells thought that racism towards blacks was acceptable, and should be tolerated. For example towards the end of the story Aunt Sally is told of a steamboat accident and asks if anyone is hurt she is replied by "no'm. Killed a nigger" Twain uses that very effectively to show that blacks were worth nothing to white southerners. He then has the lady add "Well, it's lucky because sometimes people do get hurt". Sure the way whites talked back then is racist, but a book that is used to portray racism and is wronging is not racist.
Many people would argue that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a racist novel, and Twain has a mean spirited attack at black people through the use of his novels language, and some of the characters actions. You could argue that it is racist but in reality Twain is using the real language of the time to capture and portray the south at the time, and how blacks were being treated.
Through out the novel the word "nigger" is used quite frequently by white southerners... Many believe that was Twain being racist but that's not why it's in the book. Twain is using to show how the south was in that time period before and well after the civil war. He uses it ironically to show how white people were cruel and didn't care about black people at all, and to show the reader that it is wrong and unjustified. Also what book would be accurate if white people in the south during the early 1800's didn't use that word at all, it backs up the stories accuracy and makes it an overall more believable story and also helps reinforce Twains main notions that all humans are equal regardless of their skin color. He uses it also to ironically show that even the nice southern bells thought that racism towards blacks was acceptable, and should be tolerated. For example towards the end of the story Aunt Sally is told of a steamboat accident and asks if anyone is hurt she is replied by "no'm. Killed a nigger" Twain uses that very effectively to show that blacks were worth nothing to white southerners. He then has the lady add "Well, it's lucky because sometimes people do get hurt". Sure the way whites talked back then is racist, but a book that is used to portray racism and is wronging is not racist.
