The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn discussed.

Authors Avatar

D. Zhang

        In order to craft a realistic novel set within an historical timeframe, it is essential for the author to have lived in the period he or she is writing about. As a witness to the Civil War era, author Mark Twain was in a position to comment and reflect truthfully on the conditions of his time. In his novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain reveals the truths about life in the American South during the 1800s. It is important, however, to discern the differences of truths that he employs. In this novel, Twain uses situational and timeless truths. The situational focuses on the historical aspect, while the timeless concentrates more on thematic elements and human qualities. So while class differences and slavery are peered through an historical perspective, a human virtue such as honor is seen from a timeless viewpoint. Since its publication, the novel has drawn ire from various groups of people, many criticizing the way African Americans are portrayed. Not only this, but many were also appalled by the general immorality of the protagonist, Huck Finn. Although there is controversy concerning the way Twain presents his characters and the setting, he has still retained a sense of truth throughout the novel.

One reality of Twain’s time that has been threaded throughout the novel is the idea of class differences in the South. Twain highlights the differences in dialect, education and money between the rich and poor, and whites and blacks. The unique dialect that Mark Twain utilized was one of the main reasons that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was a target for scrutiny. While the book was written after the Civil War, the story takes place in a period prior to the freeing of slaves. Twain attempts to give a detailed portrayal of the characters in the novel, and one way of doing so is by employing different dialects in characters. It is a clever device used by Twain to give an indication as to the education level of the character, and in terms of the content of the dialogue, their skin color. For example, Twain has Jim and other African Americans discussing superstition at various points in the novel. On one instance, “Jim said it was a sign it was going to rain. He said it was a sign when young chickens flew that way, and so he reckoned it was the same way when young birds done it” (Twain 52). In a way, this idiosyncratic labeling becomes synonymous with African Americans throughout the novel. Of course, this can lead to public outcry and allegations of racism towards African Americans. The most common dilemma is that people of the past, as well as in the present, misunderstand Twain's use of the word "nigger," although at the time, it was even a part of the vernacular of blacks as well. For example, even a slave uses this word when he recognizes Jim: “Why, dish-yer runaway nigger” (Twain 229). This word was not intended to offend anyone, but instead, to capture the veracity of the various dialects of the region. On a similar note, the concept that African Americans are portrayed as fools is a hasty judgment. It is likely that black characters would appear to be less intelligent than whites were, because that is a realistic assumption, as the black character is deprived of any formal education. In addition, the treatment of blacks by white people resulted in a possible inferiority complex that developed among blacks, which to the reader, may appear as subservience to white people (and technically was because slavery was still instituted at the time). Although it may seem as if Twain has created a racially-biased novel, it is his intention to make the time period as authentic as possible, and the racially-biased atmosphere was certainly present during his time.

Join now!

 The relationship and ideas shared between Jim and Huck is a microcosm between the rich and the poor. Twain purposely begins the novel by directing the reader’s attention to the fact that Huck has over six thousand dollars to his name. In that time, six thousand dollars was an opulent sum. It is easy to see that any sum of money less than that would be inconsequential to Huck. Additionally, living a very primitive life before out in the wilderness means that money does not become a necessity for Huck. Twain elucidates on class differences through the discussion of money, ...

This is a preview of the whole essay