Racism In Huckleberry Finn Analysis

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In this day and age, conversations about political correctness -- particularly pertaining to race relations and racial sensitivity -- can be treacherous. While the far right hollers out prejudices in protest of the nation “going PC,” it seems as though most Americans are walking on eggshells, careful not to offend anyone. It should come as no surprise, then, that works such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn have come under fire for their inclusion in high school curricula. Despite what many historical apologists maintain, the blatant and subtle racism running deep in this novel cannot be excused by the time period in which the book was written. Twain’s exhibition of harmful stereotypes, degrading language, and a general sense of black inferiority …show more content…
Frederick Woodward and Donnarae MacCann address Twain’s usage of minstrel troupes, offensive caricatures of African Americans, in their 1992 essay “Minstrel Shackles and Nineteenth-Century ‘Liberality’ in Huckleberry Finn.” They argue that Jim is “forever frozen within the convention of the minstrel darky” from his debut in the novel as a crazy believer in sorcery and witchcraft (142). Huck introduces the reader to both Jim and the shamanic stereotype forced upon his race by observing that “n*****s is always talking about witches in the dark by the kitchen fire” (Twain 7). He goes on to describe Jim’s so-called “magic” hairball, which Jim believes houses “a spirit... [that] know[s] everything" (Twain 17). Jim’s blind faith in such absurd superstitions aligns with the clueless Sambo minstrel troupe popular at the time of Huckleberry Finn’s publication, painting Jim and his race as depthless and …show more content…
While Twain’s novel remains the center of an age-old controversy, few have tried to negate all claims of its racist ideals. Modern educators are opening up the floor to the civil identification and discussion of these elements, walking their students through Twain’s portrayal of African Americans as foolish subhuman beings and explaining why such thinking cannot be tolerated. But no matter how many lessons are dedicated to the exploration and condemnation of Huckleberry Finn’s racism, it sends a subliminal message to black students that they are lesser than their white peers. In his 1984 essay “Morality and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” Julius Lester explains that he would not want his own kids reading the book because it demeans African Americans and casts them as lesser beings. Despite his opposition to book banning, Lester “know[s] that [his] children’s education will be enhanced by not reading Huckleberry Finn” due to the negative impact the work has on black youth
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