Huck Finn & Racism

As we touched on in class, Huck Finn has been challenged across the country because of its questionable racist themes and ideas. However, despite many believing the novel is offensive and should be banned, I never got that feeling during my second reading of it. On the contrary, I actually felt the book acted as a subtle form of abolitionism, hinting at tolerance and desegregation during a tumultuous time.

Although the book is filled with racist characters supporting slavery and a heavy use of the “n-word”, I still felt Twain intended for the novel to satirize that society and point out its flaws. To me, Huck, despite referring to Jim as the “n-word” Jim, never sees him as more than a travelling companion. Since Huck is just as much on the run as Jim is, I think Huck is humbled and realizes that despite color of skin the two are very similar. Huck is a young boy, and although he is very capable of thinking for himself and making his own decisions he is still swayed by the society and culture of the time, accounting for his use of the derogatory word. His reflection near the end when he tries to decide whether or not to turn in Jim proves that he is tolerant. In his mind, the debate between the law (turning Jim in) and morality (letting his friend go) rages on, a battle that morality eventually wins. If Huck Finn, the main character of the novel, isn’t racist how could the novel overall be deemed racist?

On the flip side, I felt that most of the main “racist” characters were Twain’s way of satirizing the pre-civil war Border States. Just look at Pap. He is the epitome of a drunkard, throwing around racist slurs and causing mayhem around the town. Is that a character Mark Twain really intended for his novel to be reflected on? What about the widow Douglas, who owns Jim? It’s not like Huck ever tries to defend her. In my opinion, I found the novel to be more of a comment on the racism of the time rather than a racist work. But hey, if they want to keep banning this book, that’s their problem. They are missing out on a truly wonderful novel.