Huck Finn Racist

The book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is a controversial book. Some people will say that it is a racist book, while others will argue that it isn’t a racist book. People don’t like the book's use of the word, “nigger”. The ‘n’ word appears 219 times in the novel (Phillip Rawls). Huck Finn is not a racist book because Twain made Jim a likable character, he used that word for a reason, and Twain is a realism writer. Mark Twain made Jim a likeable character. Jim was an honest, loyal, kind, caring, and admirable character. Even though the author also made him a little dumb and superstitious, he was still one of the most likable character in the book. Twain also made Huck’s father out to be a bad guy, he was mean and he was
“Thoughtful examination of Twain’s use of the word “nigger” can help teach students the importance of understanding the context in which a word is used.” (Apstein). The word can help students learn about how African-Americans were treated and viewed back then. He wanted to show the importance of the word. He couldn’t have just switched out the word for slave, because anyone can be a slave. Also if Twain didn’t want to use that word, he wouldn’t have. Twain put that word in there for a reason, he wanted it to spark conversations and controversy. He wanted the readers to understand what type of language people used back then and how certain people were treated and
While all this is happening, while Huck is playing these tricks on Jim, we have to remember Huck is still a kid. He’s only around 13 years old, and that’s what kids do. They don’t think before they do things, and they like to play pranks and tricks on people. Huck was just trying to have fun with Jim, not be mean to him and be racist to him. In the novel Huck and Jim have a good relationship, they become friends and Huck starts seeing him as a person rather than a slave. They form a bond, a friendship. Mark Twain’s book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is not a racist book. The book may have racist character’s, but that does not make the whole book racist. Twain makes Jim a admirable and likable character, he wants to show the importance of the word “nigger”, and lastly he is a realism writer so of course he will use that kind of language and that’s how people would act. Just because a few characters in the book are racist, it doesn’t make the whole book