Huckleberry Finn

Dear Fantods:

Huckleberry Finn is not racist and should not be removed from the school because,
although it has racism in it, it is not racist as a whole. It is good for us to learn about and
understand the culture back then, and how we have changed since then. Plus, it is good literature
and an interesting story.
Huckleberry Finn does have racism in it though. People such as the Grangerfords and the
Phelps owned slaves (pg. 90), and even free black people were sometimes considered inferior by
some white people. For example, when Huck made up the story of the ship blowing a cylinder-head,
Tom Sawyer’s Aunt Sally was relieved no one was hurt when a black person had been killed (pg.
222). Huck’s Pap was also very racist, ranting when the free black person couldn’t be made a slave
again until he had been in the state for six months (pg. 27). So Huckleberry Finn definitely has
racism in it, but if it didn’t, it wouldn’t be accurate with the time period and the culture back then.
To write an accurate book Mark Twain had to include slavery and racism, which was the everyday
norm back then.
Despite growing up in this time period, Huck was not racist. He cared about Jim and
treated him like a friend. One time after he pranked Jim, he felt bad because he realized that it had
felt to Jim like he was making fun of him. Huck felt bad and apologized to Jim which was very
unusual in that time period, and it showed he cared about Jim as a friend (pg. 87). Still, Huck’s
conscience bothered him because he was helping a black person get free and it felt wrong and
countercultural. But he couldn't just let Jim be sold back into slavery. Finally, he made the decision
to help Jim get free instead of listening to his conscience and the culture of that time (pg. 215).
Jim was kind and loyal to Huck and willing to risk his freedom to help Tom. He would take
Huck’s turns keeping watch instead of waking him up (pg. 215). When Tom needed the doctor, Jim
didn’t hesitate to help even if it meant giving up his freedom (pg. 285). Jim wasn’t made to look
stupid but was actually rather smart.
This book is very educational and real about how it was back then. Mark Twain writes in
the region’s dialect so it gives the book a more authentic feeling. Overall, Huckleberry Finn is a
good book with an interesting storyline, and should not be removed from the school.