Mark Twain's Racial Allusions

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how when Samuel Langhorne Clemens (Mark Twain) penned his famous "Huckleberry Finn" and less-well known "Pudd'nhead Wilson", he managed to capture the essence of the social inequality of the time by using the same vernacular as the mainstream, slave-owning, Dixie society. It looks at how, although contemporary readers may be confused by the use of racial invectives in these stories, the historical context in which they were written and an examination of the author himself is made makes it clear that Twain was influenced both by the slave narratives being published at the time, as well as his own progressive views on the issue of race relations in America. It provides an analysis of the subject stories to determine just how Samuel Clemens viewed slavery and equality in the land of the free, followed by a summary of the research in the conclusion.

From the Paper:

"However, Twain manages to have Huck overcome his initial prejudices and he learns to respect and love the slave, Jim. The novel contains Twain's eloquent descriptions of the river and surrounding forests, and Huck Finn's natural liveliness and love for life are clear. However, a common thread that runs through adventure after adventure is the theme of man's inhumanity to man, that of human cruelty and how it plays out in the Old South. Huck reaches a catharsis of sorts in Chapter 31 when he makes up his mind that he is absolutely sinful because he wants to help Jim escape slavery."

More papers on Mark Twain's Racial Allusions:

• Analytical Essay # 122887 : "Mark Twain's "The Prince and the Pauper"
• Essay # 36188 : "Mark Twain"
• Book Review # 111963 : "Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn"

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