How Does Twain Present Racism In Huckleberry Finn

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In 1885, Mark Twain published Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The story is set within 1835-45, a time period when racial tensions were high. Many African Americans in the Southern States were slaves; most African Americans were looked down upon in society. Huckleberry Finn, a young white boy, befriended a runaway slave named Jim. Huck stayed with Jim despite the risks with doing so. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn does not explicitly ridicule racism, but rather implies the negativity of it through Huck’s experiences. Twain’s portrayal of Jim, Huck’s relationship with Jim, and Pap’s views of African Americans uncover the nature of racism.

Pg. 31 Huck encounters Jim on Jackson’s Island; they are both happy to see each other. Huck treats Jim as a friend, the same way Huck treats Tom Sawyer. Huck does not mock or insult Jim in any way, and does not show any signs of racism. Much of the society Huck came from, however, is …show more content…
36-39 Huck continues to treat Jim as a friend. Jim treats Huck as an equal, even though Huck is much younger than Jim. This shows that Jim is also not concerned with the racial tensions that have been made in society.
Pg. 39 Huck shows sympathy for Jim, and remorse for a mistake he made. Huck tried to play a prank on Jim by placing a dead rattlesnake on Jim’s area. When Jim came back in the cave, the dead rattlesnake’s mate was also in the area, and bit Jim on the ankle. Huck assisted Jim in every way he could, to make sure Jim would recover. Additionally, Huck avoided telling the truth to Jim in order to prevent damage to their relationship. This shows that Huck cares about Jim, even though Huck may not have realized it yet.
Pg. 60 Huck and Jim decide to try and travel to where the Ohio River meets the Mississippi River. From there, they could take a steamboat back up the Ohio River into the northern states, where Jim could be set free. Huck understands that Jim is unhappy with being a slave, and intends to set him
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