The Character of Slavery

Racism and slavery were a big issue in the 1800’s. There was segregation, hate, and cruelty towards African Americans and people of color. In the adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, takes place in Illinois, Arkansas, and Mississippi river sometime in 1830 through 1840’s. In this era slavery was legal. Huck is a rebellious kid who does not do what is told. Kim is a runaway slave who is accused for killing Huck. Jim and Huck run away together in search for their freedom.

Huck learns to see Jim as a father figure and not a slave. Twain is well developed character, their actions and dialogue to successfully manifest how racism occurs when society is corrupt.

In Twain’s novel they are characters who are white slaveholders such as the Grangerford family, Phelps family, and Miss Watson. Slaveholders profit from slavery, slaves themselves are maltreat, utilized, mentally and physically abused. Jim is detached from his wife and children’s inhumanely. However, white slaveholders justify maltreatment, utilization, and abuse of black slaves bye convincing themselves of a racist stereotype, that skin color people are mentally lesser than white people, more animal type. For example, in the novel it is stated, “ yes-en I’s rich now come to look at it, I owns myself, en I’s wuth right hund’d dollars. I wisnt I had de money, i wouldn’t want no more” (36). In this quote Twain shows slavery and racism in characterization. This quote shows how a slave was bought and was treated as an item, an object and not as a human. Furthermore, the novel implicates, “ I was trembling because I’d got to decide, forever betwixt two things and I knowed it. I studied a minute, sort of holding my breath, and then says to myself all light then I’ll go to hell” (161-162). In this quote the Duke and Dauphin sold Jim. He is being captive at the Phelps shed waiting to be returned to his proper owner. This quote shows how slaves are sold in between slaveholders proving racism and slavery.

Slaveholders and richest white people hurt blacks, but also do harm to themselves by inhumanely misunderstanding to be human, and all only for the purpose to make money/ profit. In the novel Huck obtains the racial stereotypes. However huck does not turn jim in because he befriends him and sees how Jim too is human with feelings. For example in the novel it is clarified, “ it was 15 minutes before I could work myself to a Niger- but I done it, I warn’t ever sorry for it afterwards neither” (65). In this quote Twain show slavery and racism through actions. He shows this by proving how somebody could not bear be around an African-American slave. Also, int the novel it is stated, “ the same way I do how well then says I, what’s the use you learning to do right when it’s troublesome to do right and ain’t no trouble to do wrong”(69 ). In this quite Huck feels responsible for wanting to turn Jim in. He finds it easier to keep moving forward than to leave his friend (jim). This quote proves how slavery and racism is shown when society is corrupt.

Twain proves how racism is shown when Society is corrupt in his novel through dialogue in the following way that it shows twins perspective of society and its corruption of human race. Furthermore in the novel it is claimed, “when they told me there was a state in this country where they’d let that Niger vote, I drawed out, I say I’ll not vote again I say to the people why ain this Niger put up at auction installed” (20). This quote shows how white people underestimate people of color and how they are less and should not be able to vote. The novel uses dialogue throughout the novel,” we never thought the fact is, I reckon we’d come to consider him Nigger,, yes, we did consider him so goodness knows we had trouble enough for him” (163). This quote shows how society struggles to accept slaves as human kind and sees then more as items.

In conclusion, racism occurs when society corrupts the idea of humanity. Twain successfully manifests the corruption of society when he well developed character, their actions, and dialogue. People should be treated equal because in the 1800’s racism and slavery were an issue, a misinterpretation of what’s right and wrong.

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