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Although Mark Twain loved his Southern roots, he greatly detested the establishment of slavery and its prominence in the society in which he lived. Throughout his novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain criticizes the basis for slavery and those who attempt to justify its morality. As Huck travels down the Mississippi River, he discovers an increasing amount of not only falsities in society's perspective on blacks, but also its hypocrisies. Along with Huck, the reader grows increasingly indignant towards a society that imprisons and oppresses black people. Near the end of the novel, Huck decides to reject societal beliefs about racism and rescues Jim from slavery. Twain uses Huck's actions and thoughts before his go to hell (Twain 283) claim in Chapter 31 to bring about the culmination of the novels underlying theme of the hypocrisy and moral depravity associated with the Southern institution of slavery.
Before Huck decides to rescue Jim, he debates whether slavery possesses a justified foundation. As Huck recalls his trip down the river (283), he slowly begins to realize the misconceptions regarding black people through his personal experiences with Jim. One such notion includes the belief that all black people lack compassion. Huck poignantly recalls the instances in which he encounters Jim crying at night because of his separation from his wife and children. Southern society also believes in the ignorance of blacks. The depth of Jims wisdom and insightfulness disproves this belief.
In Chapter 15, Huck tries to trick Jim into believing he dreamt the fog incident, but Jim uses his ingenuity to discover the truth. Huck also realizes from the fog incident the lack of truth behind the conviction that Blacks possess a naturally savage state-of-mind. The fog incident also disproves this claim. After Jim realizes how Huck tried to trick him, he does not display any sense of rage or hatred. Rather, Jim simply mentions to Huck how sad he felt about losing him in the fog and how happy he felt after they reunited. Ralph Ellison, a black author, believes: Huckleberry Finn knew, as did Mark Twain, that Jim was not only a slave but a human being [and] a symbol of humanity...
and in freeing Jim, Huck makes a bid to free himself of the conventionalized evil taken for civilization by the town[] -- in other words, of the abomination of slavery itself. (Salwen, par. 13) Twain utilizes Jim as an example of the lie behind the prejudices against blacks in Southern society. Twain uses Jims character as a symbolic contradiction to societal beliefs about Blacks Twain describes racism as a form of ignorance - a clouded perception of facts - through the use of clever diction. Prior to deciding to condemn slavery, Huck states [Jim was] glad [] when I come back out of the fog (Twain 283). Since Twain designates Jim as the symbolic contradiction of the Southern prejudices against blacks (as described in the previous paragraph), Jims animosity towards the fog prompts the reader to view the mist as Twain's symbol for racism.
Twain wants the reader to connect the idea that racial prejudices, like a fog, can obscure ones perception regarding blacks. Huck's initial treatment of Jim after his return from the fog also supports this symbolic significance. When he reappears on the raft, Huck treats Jim as an ignorant black man by trying to trick Jim into believing he dreamt the fog incident. Racism's influence on Huck affects his interaction with Jim after his exposure to the fogs innards. By comparing racism to fog, Twain conveys his belief that racism adulterates ones vision Prior to rejecting the institution of slavery, Huck recalls the incident on the river between the Shepherdsons and Grangerford's, also known as the feud (283).
Twain mentions this event close to the climax of the novels anti-slavery theme because it accurately and completely embodies all the hypocrisies of black prejudices. Many actions of the black people in Chapter 18 sharply contrast with those of the white people. Firstly, the Grangerfords family members put on the guise of civility when in actuality they incarnate savages. The slaves of the Grangerfords family display their peaceful characteristics by aiding Jim after he and Huck separate. Jim describes one of the slaves, Jack, as a good nigger, en post smart (150). Indeed, Jack displays his cleverness by not incriminating himself in aiding a runaway slave.
When he wants to bring Huck to Jim, Jack tells him he wishes to show him some water-moccasins (148) and does not actually witness the pair reunite. Paradoxically, the Grangerford's and Shepherdsons demonstrate a pathetically idiotic ideology. Both families constantly engage in violent battles against each other for reasons unbeknownst to either of them. Southerners also associate the quality of untrustworthiness with blacks. The white people in Chapter 18, however, are the ones who appear to manifest this trait.
Miss Sophia of the Grangerford's disobeys her family's orders and elopes with Harney Shepherdsons. Her selfish actions cause the deaths of her family members. Miss Sophia foolishly pursues her own emotional desires and, with her knowledge of the family feud, knowingly sentences them to a bloody grave. Miss Sophia's lack of trustworthiness plays against Jacks ability to keep Jims situation a secret from his masters for a measly ten-cent promise. Twain obviously mentions the feud near Huck's go to hell claim in order for the reader to understand its significance for the novels theme of slavery Twain purposefully words Huck's rejection of slavery as go[ing] to hell (283) in order attack the misguided religious roots of black prejudices.
Some Christians of the South believe that God cursed Cane (the biblical son of Adam and Eve who violently murders his brother Abel out of jealousy in Genesis 4: 8) by marking him and all of his decedents skin: Early Syriac Christianity interpreted the mark as a permanent change in skin colour, i. e. that Cain was turned black [] The curse was often used by Protestants in some attempts to justify racism (Cain and Abel par. 26). Huck's society believes that blacks descend from a God-hated family and therefore deserve mistreatment. However, while on his journey down the river with Jim, Huck witnesses the corruption associated with Southerners religion. In Chapter 20 the con man, who claims to depend from the king of France, attends a towns religious revival meeting and pretends to be a reformed pirate who wishes to return to the Indian Ocean as a missionary.
The townspeople eagerly donate eighty dollars worth of collections to the King. Huck also learns that religion focuses itself around virtuous morals. In Chapter 8, while Huck hides from the people searching for his dead body, a loaf of bread with mercury in it floats to him. Huck reckon[s] [] somebody prayed [the] bread would find [him]. (Twain 50) Twain believes - as Huck realizes - that religion builds itself around high moral standards and condones criminal actions. The bread eventually finds Huck, and, as for the con men, a mob ends up running them out on a rail. Because Justice prevails for morally virtuous people in religion and slavery stems from a religious belief, Huck believes the treatment of innocent slaves lacks rationale.
Huck tries to pray after he writes a confessional letter to Miss Watson which will condemn Jim to slavery, but he cannot. Even though the institution of slavery stems from biblical roots, Huck arrives at the conclusion that true religion cannot possibly support an establishment which advocates violence and bigotry. Twain includes religious references immediately prior to Huck's decision to reject society's belief in slavery in order to condemn slavery's purported religious roots. Huck's thoughts prior to his decision to go to hell summarize all the events he encounters during the novel which contribute to the resolution of the novels anti-slavery theme. While on his journey down the Mississippi River, Huck realizes the falsehoods, hypocrisies, and corruption that pervade the Southern institution of slavery. Twain also uses clever symbolism to convey his belief as to how prejudices negatively affect ones perceptions.
Twain's novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, chronicles a story which maligns the pervasiveness of slavery and prejudice in Southern society. Works Cited Salwen, Peter. Is Huck Finn a Racist Book? Salwen.
Ed. Peter Salwen. Dec. 2001. Salwen Business Communications. 28 Oct. 2001 < web >. Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1994. Wikipedia Contributors. "Cain and Abel. " Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Oct. 2006. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 29 Oct 2006 < web and Abel&old = 84057364 >.
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