Called both the most racist book of all time, and also a book that fights against racism, analyze Huckleberry Finn and its cultural implications. Is calling Twain a product of his time excusing his racism? Is Jim a complicated black character? Can the repeated use of the "n" word exclude this book from being a great piece of American literature?
Ah, I believe that when Huckleberry Finn was banned it was because of this very thing. I think analyzing Huckleberry Finn should be separate from analyzing Mark Twain. In any case...there are many ways to argue this. What is politically correct changes over time. That doesn't mean one is a racist produced and excused by the times. Also, Jim is portrayed as innocence, if I remember correctly. This would be a great article for someone to take on as a way of lightening up readers who see the "n" word once and refuse to read the book. Then again, maybe someone has an opposite opinion that they can back up with persuasive quotes from the book. BTW When you say "cultural implications" do you mean what it implies about "Mark Twain's" culture or what it implies about our present culture? – Candice Evenson9 years ago
