The Adventures of Huckleberry Reflection

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is widely regarded by many as a classic in literature. However, there are also many people who believe it is racist. People believe Mark Twain spoke through the character Huck in the text to get his racist beliefs out. The truth is Huck and Twain’s point of views are completely different, and Mark Twain did not mean for it to seem as though he was speaking through him.
Through the years this book was criticized as people thought it and its author were racist. But, Mark Twain chose the narrator, a child, for a reason. A child is innocent and does not know any better if he says something "right" or "wrong." This point gets stronger when you put that child in the time that the story was written. Back then, people were racist and did not even really know it. It is obvious Huck’s young mind was influenced by the people around him at the time as well. So, Mark Twain chose this character as a narrator to really give an inside look on how people thought back then and how easily influenced a child was then and is today.
Another prime example in the story that shows Mark Twain is not racist or speaking through Huck is when Huck decides to save Jim. Throughout the story Huck debates with himself whether or not he should save Jim. These times really show how the parts of Huck that had not yet been influenced come out and triumph over the parts that had. This part of the book really shows who Huck truly is. This character development was very well done to show how a child’s mind works. Some one who is racist and wants to speak through character in the book could not have done this. Even if Twain spoke through Huck, if he was racist, he would not have resolved the conflict to save Jim.
Finally, Mark Twain’s goal was not to speak through Huck. He simply wanted to show how people actually thought back then and how an innocent child was influenced by it. People who disagree simply did not think deeply enough to get meaning from this classic piece of literature. It is sad that people do not want to see what this book was all about instead of actually accusing it of being racist. Hopefully someday people will be more accepting and realize that they were wrong about the book and children everywhere will be able to read it in school with no questions asked.