Struggle for Civil Rights, Economic and Political Equality in Mark Twain’s The Huckleberry Finn

Authore(s) : Ch Rajaniprashanth ||| Reseacher

Volume : 9, Issue : 1, January - 2022

Abstract : There are few books in modern literature that have generated as much controversy as  The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. It chronicles the journey of a white lad with a "sound heart but a distorted conscience" (Mark Twain) as he overcomes his southern upbringing and assists a runaway Negro slave in escaping to freedom. The author describes the novel as a "satire on the wretched human race." Twain had already addressed racism in Tom Sawyer, but it becomes a significant issue in Huck Finn. Hemingway famously stated in 1935 that "all American literature stems from a single Mark Twain novel named Huckleberry Finn..." The book's extreme comments, whether supportive or critical, virtually often address the novel's primary subject, Huck's acceptance of his obligation to Jim, a "nigger." As a result, controversy over the book's racism has persisted since it was first published in  1883. It has always been  a target of manners,  morality,  and misguided racial consciousness censors. The work, however, depicts America's inability to reconcile with itself and its own history. It makes a strong case for America and the American spirit. Restricting it is akin to assassinating the messenger who delivers terrible news. To demonstrate that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is not a racist novel, but rather the polar opposite, is the purpose of this research study. The present paper focuses on the significant themes in the novels The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer of Mark Twain.

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