What Is Huck's View On Racism

One day one feels one way and the next he is a new man. In the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain the main character Huck changes his view on racism, and the similarities between races as he travels with a black man named Jim. His friend Tom Sawyer goes through part of this adventure and constructs crazy ideas. Huck grew up on racist beliefs taught by his father, and thought black people were lesser beings and could be treated badly. His thoughts on this change under the circumstances where he must travel with Jim, and he begins to realize that black people are like white people. He tries to escape his abusive father by faking his death and running away, which leads him to Jim, who is also escaping, but from slavery. He realizes that Jim is a smart man who can reason well, as Jim runs away so he would not be sold. He also realizes that Jim has similar feelings as a white person, as Jim misses his family. Lastly, he realizes that Jim is as smart and the same as a white person as he cares for Tom while he is hurt. Huck’s racist beliefs, on black and white equality change as he travels with Jim, as he sees how well Jim can reason, how similar Jim’s feelings are to his own, and how Jim is equal to white person even though he has black skin. Jim is a smart man who can reason well in any situation displaying that he is the same as a white person in one important aspect. Black people are not considered to be smart, Jim is proving this wrong. Huck thinks that Jim is not smart because he is black, and even when he proves that he is smart Huck will not admit it. Jim thinks that Miss Watson his owner will sell him, so it would be better to run off rather than to stay and be sold. Jim reasons that it would be better to have a chance at freedom than to be a slave forever. When Jim explains this to Huck, he thinks, “well, he was right; he was most always right; he had an uncommon level head for a nigger”(Twain 76). Huck realizes that Jim can reason well and thinks of him as a special case for black people. He did not think that a black person would be capable of reasoning and coming up with a solution. The fact that he says uncommon, goes to show that black people were considered dumb, and incapable of coming up with a solution. Huck also says that Jim was almost always right showing that he realizes he was wrong about black people. He starts to realize black people are not as different from himself as he thought. Later, Jim realizes that the two people they met are cons, while Huck believes their lie of a duke and king. Jim is able to figure out that they are making up their story. He acts like he does not know, for the reason that it is safer …show more content…
The only difference between Huck and Jim is skin color. Jim tells Huck many stories and experiences which lead to Huck’s discovery. In the conversations between the two Jim explains problems in an intelligent manner. When Tom is shot in the leg Jim suggests that they need a doctor to inspect the wound. Huck knows that Jim risks his freedom by doing this and thinks, “I knowed he was white inside, and I reckoned he’d say what he did say”(Twain 275). Huck demonstrates his growth in maturity as he thinks this. Huck grew up thinking white people and black people were different. This shows that Huck is changing for the better. Huck says Jim is white inside, which is his way of saying he is not different from white people. He also says he knew what Jim was going to say, demonstrating that he knows Jim is smart. Jim helps Huck and Tom even throughout the novel at the risk of his life demonstrating how he has better ideas than a white person. Jim’s personality and everything he says and does help Huck to realize that white people and black people are the