The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Mark Twain, or Samuel Clemens, wrote The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in 1885. This was post-Civil War reconstruction time, when all of the former slaves were being integrated into society and the South was being rebuilt. He set his story in the 1830’s or 1840’s, in other words: pre-Civil War. At this time slaves were still very much a part of America, and racism was not considered a problem, but a way of life. Huckleberry Finn is a racist character, but is coerced by society, and by his upbringing in that society. Although he was brought up racist, much of the book’s conflict and interesting plot comes from his rejection of society and attempts to escape from it. Jim, Huck’s companion, contributes to Huck’s change in beliefs, through the many intelligent and compassionate things that Jim does. The ending of the book returns us full-circle to the beginning with Tom Sawyer running the show. The actions of Jim and Tom continue to help Huck come to the realization that...