In the book Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain gives examples of racism between whites and blacks. For example in the book Huck becomes friends with a slave name Jim and there adventure shows how there friendship grows threw out the book and how it shows slavery is very bad and that blacks are people to. Also how the setting breaks the expectations of the book and how society makes you see slavery . Through out the scenes in the book there is a few examples that show a relationship between a Huck and Jim. For example Huck is doing something that isn't suppose to be done by any white person or child , hes helping a slave run away. Here Huck is demonstrating that Jim and him are friends. Huck says in a scene that he wants to turn Jim in cause he is letting down everyone that actually cares about him. Therefore Huck shows that what he is doing is wrong but in a scene where he knows what he is doing is right by helping a slave run away he says “ All right,then ill go to hell”(Mark Twain). Huck shows here that he really cares for Jim and that he wants to save him cause he knows they both only have each other. Although slavery is bad one slave shows how to have self respect and to make your own choices. This slave is Fredrick Douglas a slave that went for his freedom and never gave up . Fredrick Douglas was taught how to read and write in English by his master’s wife. Douglas is a great example of breaking a setting because in the book he gets in a fight with his new master named Covey. This shows how he gains self respect for his self and how slavery effects society. Also another big example is how he learns how to read and write when slavery strictly cant learn that. Mainly this shows how Douglas goes his own way to get away from slavery and be different then any other slave. Society is a main thing in the United States slavery was a big priority to whites they saw slavery as not such a big deal. These authors mainly show how society really did not matter to whites and how it wasn't such a big deal . Settings do affect how people see other people for example if you go to the ghetto you normally get scared by just how the place looks or setting you judge. Its the same thing with slavery the society made or whites think that blacks were not people and to treat them like anything. Therefore Twain shows by breaking a setting can change the whole atmopshere of the book and relationships between two people no matter what color they are. In conclusion these two authors show how society can affect the setting and how these two books show scenes that break the rules. Like Douglas and Huck two different characters show slavery is only on what society makes you think and how you treat it . Huck shows that even though being white you can be friends with a slave and end up being like family towards each other . As a result Douglas shows how to gain self respect and being different like other slaves. Also how society can change slavery and how it affects you and how you also view it.

Twain and Douglass essay

Chris Sandberg

per 9

Twain and Douglass essay

Marc Twain and Fredrick Douglass are both arguably two of the greatest authors of all time.They both have written story's based on slavery. When we read a story form both authors they both had similar characteristics in their story. Both Fredrick and Huck fin are both take pace in America when slavery was legal, and in these story's both characters break away from the expectations of their setting. They both take place in the south and they give people a look on what they think of slavery in America.
The first book I'm going to talk about is Fredrick Douglass . This book is about his life as a slave. In this book we see him break away from his setting’s rules when he goes to covys farm. Covy is a white slave owner who's known to be a slave breaker. we see Douglass break from his setting when he stands up to the slave owner in the barn. this is breaking the settings rules because this is a place where slaves are not suppose to fight back and just do ass their told. But when he stand up to him it goes against every thing in the setting due to the fact that covys suppose to beating him, so when he stands up to him it is a shock because its unexpected. Then we also see it when he runs away from the farm to go and find his owner. This is something else that breaks setting because covy is suppose to stop him from doing things like that.
Next when we look at mark Twain's Huck fin we see Huck break away from the setting. This book is about a southern white boy who runs away from home and meets up with a run away slave named Jim. During the story Huck plays a mean joke on Jim and then goes an apologises for it, and then goes and says that he wasn't sorry for saying sorry. Since Huck lived in the south and the way he was raised this is breaking away from the setting. Then we also see him lie to a bunch of white Southerners to protect Jim. This also shows a break because if it was any other Southerner they would have turned Jim in but instead Huck protects him.
Also both authors tell about what they think of slavery. They with Douglass based on the story we can tell that he thinks slavery is terrible ant that it needs to be abolished. But with Twain he doesn't say any thing about it even when we look at Huck he doesn't think all slavery is bad he just wants to help his friend Jim. So it is hard to tell based on the book what Twain thinks about slavery in the south.
So Both Twain and Douglass both have characters that break away from their settings. Then Douglass has a view on slavery being abolished in the south while Twain's character Huck just wants to be with his friend Jim.

Mullins_ProjectEssay

Kalynn Mullins

Rossi per. 9

January 31, 2012

Douglass and Twain

Fredrick Douglass is a former slave, and leader of the abolitionist movement. Mark Twain wrote “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”. These two men have an important role in slavery and racism in the United States. When people break away from the expectations of their settings, Douglass gains self respect and Huck, Twains’ character in the story, gains friendship.

Douglass is one of the only free slaves that stood up for himself to a white man. He shows others a new way to be a slave; he shows others that he is a proud slave. He proved to himself that he is more than a slave, that he is a man that deserves respect as well. While Douglass breaks away from being a slave, he gains his own self respect for no one else but for himself. Douglass clearly suggests that slavery and racism is wrong in the Unites States.

In the novel “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”, the setting changes when Huck and Jim become close and try to run away together. In the text, Huck and Jim's conversation goes.. “Well, I b’lieve you,Huck. I -- run off.” “Jim!” “But mind, you said you wouldn’ tell -- you know you said you wouldn’ tell, Huck.” (50) They then become friends and carried on the same way.

Twain suggests that slavery and racism wasn’t an easy thing to escape from. He suggests that the white man must be superior to the black. Just like in the novel, Huck needed to report that Jim was a runaway because during that time period that was how Huck was raised. Turning Jim in to his owner was morally right even though Huck knew that in his heart it was the right thing to do. Huck still had to tell on Jim.

When people break away from the expectations of their settings, Douglass gains self respect and Huck, Twains character gains a new buddy. These men suggest that slavery and racism was very common. And whether you were a slave, an owner, or a child of an owner, there was plenty of ways to look at slavery and racism. It all depended on how they were brought up to the subject.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn None of us know right from wrong; we are taught it. Your morals are based off of who has raised you, how have you been raised, the era you were raised in, religion and so forth. With knowing all of that: can your opinions/views/morals on something change? I believe they can because in the book “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain it is proved. A lot changes for a boy named Huck Finn when he helps a slave ,named Jim, run away to freedom. In their story it is proved by their friendship and the general fact that he is white and Jim is black and how his feelings of a slave change. This boy Huck wasn’t raised in a standard household; he practically raised himself. He grew up on the streets learning to fend for him-self. Until, a widow and her sister, Ms Watson, took him into their household and tried to give him the proper values. Huck met Jim because he worked for Ms Watson. Huck wanted to runaway and do his own thing while Jim was running away to escape slavery and find his family. They traveled together to help each other. When Jim told Huck that he had escaped and why he was scared Huck, another white man, would go and tell. But instead Huck said “I said I wouldn’t and I’ll stick to it. Honest injun, I will. People would call me a low-down abolitionist and despises me for keeping mum—but that don’t make no difference.” He showed that he didn’t notice the color difference. He treated him as he would have anyone else. When they are on this raft it is forcing them to be close, connect, and talk to each other. Huck right about now is like every other white person that has this one idea of African American people. That changes throughout the story for example when he hears that one of the reasons to escape was to find his family and also bring them to freedom. Another reason that corresponds with this one is when Huck plays a trick on Jim; treating Jim as if he is crazy. Jim gets really upset and basically asks Huck why would you do that to me when I care about you. Mark Twain writes “I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a n…, but I don’t it, and I wasn’t ever sorry for it after wards.” Huck is realizing that just because Jim is a slave doesn’t mean they don’t have emotions just like everyone else. He thought slaves were property; like a table or machine. As Huck is learning so much and realizing even more his choices are influenced by that. When the men come by and want to check his raft for slaves he purposely sends them off; to protect Jim. Another time he shows that his beliefs have changed is in the end of the story when his emotions are mixed. He doesn’t know what to do about Jim. He’s debating writing a letter to Ms Watson so she can find him or letting Jim live freely. He was raised that all the things he has done to help a slave will send him to hell and that is not what he wants. In the end he chooses to let Jim stay free and Huck says “All right, then, I’ll go to hell.” He learns and his values/morals about slaves change to the point that he is willing to send himself to hell to stop the torture this man has been through.