The Concept of Race in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn...

Within his criticism of Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Gregory Fowler uses examples from both the book and Mark Twain’s own life to discuss the different ways in which racism has morphed. Instead of analyzing The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn critically and solely, Gregory Fowler critically analyzes parts of the book and its effect to prove the different ways in which slaver morphs through the uses of allusions, exemplifications, and anecdotes. Fowler’s opening paragraph consists of an exemplification that immediately supports his opening sentence. He uses Mark Twain’s experience in Versailles, told in The Innocents Abroad, to prove how people tend to focus on what is the â€Å"good past,† while the past that shamed the people†¦show more content†¦Such is shown as he discusses Pap and his anger towards African-Americans, and the hype that allow them the right to vote. Fowler explains how people like Pap who are angry at the g overnment grows as people like him refuse to vote because they dislike a certain policy of the government’s and eventually, these people turn to violence in order to have their voices heard. One of the many ways that racism had morphed had been anger and violence, and that had been clearly evident in this instance from Huckleberry Finn. A second instance in which he utilizes the book is when he refers to a passage in Huckleberry Finn that takes place in the beginning of chapter 19, â€Å"What you want, above all things, on a raft, is for everyone to be satisfied, and feel right and kind towards others.† (Fowler 3) Fowler uses symbolism to relate the raft to the boat and the â€Å"race card in America† to the overturning of said raft. In this way, he provides readers with a mental image of an America capsized by race. As his essay concludes, Gregory Fowler puts Mark Twain’s own transformation regarding slavery into the ending paragraph. Fowler notes that â€Å"like Huck Finn and his creator, Samuel Clemens,† there is still change that could be made within a person’s heart. This anecdote provides another way in which racism had changed people. Instead of continually going along with the degradation of African-Americans, ClemensShow MoreRelatedRacism of Yesterday and Today Essay1655 Words   |  7 PagesThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was written by Mark Twain in the middle of the nineteenth century. Much of the inspiration for the book came from Mark Twain’s own encounters. Twain’s experiences as a steamboat pilot from 1835 to 1845 provided a great deal of the historical context for his work. The novel revolves around a southern boy, Huck, and a slave named Jim who both reject society by running away in hopes of finding freedom. 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