Was Mark Twain a racist?

Question

He did write of racist practices but he did benefit from these writings.

Answer 1

Huckleberry Finn is the story of a white boy who was RAISED TO BELIEVE that it is a sin to help a runaway slave escape. This character written by Mark Twain was a product of his time. He had been taught that there was nothing wrong with owning slaves, and he believed that. However, when Huck runs away from his drunk and abusive father, he encounters runaway slave Jim. Huck knows that he ought to turn Jim in to law enforcement, but he doesn't want to do so. So he procrastinates. He tells himself that Jim can be useful to him, which happens to be true, but is not his real reason for not turning Jim in. As time goes by, Huck feels guilty for not turning Jim in, but at the same time, he just does not want to do it. Huck does not know why he feels this way, but he cannot bring himself to turn Jim in. He struggles with his conscience, whichis telling him to obey the law, not to help Jim escape. At the end, Huck decides, "Fine, then, I'll just go to hell." and he lets Jim escape for good. In doing so Huck goes from being a boy who only believes what society tells him and he becomes a man who thinks and decides things for himself.


Do you believe a racist man could write that story? Or do you think the man who looks at a racist society and understands the people better than they understand themselves is who would write that story? I do not believe Twain could have written what he did if he was racist.

Answer 2

"Was Mark Twain a racist?"

Nope. His writings reflect just the opposite.

I invite you to read his work for yourself if you can read without moving your lips, that is......

Answer 3

Of course not! He was, of course, a man of his time but a racist -no!

Answer 4

i dont think so, he was just trying to depict society at that time

Answer 5

Maybe he was, maybe he wasn't.. Making a reference to someone doesn't make them a racist. Perhaps you should look up the definition of racist..

Answer 6

Sure - so was everyone back in the 1800's. Even Abolitionists were racist back in the 1800's. All Abolitionists hated slavery and involuntary servitude, but few still thought of blacks or Indians as equals. I mean, Thomas Jefferson wrote the words "All men are created equal..." but he obviously didn't believe it since he owned slaves.

Answer 7

Do you mean, "Did Mark Twain think a black person was not his equal?" Perhaps he did not think a black person was his equal in every way. His equal as a human being, with feelings that should be respected? Yes. It shows in "Huckleberry Finn". His equal in education? No, but it seems he did not think "book-learning" made a boy a man. Too many false things are taught in schools and churches, according to him. Too many traditions that are learned by rote and not thought through. Was Jim stupid? Huck, Tom, the others and Jim himself believed he was stupid because they were all taught that black people were created to be inferior to white people, and that white people were created to be smarter. Twain may have considered that he had to unlearn a lot, and that some racism still sat in his brain. He proudly declared he was a liar. A liar could recognize and expose another liar. A humbug could expose another humbug, because he was not blind to humbug and he can talk the language of humbug. "The Man Who Corrupted Hadleyburg" could see the hypocrisy in the town and could expose it by his trick.

He was "racist" to Native Americans - at least in print. He said he didn't believe in the "noble savage", It was humbug. The Indians were no wiser or nature loving than the white man and just as adept at stealing from you. Not just "Injun Joe" in Tom Sawyer. Not just some Indians., but Indians as a race.

Did he benefit? As far as I know "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" was probably his only "front and center book" regarding race, and it's still in print. It was controversial then as now, and it must've helped make him notorious. Did he get fan mail and hate mail? I haven't read more that one biography about him, so I can't say I know if he did or how the book or the notoriety affected him.

Answer 8

I've written of murders. Does that make me a killer?

Answer 9

it is hard to tell if the old west version of a Shock Jock was actually racist.
When someone or their character say things that are offensive they are often offended.

Answer 10

No, he was just sharing observations of others. That is not necessarily "racist". Obama constantly refers to America and white people as "racists", Nazis and other terminology. That is racist. What Twain wrote was nothing compared to the sheer hate and deception Obama proudly displays.