Racism In Huck Finn

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Since Reconstruction society has changed significantly making the horrors of slavery and racism are hard to imagine, however in the Old South, slavery was a traditional part of white culture. Mark Twain shows in his novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn that some characters as a part of white society were logical at times and made decisions based on societal expectations. Humans are given the power of decision making, however, those decisions can be heavily influenced by one’s morality or the pressures of society. Mark Twain shows through the actions of different characters in the book that the use of moral objectivism by whites during the Civil War and Reconstruction Era would eliminate the racism implemented in society because people…show more content…
As Judith Loftus shows with her conversation with Huck, many white people had the ability to think logically. Although Huck was trying to be like a girl, Judith Loftus is not fooled, “ I spotted you for a boy when you was threading the needle; and I contrived the other things just to make captain” (Twain 68/69). Her insight and awareness indicated her intelligence and ability to use complex thoughts in her decision making. Judith Loftus, as a part of southern society proves through her meeting with Huck that whites during the time period were smart and logical. By using insight, Judith Loftus should be able to have the access to moral objectivism, yet she remains racists in her words and actions. As she and Huck are having a conversation about Jim, she says, “they’ll get the nigger pretty soon, now, and maybe they can scare it out of him” (Twain 65). Though she and the southern society had logic, they were still close minded and so accustomed to racial superiority. Judith Loftus, as representation of white culture, shows that using moral objectivism in decision making would help eliminate…show more content…
Southern society perpetuated the racial divide by encouraging families to own slaves during the time.Similar to other members of southern society, the Grangerfords “ opened a lot of farms, and over a hundred niggers” ( Twain 111). The Grangerfords actions here show that owning slaves was so normalized in society, that people ignored their morality and discarded their feelings. Had the Grangerfords used moral objectivism, their impact on could have been much more positive because of their high status in society. Giving their high social status, the Grangerfords land was a meeting place for southerners, “ Sometimes a stack of people would come there, horseback, from ten or fifteen mile around, and stay five or six days” (Twain 111). Gatherings like this gave the family the chance to influence society. Had they used moral objectivism, they could have created societal change, which would help eliminate racism and slavery. Southern society was very influenced by the wealthy , giving them to power to either continue tradition, or make changes for the better. Moral objectivism could provide a framework to southerners for eliminating racism in the Civil War
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