Apart from being one of the landmarks of American literature, Mark Twain's classic tale,.

             The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, is a mirror of the deeply embedded racist attitudes.

             of the Deep South in the 1880's.

             First, not to mention the most controversial and obvious, is the liberal use of the.

             word "nigger throughout the book. Taken as a derogatory term by modern-day.

             Americans, Twain's use of the word "nigger is simply a reflection of the times. Huck.

             Finn was written when cruel and unjust treatment of blacks were commonplace and use.

             of such a word didn't get so much as a second thought. Huck Finn depicts a time when blacks.

             were not treated as people but as things without emotions or personalities, mere property.

             For instance, Jim is initially known only in relation to whose property he is (Miss Watson).

             He escapes from being continuously treated as property, even sold-to a family that will most.

             likely treat him even less humanely.

             When Huck talks to Aunt Sally about a supposed steamboat explosion, Twain.

             drives home a distinct point about the white South's regard of the black man:.

             Now I struck an idea, and fetched it out: "It warn't the grounding --.

             that didn't keep us back but a little. We blowed out a cylinderhead." ".

             "Good gracious! Anybody hurt?".

             "No'm. Killed a nigger.".

             "Well, it's lucky; because sometimes people do get hurt." (Twain 241).

             These few lines of dialogue say all there is to say about how blacks are viewed at.

             that time: that they are "nobody ", less than human, with lives that are of little or no value.

             to anyone. The racist attitudes of the South are most evident in the character of Huck Finn.

             himself, and how he relates to the runaway Negro slave, Jim. Huck is but a product of his.

             environment and upbringing. Although he reflects the cruelty and injustice of the South.

             towards blacks, he is totally unaware that this is the wrong attitude to take (Fiskin 2) So.

             at first, he is unsure how to deal with Jim.