The Depiction of Slavery and Racism in Mark Twain's 'Adventures of Huckeleberry Finn'

Master's Thesis from the year 2024 in the subject American Studies - Literature, grade: 1,0, University of Würzburg (Americanistik), language: English, abstract: In this master's thesis, Mark Twain's famous novel 'Adventures of Huckleberry Finn' is analyzed to examine its depiction of slavery and racism. The text illuminates the historical and literary background of the late 19th century in order to understand the influences on Twain's life and work. A detailed corpus analysis of the novel shows how Twain portrays race relations sarcastically and critically. The essay addresses the controversial debate surrounding the book, in particular the accusation that it is an example of racist trash. It concludes by arguing that 'Adventures of Huckleberry Finn' can be interpreted as an anti-slavery novel that advocates better understanding between the races. The aim of this paper is to prove that Mark Twain's novel 'Adventures of Huckleberry Finn' neither advocates slavery nor demeans black people. Instead, it depicts race relations of the late 19th century in a critical and sarcastic manner and can be considered an anti-slavery novel.