The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Twain's Pre-Civil War America

American authors tend to write about life in their times. Mark Twain lived in the 1800's and witnessed the Civil War era. At that time, our nation was divided over the issue of slavery. The inhumane treatment of slaves moved Twain to use his talent to criticize their treatment. In one of his most famous novels named The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain depicts the injustice of slavery in the South just before the Civil War.

To begin with, Mark Twain uses the plot of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to reveal the truths about life in the South during the 1800's. For starters, slavery proved to be one of the most predominant aspects of southern life at that time. The birth of Mark Twain occurred during this era of slavery, so racism surrounded Twain his whole life.

Twain based his writings upon his own personal experiences. Critics agree that, "The book is a strong voice against racism, but at the same time some passages mirror the values of the racist society Mark was raised in" (Meltzer 89). Secondly, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn portrays the appalling truths regarding enslavement which pervaded the South. Twain utilizes his work as a means to reveal the factuality of racism. "Perfectly...

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