论文总字数：28337字

摘 要

种族问题是美国一直存在的最典型且敏感的社会问题之一，马克· 吐温撰写的《哈克贝利·费恩历险记》正是种族问题及美国社会的一面清晰的镜子。

本论文将从主人公黑奴吉姆被贩卖、被追捕和被愚弄的经历阐述黑奴所遭遇的种族歧视问题。文章的最终目的就是从吉姆的以上经历中揭示奴隶制度和种族歧视对一个黑人的深刻影响，反映出小说中的种族问题，体现作者对民主、自由、平等的热爱。

关键词:《哈克贝利·费恩历险记》；种族歧视；奴隶制度；自由

Contents

1. Introduction 1

2. Literature Review 2

3. The Study on the Racial Discriminations Jim Suffered from in the Novel

4

3.1 Sold by His Master Miss Watson 4

3.2 Hunted After by Mr. Judith Loftus 6

3.3 Fooled by Tom 7

4. Conclusion 9

Works Cited 11

1. Introduction

Mark Twain (1835—1910), the pen name of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, was born in a much poor family and grew up in Hannibal, which is a town on the banks of the Mississippi River. His father worked as a storekeeper and died in 1847. Because of his poverty, Mark Twain only received a basic public school education and did much hard work to support his family. His early occupations were like an apprenticeship to a printer, writing for his brother"s newspaper and piloting ships on the Mississippi river. These various jobs let Mark Twain have the chance to observe the hard life of the low-grade people and provided plenty of writing materials for his most famous books, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884), and gave him his working name. In fact, Mark twain is used as a naval term that means two fathoms deep.

In fact, Mark Twain had always published his earlier works under the pen name of Thomas Jefferson Snodgrass, and then he changed it into the well-known pen name when he worked as reporter for the Nevada and California magazines. He became famous as a humorist with the following works: The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County and Other Sketches (1867) and Innocents Abroad (1869), and started his first English speech tour in the 1872. Mark Twain’s writings are related to numerous topics especially frequently utilized autobiography (Roughing It (1872), Life on the Mississippi (1883)) and fantasy (The Prince and the Pauper (1882), A Connecticut Yankee in the Court of King Arthur (1889)).

Mark Twain was widely acknowledged as an excellent writer, especially a good humorist satirist. During his lifetime, Mark Twain created a lot of distinguished works, among which The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is seen as the most distinguished as well as the most representative achievement, thus attracting plenty of attention and comments. For example, Hemingway, Ernest once commented that all modern American Literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn. This novel is concerned with the life around and on the Mississippi river and contains much of the social and political satire.

The setting background of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is before the well-known American civil war, at that time, although the slavery had been abolished in the Northern states of America, yet in the Southern parts in which the plantation economy was used as the main and important economic form, the slavery system was considered to be an inevitable and natural feature of social and plays an important role in the economic life. This system allowed the white people to own the Negroes and to treat them as farm animals; therefore, the relationship between the white slave owners and the black slaves was the masters and absolute sufferers. Generally speaking, the salves had always been looked down by the white. In the white’s eyes, the black slaves were uncivilized, inferior and they must obey the masters’ orders completely, otherwise, the slaves would be punished seriously. The white people firmly believe that “give a nigger an inch and he will take an ell” .What’s more, the white didn’t think the black had the rights to love, to learn or other equal rights and protection they deserved. Had been suffering a lot from the racial discrimination, the black slaves even gradually understood that they could do nothing but accept the white masters’ orders and tried their best to adopt their miserable life.

2. Literature Review

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is regarded as one of Mark Twain’s most famous and greatest works, the purposes of this novel are to describe plenty of aspects of the racial discrimination and to show how the race conflicts change into ethnic fusion. Up to now, a great number of scholars at home and abroad have done a lot of researches and comments on the key issues of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn--- racial discrimination and the process from the race conflict to ethnic fusion. From their studies, we can find different scholars see the issue from various view.

In the opinion of Wang Jie, freedom is the everlasting issue people pursuit, especially in America. As an excellent criticism writer, Mark Twain makes effort to expresses his wish and understanding of freedom by describing Huck and Jim’s adventurous trip along the Mississippi River. Wang Jie’s opinion is that Jim’s join in the long trip attaches much more meanings to the novel theme----Huck gradually realizes the kind nature of the black and begins to understand that what he had been taught from a child is eventually wrong---the white have no rights to discriminate the black slaves. In the end, Huck gets the real freedom not only in the body but also in spirit.

Similarly, Hu Yaoping once said “Huck instinctively knows the right thing to do. But his conscience forces him to follow the conventional morality in the south. This whole plot is a subtle but much powerful condemnation to the society which leads Huck to feel that if he chooses to do what his heart knows to be the right thing, he will go to hell and will be punished. The fact that boy himself is unable to see the affair in his perspective gives the implied criticism of southern society its force and point.” (Hu Yaoping, 2005:32)

Tan Chenghua comments the image of Jim like this: He is kind, brave, helpful, having dreams and seeking freedom. He is not Uncle Tom who just receives what happens to him, Jim has his own pursuit and goals. The readers can easily realize Jim’s loyalty and unselfishness since he is kind to Huck as well as considerate other’s safety and feeling instead of only thinks about himself. It is his kindness that catches Huck’s heart and builds their deep friendship, this also expresses the author’s wish of racial fusion. However, some scholars like Li Xin, Yuan Ming, Yang Furong say Jim is superstitious, ignorant, easily to be attacked, needing the protection of the white, these negative images of Jim is the symbol of the black slaves’ bad personalities that Mark Twain want to suggest to his readers.

Zhang Jinyun catches the conflict and struggle in Mark Twain’s heart. At the last critical moment of Jim’s escape trip, he is caught by the white again. From the plot we can easily find in his heart, Mark Twain is experiencing a big mental struggle about whether it is right or not to release the black slaves without considering the deep social discrimination in American society. Zhang Jinyun analyzes the methods of Mark Twain way to give freedom to Jim is in a gentle and moderate way----he doesn’t let Jim get the freedom by his own effort, instead, Mark Twain let Miss Watson finally permit Jim’s release and freedom in his probate. Zhang Xiaoli also says that the words and behavior of Jim, the thought of Huck have told us the real situation of that time; what’s more, these can reflect the racial conflicts are one of the main social conflicts.

Zhao Shuyuan comments that the two biggest conflicts in the novel is as the following: firstly, in order to save Jim, Huck chooses to tell lies. In the chapter of sixteen, when knowing some white people are looking forward to catching Jim for reward, Huck takes Jim to the Mississippi River and tells a lie to the white that Jim is his father who is sick seriously to scare them away. When Jim is safe, Huck regrets his behavior immediately, thinking himself as a criminal. Secondly, Huck can’t decide whether to peach Jim. In the chapter of thirty one, when Jim thinks himself is close to the Cairo to get his freedom, Huck are struggling whether to write a letter to Miss Watson for telling her where Jim is and to make up for his evilness and mistakes, however, when Huck thinks back Jim’s kindness and consideration to Jim, Huck finally decide to tears the letter at last and says to himself let him go to the hell. This plot is regarded as the most wonderful climax in the novel, which indicates Huck’s conscience beats has finally his conventional prejudice against the black.

In Tan Chenghua’s view, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a clear mirror to reflect Mark Twain’s racial concept. By describing the adventurous journey between the black slave and the white boy, Mark Twain denies the beautiful surface of the society and criticizes the cruelty of the racial discrimination policy. At the end of the novel, Huck decides to help Jim, expressing Mark Twain’s idea: the slavery must disappear, and the justice will beat the evilness gradually.

All in all, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn makes a light for the blacks and advances the process of democracy. This novel tells people how to erase the racial discrimination and treat the blacks equally.

3. The Study on the Racial Discriminations Jim Suffered from in the Novel

3.1 Sold by His Master Miss Watson

In the novel, Jim is one of the leading characters. He is a common black slave belonging to Miss Watson. At the beginning of reading the novel, we can feel that Jim works hard and is very loyal to his master. He has even got used to the social status and life of a poor black slave and believes whatever his white master says deeply. However, unluckily, he overhears Miss Watson’s plan to sell him down the south for eight hundred dollars, so he chooses to run off quickly and accidently comes across Huck--- who is a brave, rebellious white boy refuses to be civilized.

For example, in the chapter 8, the novel describes the conversations between Jim and Huck on an island.

“……en I hear old missus tell de wider she gwyne to sell me dowen to Orleans, but she didn’ want to, but she could git eight hund’d dollars for me, en it ’uz sich a big stack o’money she couldn’resis’.de wider she try to git her to say she wouldn’ do it, but I never waited to hear de res’. I lit out mighty quick, I tell you.”(Mark Twain, 2009: 38)

From the description, we can see that Miss Watson is hard and cruel to Jim and always wants to find his mistakes. Although she promises not to sell Jim, yet she can’t resist the chance of earning 800 dollars, which leading Jim to run away quickly.

Although the American law has abolished the slavery in order to make everyone enjoy the equalities, in fact, under the setting background of the plantation economy form in the south, the black is treated as low-grade farm animals, like horses or cattle, and they can’t enjoy the equal chances and protection as the white; even the strongest black man, he still can’t resist the heavy work and hard life and only dies of the torture after 7 or 8 years. Just like what Mark Twain once said: “Both to we white and the black, the farm in the southern America, is like a really hell. There is no more moderate word to describe it. ”

Therefore, to Jim, if he is sold to the southern American, the only ending waiting for him is death and never sees his wife and children again. In that condition, Jim has no choice but to run away, this is good not only for himself but also for his family. On the contrary, in the eyes of the white, it is very normal to separate the black’s family and sell them to different places, leading them never to reunite again. The white even think the black slaves have no rights to enjoy love and friendship or other warm feelings, because the only living aims of the slaves are to work hard for their white masters and obey the orders without any conditions. From this, we can conclude, if Jim doesn’t run away, he will not reunite with his family any more, which brings great harm to his body and spirit.

However, on the other hand, Jim is foolish, ignorant as well as superstitious, which results from his lack of education. For instance, in the end of chapter 8, Jim forgets the sadness of being sold as a black slave; instead, he is so proud that he is worth eight hundred dollars.

“ Yes; en I’s rich now, come to look at it. I owns myself, en I’s wuth eight hund’d dollars. I wisht I had de money, I wouldn’t want no mo’.”(Mark Twain2009:42)

This indicates Jim has accepted his status of a black slave, and he may never think himself is so rich before. We can guess, if Miss Watson doesn’t sell Jim for eight hundred dollars, Jim will be willing to work hard for his master during his rest life and enjoy the poor, boring and hard life of a slave without any thoughts to run off for freedom.

From the view of Huck, he is experiencing a big struggle in his heart. Although at first, Huck is excited and amazed to come across Jim, yet later, he has to deal with plenty of problems--- how to see the slavery, how to treat Jim, and how to change what he has been taught from being a child.

For example, in Chapter16 of the novel, when Jim thinks he is so close to the Cairo, in which there is no slave, he can’t wait to express his excitement and lightness, on the contrary, Huck is going through the mental conflict:

“I tried to make out to myself that I warn’t to blame, because I didn’t run Jim off from his rightful owner, but it warn’t no use, conscience up and says, every time, ‘But you knowed he was running for his freedom, and you could a paddled ashore and told somebody.’ That was so—I couldn’t getaround that noway. That was where it pinched.”（Mark Twain, 2009: 243）

So, we can see the white look down on the slaves. In the white’s opinion, helping a black slave is wrong and evil. In the novel, after all, Huck is a white boy; therefore he can’t abandon completely the conventions and thoughts he had developed since he was born. Actually, it is understandable for Huck to think it is immoral and illegal to help a black slave escape. From this point, we can’t blame Huck too much because he is only a child, and he has been taught all time that helping the black people is absolutely wrong.

3.2 Hunted After by Mr. Judith Loftus

After Huck runs away from his father and lets everyone believe he has been killed, people in the town including Huck’s dad, the judge, Tom and so on began to search his body but no results. On that day, Huck comes across Jim on the island and after telling what happened to each other, they decide to take the adventurous trip to Cairo---the free state together. One day, Huck says it is so boring and dull that he wants to slip over the river and finds out what is going on. Thus, Huck dresses himself up as a lady to Mr. Judith Loftus’s house. During their conversion, Huck says: “Who done it? We have heard considerable about these goings-on down in Hookerville, but we don’t know who’t was that killed Huck Finn.”

“But before night they changed around and judge it was done by a run-away nigger named Jim.”

“The nigger run off the very night Huck Finn was killed. So there’s a reward out for him---three hundred dollars…..”

“…… if it was him; but husband’s going over to see---him and another man. He was gone up the river; but he got back to day, and I told him as soon as he got here two hours ago.” (Mark Twain, 2009: 51)

From above paragraphs, we can find that the white always think the black slaves are bad, evil and immoral. If there is something bad or evil happening, the masters will blame, doubt their slaves firstly without any hesitation and consideration. In this chapter, Jim is actually innocent, just because his time of running off is consistent to the time when Huck is “killed”, many white people think persistently Jim is the real murderer. Mr. Judith Loftus is one of the white who make all efforts to catch Jim in order to get 300 dollars reward. In fact, even if they know Jim is innocent, they will still try to catch Jim because catching and punishing a slave is the white’s duty. What’s worse, in the hearts of the white, the black slave is regarded as the cheap labor or symbol of money, thus they never want to show any warm emotions or sympathy to the black slaves, how cruel the white people are!

Mark Twain once has the similar experience to Huck’s that happened when he was a child: three white persons were charged because they abetted one slave to run away. And Mark Twain wrote in his diary: the behavior of helping a horse or a cow is low-grade; but the behavior of helping a black slave who is being run after or hesitating to prosecute him when possible is the most low-grade, because of which you will be marked a spot for the rest lifetime.

In fact, the idea is widely accepted by the white and their next many generations no matter how absurd it is. This indicates the racial discrimination and ethic conflicts are the main conflicts in the society at that time, what’s more, the black slave is experiencing abuse in their bodies as well as their spirits.

3.3 Fooled by Tom

After reading the novel, we can get the impression that Jim is a very kind, brave, considerate and ignorant person. Although Jim is brave enough to seek the freedom and try to get rid of the bondage of the slavery, yet Jim’s thoughts and habits have been used to the status of a slave, no matter what his white master or white friends---Huck and Jim do to him, Jim will accept without any conditions.

For example, in the chapter38, Jim was locked in a padlock. Tom and Huck want to help Jim out, but Tom likes adventurous experiences who always has many funny and absurd ideas in his brain, so Tom doesn’t let Jim run out quickly, instead, he asks Jim to do a lot of ridiculous things before saving him. For instance, the novel describes as the following:

“That’s the one which the prisoner has to scrabble on the wall……there warn’t no case of a state prisoner not scrabbling his inscription to leave behind, and his coat of arms.”

…….

“Prisoners ain’t ever without rats. There ain’t no instance of it. And they train them, and pet them, and learn tricks, and they get to be as sociable as flies. But you got to play music to them.”

…..

“We’ll fetch you a little one, and you plant it in the corner over there, and raise it. ……And you want to water it with your tears.” (Mark Twain, 2009: 256-258)

剩余内容已隐藏，请支付后下载全文，论文总字数：28337字