Usage of the N-Word in Huck Finn. I will first examine how the N-Word was used in general in former times, then how Mark Twain used it in Huck Finn and finally why he employed it so often.
Before I begin I would like to say that I am going to use the word nigger a lot of times in this paper. I do not want to insult anybody, but I have to mention it sometimes as I write about the term. I also dissociate myself from some quotations you will read on the following pages, where the word is used in an offensive way.
Former Usage of the N-Word and that in Huck Finn
At the beginning, I would like to quote Thomas Jefferson, who claimed that ‘…their [the blacks’] existence appears to participate more of sensation than reflection’ . At the time of “the Enlightenment”, a human being was characterized by reason. This was underlined by the philosopher Descartes who stated “cogito ergo sum” (“I think therefore I am”). In the quote by Jefferson, the black community is considered as a people who does not think, but rather feels. It implies that blacks lack the most important feature of a human being, which is reason, and therefore cannot be considered as “human”. Before the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, this argument was a very common legitimation for slavery and for the use of nigger to refer to African Americans.
The term itself was, for instance, used to distinguish a white and a black person with the same first name. When you say “Nigger Jim” it is evident that you mean a black slave, and not the white Jim. In addition to that, blacks were never addressed by “Mr.” or “Mrs.”, but rather by their first name or by “Auntie” or “Uncle”. Another interesting point is the fact that whites who supported blacks during the Civil Rights Movement were referred to as niggerlovers. In this example you can see that even whites were discriminated by simply having contact or feeling sympathy with African Americans.
Now I would like to focus on the novel Huck Finn by Mark Twain. As it was written before the abolition of slavery, this book might be helpful to examine how the N-Word was used. Beside the question of “how”, the “why” also plays an important role. What were Twain’s reasons for using this insult? Was he a racist as many people claim?
In Huck Finn, the N-Word can first be read in chapter 2: “Miss Watson’s big nigger” , by which her slave Jim is meant. We can assume that in this case, nigger is used as a synonym for slave.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Usage of the N-Word in Huck Finn
2.1 Former Usage of the N-Word and that in Huck Finn
2.2 Twain’s Motives for Using Nigger
3 Usage of the N-Word in Recent Times
4 Conclusion
5 List of References
Research Objective and Core Topics
This paper examines the historical and contemporary usage of the racial slur "nigger," specifically focusing on its function and controversial presence in Mark Twain's novel "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" compared to its reappropriation in modern entertainment culture.
- Historical context of slavery and racial ideology in the United States.
- Linguistic analysis of the term "nigger" as a tool for subhuman categorization in the 19th century.
- Mark Twain’s literary intentions and the debate regarding the novel's alleged racism.
- Sociolinguistic shift of the term in modern comedy and rap music as a form of satire or defiance.
Excerpt from the Book
2.2 Twain’s Motives for Using Nigger
Huck Finn is often regarded as racist because of the frequent occurrence of nigger. But not only is the book itself criticized but also its author Mark Twain. As he employed the term so often and could have avoided using it, one can claim that he really used it to deliver a certain message. The frequent usage is the reason why many people accuse him of being racist. But was Mark Twain really a racist or did he have other intentions by using the N-Word?
First of all we have to think of the fact that Huck Finn has been published in 1884 and that things that were normal at that time might seem strange to us nowadays. Today’s people are quite sensible when it comes to the N-Word, because it reveals a time in American history that is marked by racial suppression. But in times of slavery it was “normal” to refer to a black woman or man as nigger. This is exactly the fact Mark Twain wanted to show by writing Huck Finn. He wanted to “provide linguistic authenticity”. That means that Twain wanted to describe how the term was used and not how it should have been used in his eyes. The book should describe in a very precise and authentic way how the word was employed by the population. Furthermore, using an expression like nigger in the way Twain did does not necessarily mean that you are a racist person. Even I do use it (or have to use it) a lot of times in this term paper, because I write about the issue of the lexeme nigger. It definitely does not mean that I am racist, but it rather indicates that I am dealing with it and thinking about the topic. It is clear that I have to use the word sometime.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: Provides historical background on the creation of Huckleberry Finn and the early controversies regarding its censorship.
2 Usage of the N-Word in Huck Finn: Explores how the term functioned as a tool for dehumanization during the era of slavery and analyzes Twain's potential motivations for its frequent inclusion in his narrative.
3 Usage of the N-Word in Recent Times: Investigates the evolution of the word in contemporary society, particularly its paradoxical use in stand-up comedy and rap music.
4 Conclusion: Synthesizes the finding that while the term remains derogatory, its function has shifted from an instrument of property-based oppression to a complex, often satirical signifier in modern discourse.
5 List of References: Documents the primary and secondary sources used for this academic analysis.
Keywords
Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain, N-word, Slavery, Racism, Linguistic Authenticity, Civil Rights, Satire, Comedy, Rap Music, Censorship, Social Stigma, Dehumanization, Discourse, African Americans
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this academic paper?
The paper explores the historical and modern usage of the racial slur "nigger," analyzing how its meaning has evolved from a tool of dehumanization to a complex, often provocative term used in contemporary culture.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The research covers the historical context of American slavery, literary analysis of Mark Twain's "Huckleberry Finn," the sociolinguistics of racial slurs, and the modern reappropriation of the term in entertainment media.
What is the core research objective?
The objective is to examine how Mark Twain employed the term for linguistic authenticity versus modern perceptions of racism, and to compare this with current usage in comedy and music.
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The author utilizes a qualitative, literature-based analysis, examining primary literary texts and academic discourse to interpret the linguistic and sociological shifts of the chosen term.
What topics are discussed in the main body of the work?
The main body addresses the historical origins of the slur in the 19th century, specific examples of its usage in Twain’s work, and the shift toward satirical or defiant usage by African American artists in the late 20th century.
Which keywords characterize the work?
Key terms include Huckleberry Finn, linguistic authenticity, racial slurs, social stigmatization, satire, and the evolution of racial discourse in America.
How does the author justify the usage of the slur within the term paper?
The author argues that using the term is a necessary part of the academic analysis of the lexeme and that context is critical for distinguishing between hateful usage and objective scholarly or artistic study.
What does the author conclude regarding the ban of "Huckleberry Finn" in schools?
The author suggests that banning the book is counterproductive, as it obscures historical reality and avoids a necessary confrontation with the history of language and racial oppression in the United States.
- Quote paper
- A. Glatz (Author), 2009, The N-Word. The Usage of a Controversial Term in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Nowadays, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/169580
