White Supremacy In Huckleberry Finn
Mahatma Gandhi once quoted, “Your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become your habits, your habits become your values, and your values become your destiny.” In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Jim becomes an outsider though the contradicting actions condoned by white supremacy. Jim’s portrayal as an outcast helps enhance the reader’s understanding of the hypocritical values of American society in the early nineteenth century though their outlook on Christian morals, freedom in equality, and slave tolerance. In Christianity, followers are taught to love your neighbor as yourself. Although many called themselves faithful and religious, loving their African American neighbors was not commonly practiced among white men. White man compares Jim to money by saying, “‘well, I reckon! There’s two hundred dollars’ reward on him. It’s like picking up money out’n the road’” (Twain 211). If a faithful follower was to love their neighbors, they would not think of them as money laying
…show more content…
However, this idea is contradicting in a closer view because the white population considered that the freedom should be restricted from African American. “Jim said it made him all over trembly and feverish to be so close to freedom” (87). Jim was very excited about being a freeman at Cairo, since it was unimaginable to be free as an African American during that time period. Although America represents freedom for all, the blacks were still considered as a property. Therefore, African Americans did not received their freedom as human beings. However, for Jim, “other places do seem so cramped up and smothery, but a raft don't. You feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft” (116). Because the society limited Jim’s freedom and captivated him as a slave, being on a raft freed him from the society's pressure to degrade
However, this idea is contradicting in a closer view because the white population considered that the freedom should be restricted from African American. “Jim said it made him all over trembly and feverish to be so close to freedom” (87). Jim was very excited about being a freeman at Cairo, since it was unimaginable to be free as an African American during that time period. Although America represents freedom for all, the blacks were still considered as a property. Therefore, African Americans did not received their freedom as human beings. However, for Jim, “other places do seem so cramped up and smothery, but a raft don't. You feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft” (116). Because the society limited Jim’s freedom and captivated him as a slave, being on a raft freed him from the society's pressure to degrade