Audience

Blog Post #1 - Bethany Easton (pg. 1-150)

The intended audience of The Adventure’s Of Huckleberry Finn, can be found within the reasons as to why the book was written and the types of diction used. Primarily, the main reason this novel was written to give insight on the inner thoughts and point of view of a young boy living in a world with racism. The pure innocence of Huckleberry Finn’s and Jim’s relationship shows that ideas of racism are taught as Finn does not judge Jim directly by the color of his skin. The diction used is considered harsh as racial slurs are constantly thrown around to prove the point that the treatment of slaves is extremely unpleasant. Through this evidence, one may deduct that the intended audience may be a community that approves racism, or slavery, and the novel attempts to sway their prejudices.

Blog Post #2 - Gaby (pg. 150-200)

Mark Twain's intended audience for Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was individuals in their older age who have developed ignorance and racial bias. The extensive amount of racial slanders and abuse of African Americans in this novel is Twain’s method of showing his audience how idiotic and cruel they are behaving. With that being said, Twain knew that his audience would be much more broad than merely elderly discriminators after already publishing his successful Adventures of Tom Sawyer. As youthful and enlightened Americans in contemporary times, learning about the hardships African Americans underwent during the 1800s in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn allows one to see the importance of learning from history by treating all races justly.

Blog Post #3 - Laura (pg. 200-250)
Twain’s intended audience included all people of his time, especially slaveowners, slave traders and the white people who said nothing against slavery, implicitly supporting the institution. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn parodies the typical southerner of Twain’s time. Huck’s own ignorance towards race, which he begins to overcome during the novel, parallels the tolerance Twain hopes for his own society. Though he begins the novel believing in what he believes to be Jim’s inferior intellect, Huck later recognized “he cared just as much for his [family] as white folks does for ther’n” (173). Huck connects with Jim on an emotional level, realizing their similarities are unifiers which come to define their relationship rather than their racial differences. Twain’s portrayal of Huck as racially intolerant in some capacity throughout the novel indicates his intent for its audience and his desire to change his country and society’s attitudes toward slavery.

Blog Post #4 - Christine (pg. 250-300)
Considering the shift of Huck’s morals throughout the novel, the intended audience is representative of Huck. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain was written to those who think slavery is a-okay and whites are more entitled to minorities. Twain writes this to help the audience, anyone who overlooks slavery, understand and realize that despite another being a different race, gender, or social class, they are all equal to those of oneself. Huck learns the worthiness everyone needs to feel through his journey with Jim, and so do readers as they follow his journey with them. Huck learns that we should not compare our physical appearances to what’s “better” or “worse,” but rather what’s on the inside. That sounds insanely cliché, but that’s why Twain writes this book: to teach his audience that everyone, despite race, gender, social class, sexuality, anything, must be treated equally.

Blog Post #5 - Kelly (pg. 300-350)

The novel’s consistent use of racial slurs and insight of the overall treatment and opinion of black people from a white aspect show that Mark Twain’s intended audience in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn were people who were racist and condoned slavery. It can be interpreted that the growth of Huck through the novel is what Twain wants to inspire his audience (America)  with. Huck begins ignorant, a racially intolerant boy; by the end of the novel he has built a close relationship with an African American slave, Jim, symbolizing the change in Huck: he now has sympathy towards a race other than whites! Unlike Huck, Tom Sawyer represents the unchanging, stagnant discriminatory opinion of the time, representing most people. Tom says, “"They hain't no RIGHT to shut him up! SHOVE!—and don't you lose a minute. Turn him loose! He ain't no slave; he's as free as any cretur that walks this earth!"(320). Twain’s consiste use of religion appealed to his audience during the time it was published, as well as today. The book appealed to both believers and nonbelievers, equally showing the positive and negative aspects of religion. Twain attempts to sway his audience’s opinion of racism; if Huck can grow, so can his audience.