It is somewhat unfortunate that slavery and racial tension continues to remain at the forefront of the narrative of the United States of America. However, the development of a capitalist nation whose birth was so heavily reliant on the idea of freedom had little other choice in the matter, especially when its conceptualization was so deeply entrenched in such a delicious sense of hypocrisy. While many literary critics have been quick to point out the enduring moral dilemma as it reoccurs throughout American literature, many have used this lens as an attempt to justify the strengths and decry the flaws of a number of works. One such example that continues to experience intense scrutiny is Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a cynical, whimsical, and satirical odyssey throughout the heartland of the United States of America. Many would champion protagonist Huckleberry Finn as either an enlightened humanitarian or a racist product of the time, but that would be missing the point of the novel. Twain may touch on matters of slavery and race, though his scope is far greater, hoping to reflect on the nature of mankind from the perspective of a young spectator, not fully-convinced of the goodness or injustice of civilization either way.
While some attest to this as the true satirical purpose of Huck's journey, others like Jane Smiley fail to grasp this idea, instead decrying Huck as a deeply flawed hero with a warped sense of morality. In her article “Say It Ain't So, Huck: Second Thoughts On Mark Twain's 'Masterpiece',” Smiley attacks Hemingway's claim that all American Literature stems from Twain's work, if only because of its flaccid moral lessons and utter failure of a final act. As a simple celebration of humanity through a lens of Americana, it is forgiven for Huck's questionable treatment of Jim, although she finds the non-character in the African American himself far worse, as Jim is nothing more than a sidekick and enabler for Huck and the other passengers on the raft. While some of these claims seem to hold merit, Smiley then proceeds to highlight Uncle Tom's Cabin as a far more poignant and effective American novel, brushed aside by Twain's unpolished epic. She goes as far to state that the characters of Stowe's novel are far more honest in their depiction, and Tom a more worthy archetype of racial suffering than Jim could ever hope to be. However, Twain's position as a male writer and the enduring controversy around Huck Finn have pushed Stowe's work to the side and robbed her work of its rightful position on either equal or greater standing with Twain's own.
Not only does this argument mercilessly pick apart Twain's work simply because it does not champion equality in a manner that fits its author's particular views, but it also features a disproportionate amount of praise for Stowe's work. While both have their place in the American canon, there are numerous references to the importance of Uncle Tom's Cabin as a vehicle for the abolition of slavery within Smiley's analysis. If hoping to drive home the importance of race relations and slavery in America, Smiley fails to grasp the legacy Stowe's work already possessed post-Civil War. However, her argument hinges on the idea that American literature centralizes around slavery and race. This is not to say they are not important topics in the American canon, but Twain's work uses them instead as a platform for a higher level of contemplation regarding the goodness of civilization and humanity. His work lends itself to a larger audience by contextualizing human ignorance and the importance of the individual (or perhaps, lack thereof) in the American theater, allowing the reader to see Huck's own perception of the absurdity that lies in human nature as a boy on the fringes of American society himself. Just because Stowe's characters lean on the ugly truths of racial superiority more heavily and voice their opinions of slavery more strongly does not make them more or less representative of the American mindset.
To deny that Stowe's work is one that attempts to address a specific aspect of the American conversation would be dishonest, as Stowe made her views and opinions clear through the novel and strove to enact change with her words. Some of Uncle Tom's claims and impact have diminished because of its purpose and success as an abolitionist vehicle. Twain's philosophy and perspective are universal in nature, tackling human cruelty and dishonesty on a broader scale, and his work is saved- or preserved- somewhat by its date of publication. Twain sought to remind the American people that racial stigma and supremacy would not cease with the closing of the Civil War, just as acts of inhumanity and ignorance would not cease in spite of new lessons and information learned. Indeed, the continued debate over its use of derogatory terminology continues to remind us of this fact today. However, Smiley insists that its absurdity lacks reality, and that the cruelty of human existence is better represented in Stowe's work. While Uncle Tom's Cabin does feature more brutality, it is undercut by Stowe's sentimentality and romantic tendencies. Twain's usage of vernacular, especially that which is more representative of his characters and much less stereotypical, grounds his absurdity in the muddy waters of the Mississippi. A case can be made for both, certainly, but Smiley's stance seems unfounded.
Though her harsh critique of the closing chapters in Twain's novel is an opinion that is shared by many, Smiley neglects- or perhaps, avoids- the reality of the closing moments in Huck's adventure. The story does not wrap itself up perfectly, as is the case in Stowe's work. There is an uncertainty towards the fate of civilized life that still beats strong in Huck's heart, whereas Stowe imagines idyllic and ultimately unrealistic endgames for all of her characters. Smiley insists that Uncle Tom's Cabin is a book she would prefer her children read, but is also quick to dismiss its flaws: Stowe's fluctuating opinions on the removal of the African American from the country and their return to a sovereign nation, the numerous negative stereotypes established within her work that persist today, and its sentimental conclusion. It would seem that Smiley has a very narrow-minded view of what American literature should encompass as subject material, however, and arguing against that point, as well as offering any alternative interpretations of either Twain or Stowe's material, would prove fruitless. If race and slavery are the primary subject and should take the place of Twain's own discussion as a jumping point for the American conversation, then matters of the individual's worth have already been resolved, after all. What remains true, however, is the fat that slavery and matters of racial discrimination are results of the larger discussion of humanity and civilization, but it seems that no other work in the American canon provides as clear insight into this matter than Stowe's own. I guess. I dunno.
...I thought this was relevant.