Smith and Smiley

1. Smith introduces his readers with a Jefferson excerpt prompting his article. In this excerpt,
Jefferson discusses how black people are inferior to white people. Jefferson serves as a prime
example of the blind eye many Americans turned towards racism. Despite preaching equality,
Jefferson “inherited 20 slaves from his father and 135 from his father in law”, yet “freed only
two slaves in his life-time and five under his will” (Smith). . Jefferson also targets the “love” and
“griefs” of African Americans by depicting love “to be more an eager desire” and “griefs [to be]
transient”; Jefferson implies that black people experience a more elementary grief and love
differently from white people. The blatant hypocrisy of his actions are similar to the attitude of
many Americans today, who choose to remain ignorant to racial inequality. MLK too, in his
letter, described the belief of many Americans that time will solve issues of racial inequality,
which implies that avoiding confrontation of the problem is the best solution.

2. Smith establishes Huckleberry Finn as “explicitly antiracist” on four terms: its interpretation
of the n-word, its mockery of Southern white mentality, its contradictory use of stereotypes, and
its ironic tone. Smith first clarifies Twain’s intent in using the n-word, which is “as a synonym
for ‘slave’”. Rather than the word being used in a derogatory or stereotypical manner, Twain
uses it solely to substitute the word slave. He justifies this argument by pointing out Huck and
Jim’s intimate relationship, which would not be possible if Huck truly used the n-word as a racial
slur. A major argument that Smith brings up is the way Twain addresses the romanticism of
“southern gents” and general southern white morals. He begins with discussing Pap, Huck’s
father who is a raging alcoholic. Pap is introduced as morally and physically disgusting, and
readers instantaneously “[reject] Pap’s views”. Smith argues that Pap’s moral character forces
readers to disagree with him, further “rejecting] the standard racial discourse of both 1840 and
1880”. Smith reveals how Twain uses Pap to reveal the repulsiveness of Southern mentality of
the 1800s. Smith additionally mentions the prolonged scheme of Jim’s escape as mockery of
Southern romanticism. Smith explains that Twain purposefully creates a painstaking plot of Tom
and Huck rescuing Jim in order to ridicule “romantic conventions and literary ‘authorities’”, later
seen in the Grangerfords and Shepherdsons. Twain additionally expresses Huck’s opposition to
Southern church. In this sense, Smith proves that Twain “hardly speaks well for the moral
integrity of southern (or American) civilization”. Smith also defends Twain’s characterization of
Jim’s superstitious behavior, which is generally critiqued as negative stereotyping. Smith argues
that Twain stresses not Jim’s possible belief in superstition, but rather his “major personal
triumph”. Smith references the instant where Jim creates a completely fictitious tale that
involved witches, which initially seems to enforce the stereotype of superstition that is often used
in black face. Upon closer analysis, however, Smith emphasizes the later part of Twain’s story,
in which “Jim’s celebrity reaches the point [where] ‘Jim was most ruined, for a servant’”.
Whether Jim truly believes in his story or not, Twain manipulates the negative stereotype
associated with superstition and uses it to give Jim power, and make him less of a slave. Lastly,
Smith emphasizes Twain’s ironic tone that should be taken into consideration in order to
understand Jim’s character. Smith describes Twain’s approach as “a strategy of subversion in his
attack on race”. Nearly all interactions between Jim and Huck, Tom or any white person
demonstrates Jim’s departure from racial stereotypes.
3. Smith justifies Twain’s use of the n-word by claiming that Twain does not use it as a racial
slur, and rather “as a synonym for slave”. Smith makes the valid point that there is no point in
the novel where Huck uses the n-word as a slur, but solely as a reference to a slave. In fact,
Smith argues that the use of the n-word between whites (like Huck and Aunt Sally) emphasizes
the demeaning and evil nature of many Southern whites at the time, who had no regard for
African Americans, much less respect. Smith argues that Twain juxtaposes Jim, one of the most
sensible characters in the book, against ignorant whites who continue to refer to slaves as the
n-word.

1. Smith establishes his disagreement with the last few chapters of the book by determining it
“the most problematic aspect of [Twain’s] novel”. Although he interprets the last few chapters
“as a critique of American racial discourse”, he acknowledges the many criticisms that “Jim
becomes reduced to a comic darky” and that Jim’s submissive actions “destroy the structural
integrity of the novel”. Smiley continues this argument by underscoring the second half of the
story as flawed. She explains that “neither Huge nor Twain [take] Jim’s desire for freedom at all
seriously; that is they do not accord it the respect that a man’s passion deserves”. Twain fails to
create a believable character by keeping Jim’s freedom as some sort of background plot that
support’s Huck’s adventurous storyline. This failure to understand Jim as a character culminates
in the failed and ambiguous ending of the novel. She also brings up how “Jim is pushed to the
side of the narrative, hiding on the raft and confined to it”, indicating Twain’s inability to
properly address Jim’s search for freedom and leaves him as a side character.

2. Smiley dismisses Smith’s reasoning by likening it to racist mindsets. Smith argues that Twain
uses irony and sarcasm to indirectly portray anti-racism, however Smiley does not acknowledge
Twain’s irony as subtlety. She finds Twain’s subtlety implies that racism is a feeling that does
not require action, justifying that as long as one does not feel that an action was racist, then it is
not. Smiley points out Huck’s lack of direct action, whether it be in affection to Jim or the
dismissal of white society as a signal of not irony, but rather hidden racism. I believe that Smiley
has a point in interpreting Twain’s irony as promoting racism as a feeling, however Smith also
brings up a valid point. There are many points throughout the novel where Twain employs irony
to emphasize the sensibility of Jim and the ignorance of Huck and other whites. Smiley finds a
problem with the glorification of Huck as some sort of hero, when he never outwardly acted
against slavery until the end of the book, where he follows Tom’s absurd plans to painfully free
Jim. In a sense, Smiley and Smith are referring to different instances of subversion, so it is not
fair for Smiley to disregard Smith’s argument. Smiley refers to Twain’s subtlety in never having
Huck explicitly reveal his feelings, and how many equate this vague affection for Jim as
anti-racism. Smith, on the other hand, refers to Twain’s subtlety in mocking Southern mentality
and racial stereotypes by using them sarcastically.

3. Smiley prefers ​Uncle Tom’s Cabin​ because it uses genuine characters, logic, and
understanding. One of Smiley’s biggest problems with Huckleberry Finn is Jim’s flawed
character, but she points that Uncle Tom is a deeply developed character that logically makes
sense and portrays true African American struggles. Another positive to Uncle Tom’s Cabin that
Smiley explains is the “great wisdom of feeling” that it supplies. Not only is it deeply moving,
but it is also logical and educational. All of the characters are realistic and have plausible
relationships, making the novel more significant to the reader. Lastly, Smith values Stowe’s
genuine understanding and wish to portray slavery and racism as accurately as possible. She does
not leave out any dark stories, illustrating the real life of many slaves and the hardships they
were forced to endure. Smith believes that this understanding of African Americans allows Uncle
Tom’s Cabin to be accurate and insightful.

4. Smiley suggests that the canonization of Huckleberry FInn and the underappreciation of Uncle
Tom’s Cabin is another example of America’s obsession with the “unsettled wilderness and the
opportunities that such a wilderness offers to the individual as the medium”. The obsession with
rugged individualism takes away from all other literary themes, specifically women writers.
American literature, according to Smiley, has shifted towards the rugged wild and away from
domestic life, disregarding many women writers. Smiley additionally points out the prevalence
of “a very narrow range of white, Protestant, middle-class male authors” as being a source of the
American obsession with the wilderness.

5. I do not think race or gender should play a role in the credibility or value of the criticisms,
however there could be a connection between someone’s background and their argument. There
is the obvious distinction that Smith, being black, has somewhat more of a personal connection
to slavery and segregation than Smiley. This connection, however, neither undermines Smiley’s
argument nor does it put Smith’s argument at an advantage. Another thing to note is that these
two authors in particular took different approaches to analyzing Huckleberry Finn. Smiley
primarily discussed the accolade that the novel received, while Smith discusses its label as a
racist novel. This distinction makes it completely unsensible to compare the authors based on
gender/race. It is interesting to see how gender and race do affect the two people, for example
Smiley promoted fellow female writers and was influenced by feminism throughout her work.
Ultimately, however, the authors’ backgrounds should not play a role in the way readers interpret
them because both race and gender do not and should not alter the reader’s perception of the
criticisms.