The Ending and the Racism in Huckleberry Finn

Essay by PFlanny06High School, 10th gradeA, August 2004

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Huckleberry Finn was a book filled with racism, dishonesty, and trickery. Near the end of the book Tom plays a cruel trick on Jim and Huck. Tom makes a new plan for Jim's escape. He says that they should write anonymous letters to warn people that something is going to happen. At first, nobody agrees with his plan but he somehow convinces Huck to do it. Tom then makes Huck dress up like a girl and deliver the letter. This is a flashback for Huck, when he goes to find out the news about his disappearance earlier in the book. This is very mean to make Huck go and do this. Also, this was a very bad plan to start with because now the whole town knows that Jim is planning to escape. As a result when Tom and Huck escape Jim through the hole in the cabin, there are fifteen armed farmers waiting for Jim to escape.

Although Jim still could have made it to freedom, it was still a terrible idea to send in a letter telling the town of Jim's plan to escape. Here is when everyone finds out that Jim was a free man anyways and that he did not have a need to escape from jail. Everyone is surprised when they find out and are wondering why Tom would have done this. Well as Tom says in the book, "Well, that is a question, I must say; and just like women! Why, I wanted the adventure of it..."(p218). I think it was very cruel of Tom to not tell Jim or anyone else that Jim was a free man. Tom risked Jim's life, Huck's life, and even his very own life just so that he could have some adventure. Tom was also planning on later...