A coming-of-age-novel about slavery and racism, hypocrisy in society and freedom set along the Mississippi River: a white outsider and an African American slave emancipate themselves in pursuit of the American Dream. Tying in with the prequel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, who once was a homeless boy, now leads a civilised life at Widow Douglas’ home. When his alcoholic father claims his legal right for custody, he imprisons Huck in a cabin and beats him up regularly. Huck flees and travels down the river to an island where he finds the slave Jim who escaped from his owner after overhearing that she planned to sell him. A journey and a new friendship begin, leading the two down the Mississippi River and to moral challenges and difficult human encounters, always hoping to find the greatest good of all: freedom…

The novel is criticised for being racist as the narrator refers to Jim as “Nigger” – also, a lot of colloquial coarse and stereotypes are used. Therefore, it is a highly controversial novel that offers many possibilities for talking about topics such as identity, racism and the American Dream.

Novel · Canada/United Kingdom/United States · 1884