Critics felt that Twain's use of dialect for Jim, writing out sounds rather than words, portrays Jim as a stupid character. ... He opens by saying "You don't know about me without you have read a book by the name of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer; but that ain't no matter."" ... Critics need to remember that the story takes place in a pre-civil war society, when slavery was still legal and morally acceptable. ... His intentions were not to offend a community of intolerant critics. ...

• Word Count: 1318
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School