The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn presents different views to harsh topics such as racism and slavery. These ideas were very common and accepted during the pre-civil war South. Mark Twain used this simple adventure story to reveal the grotesque and cruelness of slavery to these ignorant people.
During their first adventures on the river Jim begins to reveal to Huck his dreams of becoming free of slavery. Jim says that when he is free he will save up enough money to buy his wife and then hire an abolitionist to steal his children. These thoughts were not accepted at this time by the South. They believed that it was wrong for a slave to steal his own children from a slave-owner. When Huck hears Jim say this he thinks to himself "I was sorry to hear Jim say that, it was such a lowering of him." Huck's innocence (as a child) does not let him see past what he has been taught about slaves during his childhood. Jim's views on slavery open up a completely different perspective to Huck that he was unaware of. It is very hard to believe that Southerners grew up feeling this sense of superiority over the black slaves.
Most Southerners at this time lived also believed like Huck that slavery was acceptable. For example when Aunt Sally asks "Tom" if anyone was hurt, Tom tells her that only a Negro died and she says "Well, it's lucky because sometimes people do get hurt." This quote shows Aunt Sally's complete ignorance to the fact that slaves are just as equal to any other human being. Aunt Sally is oblivious in that Nige*s are just as human as everyone else. Mrs. Watson, Jim's owner also takes part in cruel acts towards slaves. She plans to sell Jim to another plantation owner for 800$ before he decides to escape. Mrs. Watson is willing to sell Jim as if he were a piece of property not a human being. She also tries to do the impossible task of putting a value on his life when she decides that he is worth only 800$.