Mark Twain Racist Or Realist

It would’ve been unethical and unbecoming for Twain to make his characters talk more eloquent than they should have just for the sake of promoting the idea that blacks were intelligent. The Offensive Stranger, arguing with the Dervish, prophesies that from every impulse, whether good or evil, flows two streams; the one carried health, the other poison (Budd, Tales 547). He continued with wherever one finds an Indian tribe he has only found Goshoots more or less modified by circumstances and surroundings (Hill 168-9). Does the Race of Man Love a Lord? discusses how all of humanity are alike in many respects. Our modern concerns of public apathy was alive and well in 1901. Concerning the Jews is a long work defending the Jews and together with Newhouse’s Jew Story and Randall’s Jew Story there seems to have been a concerted effort on Twain’s part to actively combat anti-Semitism (Tuckley 279-89). Do we dub these people as masochists? The minstrel blackface musicals consisted of mainly slapstick humor and standard jokes that are the precursor to today’s standup comedy. Conclusion I believe that one must look at a wide selection of writing to even scratch the surface of Mark Twain’s thoughts. I wish Twain had written a letter about what the policy should be toward the Natives, Chinese, or former slaves but his work insinuates that it would be similar in content to Concerning the Jews. Shaw can no more dispense with the free will than Mark Twain can confidently use it (Budd 70). Twain did mention in his autobiography that, if I could have the nigger show back again in its pristine quality and perfection that I should have but little further use for the opera (Neider 59, Wonham 30). He began like this: Fellow thieves and robbers! and when the roars of astonished laughter subsided, he continued, I take it that this audience consists of English people and Americans, so I commence my remarks, fellow thieves and robbers - the Americans in the Philippines and the English in South Africa. I don’t remember what name I called him (Neider 7). If you read Twain’s commentary on other races you will realize that without a few jokes at their expense the Indians would be left out and might be seen as superior to the other races. Although this type of speech was in vogue within the ‘eastern literary establishment’ of that time Twain’s adoption of their terminology is unsuitable for contemporary dialog.