> In HF, Twain uses Huck as the narrator. The use of the 'N' word is
> part of Huck's background, vocabulary, and education or lack thereof.
> It is part of his character. I think a more accurate indication of
> Twain's feel for the word (at least in the 1870s or so)can be seen in
> _Tom Sawyer_. Twain, as the narrator, never uses it, referring to the
> slave children of St. Petersburg as "Negro boys and girls." The
> kindly Welshman, who appears to be better educated than most in town,
> uses the term "my Negro men." Injun Joe, Huck Finn, and Tom are the
> only characters who use the "n" word. It appears that an argument
> could be made that Twain was aware of the derogatory nature of the
> term and was using it to create characters of low education or social
> standing

Nicely put, and exactly why I said that the use of the word in HF and
Twain's non-literary uses of the word in his letters and elsewhere, both
early and late in life, are separate issues, with implications that have
been written about at length elsewhere.
Has anyone, by the way, traced his use of the word in each of his works and
all of his letters and notebooks? Examining how he used the word in his
writings (as narrator or putting into a character's mouth) and how he used
it in privatehimself might yield worthwhile insights.

I would also take issue with Mr Fears claim that Twain was racially way
ahead of his time. A casual examination of racial attitudes among other
progressive political and social figures of the day would place Twain among
the most progressive people of his day, but not way out ahead of them, and
frequently quite paternalistic. This is not an indictment of Twain as
"racist" by any means, but rather an observation that his racial attitudes
are far too often "oversold." I seem to recall an article on this very topic
in recent years, but somebody else will have to refresh my memory with a
specific citation.

Kevin Mac Donnell
Austin TX