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. John Evans