Greetings, I am a student who has been following the Forum for some time. I enjoy it very much and have the greatest respect for the scholars who contribute. I have never before myself made a contribution. But I have come across something I believe may be of interest. I am currently studying on exchange in Passau Germany. In conversation with numerous Germans and also many exchange students from other EU countries I have noticed a rather interesting phenomenon. I have found that the controversy concerning Clemen's Huck Finn and its racist/nonracist themes is almost nonexistant. Most of the students I have talked to and some professors view it rather as a very grown up children's story. They see the story's portrayal of blacks as still largely caricatured but much more positive than other literature of the time. They see the text's social criticisms as very relevant and very advanced for their time. I have come to the conclusion that this is largely due to their not being as sensitive to the word "nigger" as most americans are. Their reading of thestory could almost be called more objective than an American's because of the disarming of this emotional charge. And their verdict of it seems to me to me to stab closer at the truth than the highly controversy oriented literary criticisms I have read otherwise. I can see the many relevant arguments that can be brought to bear against this conclusion. Such as the fact that since Clemen's was an American we must read the story in context. To this I repeat the much uttered fact that we must read it in context time-wise as well as geographically, and "Nigger" was the going term at the time. Then one might object that my sources are students and other people not aquainted with the complexities of this text. I can simply say: Isn't that whom the story was meant for? Thank you for letting me take part. Walter Siewert