Cultural Inspiration

Sometimes inspiration can come when a person least expects it. It can come through a dream or after a failed attempt. Artists, authors, and people in general need some inspiration to create something. Twain's inspiration for his character Huck was Jimmy, who "was himself so interested in his small marvels, and they flowed so naturally and comfortably from his lips" (A Scholar Finds Huck Finn's Voice in Twain's Writing About a Black Youth). Twain's character differs little from this description as he is portrayed as adventurous and naughty. It is not peculiar that Huck resembles Jimmy in many aspects, since probably Twain's inspiration of Huck came from Jimmy.

The story will not be changed regardless of the fact that Huck could have been black. Besides, many cultural aspects of other ethnical groups contribute to our culture and society. As said by Henry Louis Gates: "The significance is that it reveals that even for creators of high American culture, such as Mark Twain, black vernacular culture held a tremendous fascination and contained a wealth of artistic potential to be mined". Different ethnic groups and their culture make up a part of society. In this case Twain was marveled by what this culture could provide to his book and its characters, making them a source of inspiration for his book. Jim's cultural beliefs about bad luck make up a big part of the book. How could the book have changed if Twain hadn't borrowed this part about the beliefs of bad luck from that specific culture?