Why does it matter?

The part I do not understand about the fact that Huck Finn's speech may be "modeled on black speakers" is its importance. If Mark Twain imagined Huck as a "poor white boy," then I think Huck was supposed to be white. If only Huck's speech is modeled after that of a black person, then I do not really see what the issue is. Huck grew up around slaves, and so their presence probably would have influenced his speech in Mark Twain's eyes. I can easily accept that Twain modeled Huck's speech after Jimmy. I think Twain could have placed parts of Jimmy's personality in Huck. Huck always has something to say and he is captivated by "small marvels" that some would consider "not worth remembering." This allows Huck to have the same effect on the reader that Jimmy had on Twain. Huck can make a great adventure out of nothing, like rescuing a slave who is already free.

However, I do not think Twain's use of Jimmy in Huck had anything to do with the fact that Jimmy was black. I think it was because Jimmy was an interesting kid whose personality could help make a great story. Even if Huck's speech is modeled after a black person's, I disagree that we would have to "rethink who Huckleberry Finn is." He is a white kid who goes against society's ideas because he realizes for himself how kind and how good of a friend Jim is. How would having black speech change that? I was certainly surprised to read that any part of Huck was modeled after a black person, but finding it out really does not change the way I see Huck. If Huck was black my feelings would be completely different, but even Professor Fishkin "was not arguing that Twain envisioned Huck as a black child."