The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain was one of the first realistic books written in the 19th century. The story tells of a friendship between a lowly white teenager and an African American man on their trip up the Mississippi River. The book was meant as a symbol against racism, but it is frequently banned in schools and libraries for its use of racially offensive material. The censorship of the book was always an highly controversial topic. For a special learning environment such as a school, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should definitely be banned from its curriculum. The amount of racial material used is offensive to African American students, causing misunderstanding among the students. Even though the purpose of the novel was …show more content…
Negroes do not like it in any book or play whatsoever, be the book or play ever so sympathetic in its treatment of the basic problems of the race.” If true, how is Huckleberry Finn an exception? There are many accounts and complaints of white students acquiring foul racist behavior within Huckleberry Finn. One is the case of students racially abusing an African American child’s father after they have learned the novel. “...his father says, was verbally and physically abused by his white classmates after they have all read Huckleberry Finn in class.” - Nat Hentoff, Village Voice. To make the situation worse, these cases happen more than often. PBS once reported at the that “White students would nervously ‘snicker’ or ‘turn around and stare’ at the handful of African American students when the word was read aloud.” The novel provides the young white students with racial slurs, at the same time implies to them the language is okay to use. Children nowadays grow up in Hip Pop culture where the “N” word is highly prevalent. They may understand that the word is not good to use, however
This book is the best way to show that not all black people are thugs and that not all white people are rednecks. That is why I think that this book should be taught in schools and that at the very minimum that they teach the clean version. Preferably I would teach the old version to teach that racism is not born but picked up. The best way to end it is to start them out by saying that these words are bad and that you should not use these words outside of the book.
The appropriateness of Huck Finn being used in a High School curriculum has been a widely debated topic since the time that it was published. Many believe that the book promotes racism and stereotypes and provides no value to students in the classroom. Being a High School student that has read this book, I strongly disagree with these negative views. Some might say that Huck Finn celebrates racist stereotypes because of the way that many of the characters in the book talk about and treat black people. For example, minstrel episodes, which served the purpose of making the audience laugh at minorities’ expense, and the frequent use of the ‘N’ word, are very offensive to many people today.
He ain’t no slave; he’s as free as any cretur that walks this earth!’” (Twain 334). Becoming a freeman was the goal of almost every slave, most of the human rights that they were denied were now given to them. By censoring the word “nigger” they are not changing all the difficulties that the african americans had to face in the 18 and 1900’s. History cannot not be changed but it can be learning
It should be taught so people understand the horrible things black people experienced and that it should never happen again. In conclusion this is a very beautiful story of a strong bond between Huck, a young white boy, and Jim, an older black slave. There are many other characters that tie into their adventures but it’s special to read and see how their friendship strengthens through the hardships and trials they face. Huck and Jim both have kind hearts and a concern for other people as well as loyalty to each other. With that said, this is why I believe The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a true
The reading requirement of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is not worth the discomfort of students and teachers due to racism and sensitive topics. Twain’s novel, while possibly bringing light to the hostile nature of racism through his satire, does not leave stereotypes out at all. He consistently exaggerates black characters. Even though that is typical in satire, it is wholly uncomfortable for everyone involved in reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should not be a banned book due to the fact that it is truthful, essential, and realistic. Mark Twain wrote nothing but the truth in this book. He
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is one of the most famous pieces of American literature in existence. However, it is also one of the most commonly banned books in schools, due to its supposedly inappropriate way it portrays racism. Despite these qualms, it is a beloved classic. Twain’s novel is one of the most legendary examples of “showing versus telling” as he deals with racism, which is what results in the controversy surrounding the work. Twain was writing in a time full of racism, and controversy surrounding the institution.
The story of Huckleberry Finn is one of slavery, adventure, and racism. It tells the story of Huck Finn and his companion, the escaped slave, Jim. On a homemade raft they escape their town downriver in search of the money to pay to free Jim's family, and any sort of adventure for Huckleberry Finn. This book combats slavery and shows through Huck Finn's own experience that people can change from their preconcieved notions about others, and combat their views on slavery. It acknowledges all of the stereotypes Americans had at the time, and showcases a time in American history that many would rather look away from.
American literature has always been a form of entertainment and education. When slaves were introduced as characters in books, they were always negative, stereotypical characters, but not until 1883 when Mark Twain wrote The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was a change made. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a book about a southern white boy in the 1800’s that runs away with an escaped slave on the Mississippi River. For years, schools have been debating on if the book should be banned in schools or not, and it is already on a variety of banned lists. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should not be banned in schools because it is an anti-slavery novel that teaches students valuable lessons and informs students of the past culture.
“The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain is a “satirical novel… that accurately portrays a time in history – the nineteenth century – and one of its evils, slavery”, according to the NAACP (their current position on Huck Finn). The nineteenth century was by no means an easy time to live through, even more so for non-whites. It was a cruel, harsh, and dark time for many people; the environment and living conditions alone are almost completely unimaginable for the children in our world today learning of these times, so how does any school, teacher, or parent plan to teach their children of the most inhumane, demeaning, and evil act of slavery? In order for our generation and for generations to come to be able to understand our own history
Rosa Parks once said, “Racism is still with us. But it is up to us to prepare our children for what they have to meet, and, hopefully, we shall overcome.” She describes that the future of our world has to be aware of things that have happened in the past, such as racism. The NAACP, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, is a civil rights organization that displayed their position on this certain situation. The NAACP position is correct in that Mark Twain’s un-sanitized version of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should be taught because the book describes the important awareness of the historical oppression of people, it provides a value of morality from that time period that students should learn, and gives an important lesson about race that should be taught to students.
In Of Mice of Men by John Steinbeck was banned because of the use of the word God in a profane way, objectification of the black characters, and the portrayal of prostitution throughout the book. Steinbeck wanted to illustrate how people talked and acted towards black people and the portrayal of prostitution with everyone being short on money they would do whatever it takes to get a paycheck. From my experience from reading Of mice and men, I didn't think anything was wrong with the book at all I thought it was a great book. Giving I was in 11th grade when I read the book but still if I had a kid and they had to read this book I would be happy due to the good life lessons they use in the book. Now I'm not saying a support dropping the n-word
Actions of the judge early in the novel blatantly show prominent hypocrisy. Huck’s father is an uneducated alcoholic, who abuses his son frequently. Pap does not appear in Huck’s life again until he discovers news of Huck’s newfound fortune, exhibiting the irony of only showing up in his child’s life when the kid has something he wants, which is the reverse ideal of a father. “‘That’s why I come. You git me that money to-morrow - I want it,’” (30) explains patently that he is an inadequate father, from his poor morals.
Toni Morrison effectively analyzed The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, covering different perspectives and ways to interpret the novel that displays a higher level understanding of a “challenging” text. Good writing and analysis skills are crucial for a variety of different tasks students will have to perform beyond school. Additionally, challenging literature offers a great opportunity for students to learn about censorship. As many books read in schools today are being censored, any opportunity for students to directly learn more about the issue is beneficial. In the article “Schools Can’t Ban Books Because of Complaints, Court Says,” Mark Walsh addresses a woman who wishes to discard of controversial works, such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, that provoke racial harassment in the school system (Source B).