ipl-logo

How Should Huckleberry Finn Be Taught In Schools

503 Words3 Pages

Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn created a controversy when it was first released. Today, 125 years later it is still making news and creating even more controversy, especially within high schools all over the country. Many people believe that high school students should not read Twain’s novel. Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a novel that should still be read by all American high school students because of the history, characterization, and Twain’s remarkable growth as a writer.
History is important to students everywhere, and Huckleberry Finn is most definitely an example of history. Many people believe that the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn ruins the minds of students and that they would “go astray” because of the language, including the “n” word; what many people do not realize is that Twain was using the language that people from that day used. …show more content…

The way that Huck speaks to Jim shows exactly. “It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger; but I done it, and I warn 't ever sorry for it afterwards, neither. I didn 't do him no more mean tricks, and I wouldn 't done that one if I 'd a knowed it would make him feel that way.” Huck himself does not enjoy the fact that he has to apologize to Jim, because of the fact that he is indeed, a slave. The way that Jim talks is a way that people in the South talk. For example, Jim says, "Dah you goes, de ole true Huck; de on 'y white genlman dat ever kep ' his promise to ole Jim.” The way that Twain forms his characters are very important. Jim, being black, and Huck, white, shows that, yes there is a difference in color, but there is still a friendship that cannot be broken. Twain’s characterization in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is important to the novel; it shows much Twain grows as a

Show More
Related

  • Should Huckleberry Finn Be Taught In Schools Essay

    697 Words  | 3 Pages

    This is why I think that the old version The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should be taught in schools. To teach the youth of this day and age about history. Work Cited Twain,Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

    Read More

  • Should Huckleberry Finn Be Taught In Schools

    1011 Words  | 5 Pages

    Starting from a young age, everyone loves to go on adventures and have fun, just like Huck Finn. Growing up in St. Petersburg, Missouri, he is a white 12 year old boy and the son of a drunken father. In the beginning of the book, Huck is seen as a little innocent boy. Until he enters the world with his friend, Tom Sawyer, as they go on adventures, which creates problems and controversy through the history of the North and South, civilization, and racism and slavery. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Huck has many controversial experiences that are still a problem in today’s society, which is why we should keep teaching the book in school.

    Read More

  • Should Huck Finn Be Banned Essay

    966 Words  | 4 Pages

    According to Raziye Akkoc, a writer for The Telegraph, the American novel “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn [has been banned] because [of] its use of the N-word was not "inclusive" and made students uncomfortable.” Mark Twain’s novel Huckleberry Finn is about a young man that travels down the Mississippi river with a slave named Jim, and the many different journeys they encounter. Many people in society, however, have come across the question of whether or not the novel should be banned because of some of the vulgar language in Twain’s work. Even though it includes poor grammar and spelling, Huck Finn is a novel that establishes good morals, true friendships, and demonstrates the true historic time period.

    Read More

  • Should Huck Finn Be Allowed To Be Used In High School Literature?

    692 Words  | 3 Pages

    Should the word “nigger” be used in high school literature? That is the tough decision that many high school teachers face when try to decide whether or not to teach The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. Huck Finn uses the n word throughout the book to refer to a friend who is a slave. Even though that word can be very offensive, it is a big part of our history that high school students should be mature enough to learn about. Many students do not continue on to college after high school; therefore, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should be allowed to be taught in high school.

    Read More

  • Why Is Huck Finn Dehumanized

    417 Words  | 2 Pages

    “I never seen such a nigger.” (Twain, p.89). Huck dehumanizes Jim because of his misunderstanding of a story Huck has told. Huck has tricked Jim and humiliated him. Huck is insensitive; sometimes seeing Jim as a worthy human being, but not continuously.

    Read More

  • Why Huckleberry Finn Should Not Be Banned Essay

    1255 Words  | 6 Pages

    Many books have been censored or banned in libraries and schools across the United States because of their suggestive or inappropriate content. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, a sequel to the popular The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, is one of the books that are being illuminated as “unfit to read”. It is the story a young boy, Huck, and a black man, Jim, in the 1800s, who ran away and their journey across the Mississippi River. It is a controversial piece in a majority of the classrooms across America. In this book, the N word shows up over two hundred times (Here's Why Banning 'Huck Finn' Over The N-Word Sends The Wrong Message).

    Read More

  • Should Huckleberry Finn Be Taught In Schools

    198 Words  | 1 Pages

    Throughout history book censorship has been a widely discussed topic among educators, authors and people the general public. Many believe by censoring or banning a book is the way to go because it will avoid the uncomfortable feeling that goes along with the text. By changing the book itself the message goes away and the true meaning behind the book dissolves into a lesser value. I believe that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, should be continued to be taught in schools and classes, and that the novel itself should remain unedited.     Huckleberry Finn was written in 1883 but the setting of the book took place in the south during the 1830’s a time where slavery was still prevalent during history.

    Read More

  • Should Huck Finn Not Be Banned

    1063 Words  | 5 Pages

    Society is not always right. It is a dishonorable legacy of intolerance. It is important to discuss these topics so that the same injustices do not plague the future generations. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, despite the demeaning depictions of African Americans, the novel should not be banned from modern day high schools. It would not only be illegal to ban Huck Finn from being read by high schoolers, it would also be a disservice given the novel’s theme and historical relevance.

    Read More

  • Why Huck Finn Should Not Be Banned Essay

    828 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Racism In Mark Twain's The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn

    917 Words  | 4 Pages

    Students should learn about the value the novel provides from that time-period in which Mark Twain wrote, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Twain put the N word in the novel for a reason, to describe the time-period in which these events had occurred. Phillip Rawls writes, “‘It’s such a shame that one word should be a barrier between a marvelous reading experience and a lot of readers,’ Gribben said. Yet Twain was particular about his words.”

    Read More

  • What Does Jim Teach Huck Finn

    1059 Words  | 5 Pages

    Everybody has someone in his or her life who teaches him or her how to be a better person. Throughout the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain uses Jim, a slave, as a source of symbolism for Huck’s maturity. First, Jim teaches Huck about what it truly means to be civilized. Next, Jim shows Huck about the value of family. Lastly, Jim teaches Huck about racial inequality and how to accept people.

    Read More

  • Should Huck Finn Be Taught In Schools Essay

    746 Words  | 3 Pages

    Should Huck Finn be read and taught in schools? This question has been constantly debated since the book was published 132 years ago. According to the American Library Association, it was number 14 on the Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books list for over a decade. Mark Twain’s novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, contains language that may be considered offensive to some, but this should be overlooked because the lessons the reader learns are more important than the language it contains. By Jim’s kindness and love towards Huck, and the different characters that have impacted Huck’s life, readers can gain a deeper understanding of how racism can lead people to judge character too soon.

    Read More

  • Huckleberry Finn Should Be Banned

    1456 Words  | 6 Pages

    In 1998, McClintock High School in Tempe, Arizona assigned students to read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. The book has long been regarded as a controversial novel, and each generation that comes upon it has found something that rubs against the current societal norms. The mother of a student at McClintock took serious offense to the use of the word, “nigger” throughout the book and protested that it be banned due to the racial discrimination (Source I). Huck Finn is just one of the many pieces of literature that have been labelled “challenging,” and many feel that they do not deserve a place in schools’ curriculum. However, the study of challenging literature introduces students to new ideas and lessons that they can apply

    Read More

  • Huck Finn Racism Quotes

    1724 Words  | 7 Pages

    Essay The novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is a story about a young boy who is trying to find who he is during the civil war. In this novel by Mark Twain it speaks about this young boy, named Huck, and how his original morals are beginning to change while he helps free his friend Jim, who is a slave. Though People have argued that this book uses many racial slurs that demoralize the African American race. Though there is solid reasoning why those are not Mark Twain's true intentions.

    Read More

  • Huckleberry Finn Racism Quotes

    965 Words  | 4 Pages

    Early in their travels, Huck plays a trick on Jim when they become separated in a fog on the river; after realizing he upset Jim, Huck states “It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger,” (Twain 89). This quote reflects the white societal social beliefs held by Huck, for Huck struggles to “lower” himself to apologize to Jim because of the social norms of the time. Likewise, when arguing with Jim about King Solomon, Huck states, "I see it warn't no use wasting words--you can't learn a nigger to argue. So I quit,"(Twain 83).

    Read More

More about How Should Huckleberry Finn Be Taught In Schools

Open Document