ipl-logo

Why Huckleberry Finn Should Be Banned

487 Words2 Pages

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is one of the most controversial and banned books in American public education. Why do you suppose that is? Is it okay for any school board to remove it from its school libraries or prohibit students from studying the novel in class? Why or why not? The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is often considered controversial and banned in American public education because of its use of racial slurs and its depiction of racism and slavery in the pre-Civil War South. Some argue that the book is racist, offensive and that it should be removed from school libraries and not read in classrooms. Others argue that the book is an important piece of literature that provides valuable insight into the time period that it takes place in, the issues of race and slavery, and that it should be taught and studied as part of a broader understanding of American history and literature. …show more content…

Explain why. Include at least one quote from the novel. In Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," the dishonesty and lack of conscience displayed by the king and the duke could be seen as more morally reprehensible than the gullibility and ignorance of their victims. The king and the duke actively seek to deceive and exploit others for their own gain, while their victims are simply taken in by their lies and deception. One quote that illustrates this is when the king says, "I see it warn't no use wasting words - you can't learn a nigger to argue. So I quit." (Chapter 18) This quote shows the king's disdain for the people he is conning, and his belief that they are not worth the effort of convincing. However, it's important to remember that the novel is a commentary on the society of the time and the author's critique of human nature, and not just about the actions of these characters

Show More
Related

  • 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 Should Huckleberry Finn Not Be Banned

    815 Words  | 4 Pages

    Censoring the N-word in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a terrible idea with many consequences. Changing Nigger to slave only makes it more comfortable for people who can’t face the idea of past slavery. It also obscures view of what Mark Twain was wanting to. Changing the N-word completely disproves his idea of staying true to others dialects. The N-word should not be censored in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn because it changes the connotation of the entire book.

    Read More

  • Should Huck Finn Be Taught In Schools

    947 Words  | 4 Pages

    "I believe that Huckleberry Finn is one of the great masterpieces of the world..." a quote from H. L. Mencken. Many people believe Huckleberry Finn should be taught in schools, but then on the other hand many believe it shouldn’t for its vulgar language. A handful of people are offended by this book, they complain and say it’s not appropriate for high school students (Powell, Fight over Huck Finn). When the students have heard more explicit language than what is used in the book. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a wonderful tool for education because it shows many life lessons through the characters of Jim the slave, the Duke and the Dauphin, and Miss Watson and Widow Douglas.

    Read More

  • Explain Why Huck Finn Should Not Be Banned In Schools

    292 Words  | 2 Pages

    Whether or not Huck Finn should be taught in schools has been hotly debated over for years. Many say that the book should be banned from schools because of the racial comments in the book; people claim that it could scar the youth, but instead teaches them morals on racism and empathy. Huck Finn should not be banned in secondary schools. The book uses the “n-word,” A LOT, and today using that word is offensive to many people.

    Read More

  • Why Should Huckleberry Finn Not Be Banned

    1906 Words  | 8 Pages

    Racism takes a massive toll on the book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The book Huckleberry Finn teaches us different lessons on how black people were treated and how racism was/is a big part of the world. Mark Twain published his novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn on December 10, 1884, and was pronounced a banned book in 1885 because it was said to be “‘trash’ and ‘only suitable for the slums’”(American). In my opinion, Huckleberry Finn should not be a banned book in high schools since it teaches us valuable lessons about what blacks' lives were like and how they were treated differently than any other person. In this analysis, I’m going to be talking about how Huckleberry Finn matured throughout the story and how I think that

    Read More

  • Should Huck Finn Stay In Schools Research Paper

    1253 Words  | 6 Pages

    Huckleberry Finn Needs To Stay In Schools Did you know that Mark Twain’s The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn is one of the most challenged books in history. In fact, it was banned within the first year of its release. Recently, schools have been banning the book and removing it from the curriculum due to the racial slurs within it and its offensive nature towards students.

    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

  • Why Should Huckleberry Finn Not Be Banned

    1464 Words  | 6 Pages

    I believe that it should not. While personally I greatly appreciate classic literature and I believe that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should not be banned, I believe that this book should not be taught in every school. Its writing, storytelling, morals, and messages are far outdated. It was perfect for its time and intended audience, but that time has long since passed and its audience has long been dead and buried. It has served its purpose.

    Read More

  • Why Huck Finn Should Not Be Banned Research Paper

    1284 Words  | 6 Pages

    eople say the book Huckleberry Finn is racist and makes fun of religion, but it is a classic that teaches children about so many things like southern beliefs, morals, and truth about slavery. During the 1800’s slavery was a huge part of the south. Huck is just a regular southern boy who chose to help a slave run away to be free. This journey ended up taking the Huck and Jim deeper into the south than they intended, Huck had to make many difficult decisions along the way. Mark Twain’s book Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should not be banned from the school curriculum.

    Read More

  • Huckleberry Finn Should Be Banned

    1456 Words  | 6 Pages

    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).

    Read More

  • Should To Kill A Mockingbird Be Banned In Schools

    731 Words  | 3 Pages

    The book was challenged by a middle school in Brentwood, Tennessee in 2006 because the book contains “profanity” and “contains adult themes such as rape and incest.” The complaints also say that the book promotes “racial hatred, racial division, racial separation, and promotes white supremacy.” The people that say that are people that are trying to ‘protect’ other people from knowing and understanding what happened in the past because they believe that if they do know and understand what happened in the past then they will become racist and believe in white supremacy. These kinds of people are like the Holocaust deniers who believe that six million Jews where not murdered despite all of the evidence against that. George Santayana once said “Those who cannot remember the past are bound to repeat it.”

    Read More

  • Should Huckleberry Finn Be Banned In The Great Gatsby

    734 Words  | 3 Pages

    If one reads the novel, he or she would see that the relationship between Huck and Jim speaks louder than an inappropriate word. Therefore, by banning this novel and countless others like it, schools are depriving students of learning about history, and reading about what life, and literature, was like in times before their own. This shows that novels shouldn’t be banned from public high schools because some novels that are considered unsuitable for teenagers to read contain information about

    Read More

  • What Is Jim's Role In Huckleberry Finn

    238 Words  | 1 Pages

    Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn remains one of America’s most controversial novels. It is simultaneously on many banned books list while also celebrated as the quintessential American novel. Huckleberry Finn was written to be a satire of 1800s society and also contained an anti-racist message. Jim is, in fact, the most honorable and noble character in the story, something dismissed by critics in complaints of language.

    Read More

More about Why Huckleberry Finn Should Be Banned

Open Document