Why Huckleberry Finn Should Be Banned

During Mark Twain’s time it was much different, that was what they called black people. It was written in a dialect natural to Twain’s era, he could not have known that in the future the word would not be politically correct. Some have argued that high-school students are not mature enough to understand the novel’s racial

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

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.

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

One popular book that has been challenged for banning is The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. This novel is about a runaway boy and his slave on their quest to the North for freedom. They face many obstacles and even though they never make it to the North, Jim is set free anyway. Although some people think that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should be banned in schools, it should not be banned because the novel is classic literature that people can easily get their hands on, it shows what life was like for African Americans while slavery was still permitted, and the book teaches valuable life lessons. There is no point in banning The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn because it can be easily acquired by kids since it is a classic novel.

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.

Noa Gutfreund Mrs. Noel English 10 27 December 2022 The Controversy of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain’s historical novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a significant, yet controversial piece of literature. Many scholars have argued over the value of this narrative. There is a lot of debate regarding racism in the book. Because of this, some people think the novel should be outlawed or disagree with it being taught in schools while others argue that despite the racism in the novel, this work has a tremendous amount of literary merit and should be taught.

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.

For the reason that the n-word appears 219 times in the novel, many schools have decided to ban the book in their classrooms. Cautiously questioning students whether or not the novel arouses an “uncomfortable” (Coeyman) feeling, teachers debate on teaching The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Multiple teachers feel that their inter-racial classes may include students who feel offended by the n-word. Various schools have considered the novel to be “...too racially offensive…”(Coeyman). For instance, school districts in Virginia have banned the book after a mother complained about how her son was disturbed by the “‘...racial slurs in there and offensive wording that you can’t get past…’”(Balingit).

“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

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

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).

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.

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.