Why Is Huck Finn Be Taught In Today's School

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.

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.

Huck Finn is an original story of a boy in racist America who spends enough time with a slave to realize that they are extremely similar to white people. “...he was low and homesick; because he hadn’t ever been away from home before in his life; and I do believe he cared just as much for his people as white folks does for their’n”(Twain 158). Through small things like seeing him cry over his own family he doesn’t understand why all blacks are slaves even though they act and feel the same way as whites. There is a development in his mind of black people that is slowly disregarding what society thinks.

It is through Jim that Huck learns about morals and how to distinguish right from wrong. When Huck plays the prank on Jim in chapter 15, Jim gets upset and scorns him. Jim is mad at Huck for his unthoughtful action and tells him “ All you wuz thinkin’ ‘bout wuz how you could make a fool uv ol Jim wid a lie.” Jims words teach Huck a lesson and makes him realize that people have feelings and that he should not play with them. Jim and Huck’s fatherly bond is what allows Huck’s morals to grow.

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.

A single word, used 219 times throughout Mark Twain’s novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, causes a world of controversy surrounding this classic piece of literature (“Leave”). The use of the N-Word throughout the novel makes some people feel uncomfortable as they read and discuss the book; however, others argue that the book provides a valuable learning opportunity that gives students a refreshing perspective on racism throughout American history. Such controversy between Huck Finn’s great teaching powers, yet uncomfortable diction, proposes an everlasting question: should public schools teach The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn? Many people feel uncomfortable with the teaching of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in public schools due

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.

Huck decides to act on his morals rather than be held captive by society; Huck believes that he has to act in the best interest of Jim and does not consider what society believes is acceptable behavior. By stating that he will “go to hell,” Huck reiterates what he promises Jim in the beginning- that he rather be a “low down abolitionist”; these statements combined supports his feelings to protect Jim from society. When Huck and Tom get back to the house, Huck states, “...it don’t make no difference whether you do right or wrong, a person’s conscience ain’t got no

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.

Huck’s boyish innocenceis still pure and Huck still compromises the meanings of good and evil, and he resists all the customs and laws of the day that blur the distinction between human and inhuman, natural and unnatural, and moral and immoral. As wise as a serpent but as gentle as a dove, Huck is never fooled by all the sham and pretense that surrounds him always being the moral pure hearted soul that he really

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.”

This transition is the result of the extended period of time that the two spend together, which allows Huck to look past the differences that he has been taught to observe for his entire life and view Jim for what he is; a fellow man. By the end of this passage, Huck’s resolve to do right by Jim is so strong that he is willing to suffer eternal damnation rather than betray Jim. Perhaps Huck’s most important statement in this passage is “Alright then, I’ll go to hell”; here he decides he’s willing to go to hell for eternity rather than causing Jim to return to his life as a slave. At first Huck just thought of Jim the property of another person, a good to be bought and sold regardless of any evidence that he was a human being. As they travel together, this viewpoint is gradually weakened by examples of Jim’s humanity, culminating in a model shift that goes against everything Huck has been taught about the societal status of a

Although there are numerous instances where Huck’s moral growth can be seen, the individuals around such as Jim, will influence his moral growth greatly. Jim, a runaway slave, is the most influential individual when it comes to Huck’s moral development. During the beginning of the novel, Huck’s morals are primarily based on what he has learned from Miss Watson. Huck begins to become wary of such ideals that Miss Watson has imposed on him, and decided all he wanted “…was a change” (Twain 10).

Morality is defined as the principles for which people treat one another, respect for justice, and the welfare and rights of others. Moral development is gained from major experiences that can change viewpoints on life or cause people to make a difficult choice in a tough situation. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, one of Mark Twain’s major themes evident in the book is the moral development of Huck FInn, the main character. In the beginning of the book, Huck’s lack of morals and uncultured personality is a product of living with his abusive, demoralized father.

It is the common flaw of Huck’s companions, role models, and even of him to condone slavery. Many people attempt to civilize Huck by teaching social rules and stable beliefs, but nothing is more uncivilized than the act of owning and dehumanizing another human being. It is the shameless and institutionalized hypocrisy that shapes the moral critique of this novel. Racism in America is an ongoing struggle that has manifested itself differently throughout each generation, and although the existence of racism is no longer legislative, oppression of African Americans remains a relevant issue, and thus The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’s analysis of racism remains relevant as well. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been read by everyone from the casual reader to the impassioned intellectual over the last 130 years.