The announcement of a new, censored, version of Mark Twain’s classic, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn sparked controversy across the United States regarding which version provides the better educational experience. Even though the revised publication may be more politically correct in the present day, it dampens the milieu of the story. Additionally, the argument for censorship in the novel is weak considering the social discomfort created from word ‘nigger’ can be used to form an educational lesson or discussion. The original edition of the novel provides would be a better a inclusion to an educational curriculum because it includes improved syntax when compared to Alan Gribben’s publication.
After reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn I could not understand people 's argument on banning this story that had gone way past it 's time showing the friendship between a black man and a white boy, which was almost unimaginable at the time in many people 's minds, and exposing the worst parts of humanity, showing that we don 't live in a picture-perfect world. While doing some research, however, I had found that most arguments against letting Huck Finn were because of the conspicuous and repetitive use of the n-word, as well as the extreme racial theme that is played out throughout the course of the novel. It all made sense to me then. As always America is again trying to cover up their insightful, but very real history, in hopes that it will be forgotten so that they can go on to be recognized as the
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, why this book written by Mark Twain should be on the banned books list in schools and why it is too mature for it’s students. This book is full of situations that honesty students are not able to handle, leaving inappropriate impressions about racism and how to treat people and is going to cause teenagers and young adults to repeat the language and personalities seen in this, to other groups of this century that are fitting now
Throughout history, writers have challenged society through the use of controversial art. From author Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451 touches on the suppression of literature by the government and the power of language. Due to the harsh realities present in the book, many schools and individuals believe it should be banned. However, Fahrenheit 451 is necessary in schools curriculums because it reveals the power of language to the reader, which drastically outweighs the dilute possible negative influences.
One of the key principles that make the country great is our freedom to say, write, and read whatever we want. Despite this, countless public figures and schools have chosen to restrict access to certain books, whether it’s in order to protect political correctness or explicit sexual content and violence. Rarely do these people stop and consider the dire effects book banning might have on both students and society as a whole. An author does not write because they are looking to offend someone, they right because they have a story to share. The First Amendment of the Constitution not only works to protect this right to the fullest extent possible, but also serves to protect the rights of the people that choose to be offended by these stories.
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.
With the novel being told in the first person point of view of Huck, we get a first hand experience of the prejudices then. We are able to see just how stereotypical and racist white people were in the past. A majority of the people in the south viewed blacks as inferior, or below them in social ranking. They ordered around their slaves and treated them with little respect at times. Although The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn can make students feel “uncomfortable," it is beneficial for students to read it. George Santayana once said, “Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.” Without knowing the mistakes of the past, how can we avoid them in the future? Society needs to be held accountable for its faults so that we do not fall into the same traps of racism and prejudice. When students feel uncomfortable while reading the novel they will realise, with guidance, why what was being done was so wrong. In the video, the man said “Mark Twain used specific language purposely, he did not want his words changed.” Current day music and social media has terrible language and the book is no
Books are an essential way to gain knowledge whether they are controversial or not. Thousands of books have been banned from public libraries and schools due to being deemed ‘inappropriate’ by parents, administrators, or religious leaders. Whether Americans should ban books in public libraries and schools is an often debated topic. This censorship of books is dangerous, as it restricts the American people's’ ability to access information, leaving Americans ignorant.
Different types of literature open new doors through which students’ can explore the unknown and expand their knowledge of controversial topics. The great examples found in literature have been the subject of much debate, as school boards wrestle with whether children should be allowed to read such difficult, harsh topics, as said in the article “How Banning Books Marginalizes Children” (Source F). There are so many brilliant works of literature spanning a wide variety of genres and topics, and a single school board should not determine what students learn. No one is proposing that second graders read The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, but rather that we intentionally choose literature that will expand, rather than limit, children’s options and minds. Not only do these great works lay the groundwork for our future generation, but they also serve to diversify students’ writing and analysis skills. 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). She wishes to withhold this information from students merely to protect the painful feelings evoked from reading such disputed topics. Censorship is an incredibly
Every child deserves a proper education. Banned books are depriving students of a well rounded, culturally aware, literary education because of the culture that is discarded, the history that is being withheld, and the education that young people could get through these banned books. The point of history is to learn from it and learn from others mistakes, but how can we do that if we are not allowed to learn it. As teachers shouldn’t you be teaching us how to make judgment calls like understanding that Mark Twain was a racist, but a man of his time and that doesn’t change him being an amazing writer. We cannot learn things such as that if we cannot even read most of Mark Twain’s books. In the 1930’s the Nazi’s burned any and every book or paper
Recently, several English teachers have decided to teach a certain book to their classes that contains questionable material normally not allowed in schools, including poor language, sexuality, and violence. They claim that the book has many redeeming qualities about it, and also is a great tool for teaching students reading and analytical skills. In my opinion, teachers should be permitted to teach these questionable book to their students. If an author's work was to be tampered with I feel as if many books will lose their value and or the meaning the author was trying to convey. Many of these “banned books” were written based on the time period it was wrote about.Banned books also can teach us history,social skills, vocabulary , and a new way of thinking. Many of these”banned books” are classics in history”.
Of Mice and Men should not be ban from young adults and libraries. The literature classic promotes good life lessons for students to learn from such as friendship and motivation. Simply banning the book would contradict the right of free press under the first amendment of the constitutions. The book also provides a considerable amount of historical context. Even though the book contains a tremendous amount of racism , sexism , and vulgar language , in today’s media , we are exposed to a similar content.
Ever since Mark Twain published Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in 1885, it has been one of the most banned books in America. Not only one, but many different people/groups have banned Mark Twain’s classic due to the consistent theme of race. The book is considered inappropriate because of how Mark Twain regards African Americans and Indigenous people. Historically, it is off of many school bookshelves because many may argue that the book even promotes racism. One month after the book’s debut in 1885, a library in Concord, MA stated that Twain’s novel was "trash and suitable only for the slums". This caused controversy mainly because racial issues were a hot topic in the 1880’s. Many other libraries throughout the state of Massachusetts and
"To Kill A Mockingbird, The Catcher and The Rye, Animal Farm, and, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn; all wonderful American classic novels, unfortunately at one point in time all of these books have been banned (Banned Books That Shaped America 1) . These well-known books, as well as many others have been very important and vital to the education of both children and adults all around our country. Many of the books on the list were banned because of reasons such as racial issues, religious issues and even sexual references. Strong real world themes and important moral values can be learned through the reading of these books and banning them is taking away people’s rights to learn and farther educate themselves. There are
In the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the reader gauges morality through the misadventures of Huck and Jim. Notably, Huck morally matures as his perspective on society evolves into a spectrum of right and wrong. Though he is still a child, his growth yields the previous notions of immaturity and innocence. Likewise, Mark Twain emphasizes compelling matters and issues in society, such as religion, racism, and greed. During the span of Huck’s journey, he evolves morally and ethically through his critique of societal normalities.