Huckleberry Finn Argument

“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.” (Chapter 15, Huck Finn). This is one of many phrases said by either Huck Finn, or the other characters in the classic, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. For some years now there has been an argument on one word in this quote. People are fighting for the word, nigger, to be removed from Mark Twain’s book. They believe it is the teacher’s or the school’s decision to teach the original version, and there should be an alternative version so the students will still get the education of Huckleberry Finn. They also believe the word is offensive to black people, and to avoid insult the word

The debate on whether or not Twain’s book should be taught in public schools is a bit unfair to Twain. Who are we to take someone’s work and make it something we find comfortable enough for our minds? If an atheist found the presence of Jesus offensive in Leonardo da Vinci’s painting, “The Last Supper”, should Jesus be removed because every non-Christian finds him offensive to their personal beliefs? Of course not! He an important if not the most important piece of the painting, and it also is an insult to Da Vinci as an artist because he made the painting with a purpose and he wanted Jesus in the painting. Twain’s books are his art, and he wanted nigger in his books. Like the presence of Jesus, the presence of the offensive word plays a major role in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Taking the word out is disrespectful to Twain as an author. It shows we do not care about his intentions. We are removing something from one of his masterpieces. This question must be asked: If Mark Twain were here today hearing this debate, what would he say? Would he agree with Dr. Gribben? He would not because he knew it would be uncomfortable otherwise he would make another version. An art teacher shows his/her students unedited paintings of art, history teachers in America do not skip the years 1861-1865, science teachers do not skip over

Original or revised, Huck Finn will still remain a great character to follow along with, and to be involved with in his adventures, but if this story is to be taught in schools then the original read needs to be read and discussed. There is no point, then, reading this story about the culture of the nineteenth century, if the offensiveness cannot be addressed in an advanced classroom. So many other books-banned books-are read every year by students, and those books along with The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn contains some complex topics; debatable topics. In order to create capable thinkers, they need to learn how to think about the deep, uncomfortable, nitty-gritty, subjects of life. Students learn about the loss of innocence, evil, corrupt politics, death, sex, racism and much more in books like Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, Animal Farm by George Orwell, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and there are many other books which contain subjects close to these. Why should Huckleberry Finn be any different than these other gritty books? If this book is to be changed, then change them all, and raise generations of people who are naive to truth; brainwashed to the bones of stupidity. People are going to be offended. Life is like that, and it will keep happening until there is not a spot of sin in people’s lives. If someone is uncomfortable or offended, then