Huckleberry Finn Research Paper

What is the deal of using the “N” word in a novel? Is it really a big deal? The novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain should not need to be changed, it should stay original with the “N” word included. The first thought when the word is used is, racist or racism, but without the use of the word then there is no real story. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a tale about Huck running away from his father and going on an incredible adventure to stay hidden from the world since the people think he is dead. He is joined by Jim as they run into each other on an island. Jim is referred by the people as “N” word. What is inaccurate, is replacing the “N” word with “slave” because Jim is no longer a slave. The original novel should not be

The goal that Twain was trying to accomplish was to have the readers feel the emotion the word leaves. The use of the “N” word is important as the book progresses. Slave is completely inaccurate, Jim is not a slave. Teachers want to get rid of the word because of how uncomfortable it can be to say the word in class. Gribben states "Teachers have told me they weren't allowed to teach the novel or didn't feel comfortable, because of the N-word," (Hallet) which shows how the “N” word can impact students and teachers. Teachers believe that the original Huckleberry Finn should be read in class and studied on because it is classic literature. An African American teacher teaches his students about The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn regardless, even if the “N” word is used multiple times. David Bradly from 60 minutes states, “you cannot use another word for nigger it would ruin the story, Twain used it in order for the community to understand how life was for African Americans.” “It is not Huckleberry Finn if you remove “Nigger.” “Nigger is what made slavery possible.” (Bradley). The main purpose for the use of “Nigger” is to have it grab the reader’s attention, have them understand what is going on in the book. Huckleberry Finn cannot be altered because of how wrong the book would be because of how Jim is not a slave. Jim, who was enslaved by Widow Douglas, ran away because she was going to

Southerners did not care whether the African Americans were being torn from limb to limb or get beat to death. Slaves are what most African Americans were and the slave owners only cared about the work they did, not their health conditions. Twain put the word “Nigger” to have Southerners feel the guilt they should have when treating a slave or African American so cruel. “How the “N” word is used or the way it is used is what makes it horrible” “Slave is a condition not a way of life” (Bradley) which illustrates how the novel is used to denigrate Southerners for the behavior they had towards African Americans. "An accurate rendition of nineteenth-century American linguistic conventions denies what every black person knows: far more than a synonym for slave, 'nigger' signifies a concept (and) conjures centuries of specifically black degradation and humiliation...." demonstrating how it made African Americans feel (Smith). Slaves are people who are treated cruelly because of their skin color. African Americans have the right to rebel, they have the constitutional rights, they are people. The “N” word is used in the book to keep the reader’s attention, it shows how cruel Southerners in general are. They constantly use the “N” word to describe African Americans. The way it is used in the book is as if the