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Literary Classics Is Still Relevant Today

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Literary classics are a major aspect of society today. They help us reflect on the past, they stimulate our minds, and they inspire us to change. What is so unique about a literary classic compared to its contemporaries? The answer is simple: it conveys strong messages that are still relevant in today’s society. An emerging issue regarding literary classics is that some of them have material offensive to certain individuals. Some people argue that offensive material found in classics should be removed and edited. While this may solve the issue pertaining offensive material, it causes a major problem. The messages and themes the classics portray can be skewered and manipulated. Offensive material should not be removed from literary classics because they illustrate the message the author wishes to convey and embody our history. …show more content…

Removing it would lead to disastrous consequences. The “N” word is symbolic of racism in the South and Huckleberry’s adherence to society’s beliefs. Furthermore, Mark Twain’s utilization of the word highlights the critical issues of racism and slavery he wished to tackle. If the word was removed and replaced with something else, such as “slave”, the message would not be conveyed as the author would want it. Slave cannot mimic the hatred and disrespect the “N” word represents, which is indispensable in highlighting the wrongs conformity and the viewpoints in history. Consequently, it would be rewriting history, not retelling it. Mark Twain himself would articulately say, “The difference between the almost right word and the right word [is] the difference between the lightning bug and

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76 Words | 1 Pages

I also, dislike the use of the N-word. By using the N-word, Mark Twain allowed Jim Crow and Redemption to sweep the South. When writing Huckleberry Finn the author should had utilize his rights as a citizen to write, instead Mark Twain choose to ignore the amendments by using the N-word. How does a writer give his character a conscience when he as the writer chooses not to be conscience about addressing his black character

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943 Words | 4 Pages

When the King and Duke steal the fatherless sisters’ money and are deciding where to temporarily store it, the king says, “First you know the nigger that does up the rooms will get an order to box these duds up and put ‘em away; and do you reckon a nigger can run across money and not borrow it? “ (Twain 181). Twain exemplifies people’s stereotyping and discriminatory treatment of African Americans that comes with the “n word” throughout the novel, as well as the shocking nature of the word’s use. The “n word” is similarly used to dehumanize African Americans and make them seen as subhuman, shown by Huckleberry speaking to Tom’s aunt about why his ferry was delayed:“‘It warn’t the grounding—that didn’t keep us back but a little. We blowed out a cylinder-head.’

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1153 Words | 5 Pages

The language, if changed, would not be consistent of that of an uneducated, teenage boy from the 30s. It is believed that publishers should just change the word to slave, but that would be incorrect since the two words have completely different meanings. The word is used even to kindly describe Jim when Huck states, “I liked the nigger for that; I tell you, gentlemen, a nigger like that is worth a thousand dollars—and kind treatment, too… and they slipped up on him and grabbed him and tied him before he knowed what he was about, and we never had no trouble. (42.15)” This fragment displays how African Americans were addressed, the replacing of the word would not be historically correct or definitionally correct.

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1255 Words | 6 Pages

Many books have been censored or banned in libraries and schools across the United States because of their suggestive or inappropriate content. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, a sequel to the popular The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, is one of the books that are being illuminated as “unfit to read”. It is the story a young boy, Huck, and a black man, Jim, in the 1800s, who ran away and their journey across the Mississippi River. It is a controversial piece in a majority of the classrooms across America. In this book, the N word shows up over two hundred times (Here's Why Banning 'Huck Finn' Over The N-Word Sends The Wrong Message).

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224 Words | 1 Pages

Even though the idea is mainly about replacing the “N” word not much would change if you add “slave.” The usage of the “N” word was not meant to bring disagreement and argument but for educational purpose just how Twain intended it to be. Since the book has has been read and analyzed for many years the idea of the “N” word is going to be in everyone's mind so when they are reading the “new” edition of the book the word “slave” is pretty much not going to change much. Both words themselves present a very intense and memorable moment to when African Americans were being used as slaves and were being mistreated. This then brings the concept of racism and people think The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is racist and should be banned for that reason.

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743 Words | 3 Pages

We know that Twain is not racist, but he did use the N-word to show what kind of people his characters were. Delila Lloyd wrote a document that addresses both sides of the issue, but one of the points that sticks out is "Take the N-word out of Huck Finn, and is it really Huck Finn?" (Lloyd). Huck uses the N-word because he grew up in a society where the word was meaningless, and was used to describe slaves as scum. The word practically means nothing, but not as in the word doesn't have a meaning, but in the sense that the people described as the word are meaningless.

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815 Words | 4 Pages

Censoring the N-word in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a terrible idea with many consequences. Changing Nigger to slave only makes it more comfortable for people who can’t face the idea of past slavery. It also obscures view of what Mark Twain was wanting to. Changing the N-word completely disproves his idea of staying true to others dialects. The N-word should not be censored in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn because it changes the connotation of the entire book.

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726 Words | 3 Pages

However, in contrast, writers abuse the power of books and writing through writing dark, evil, and vulgar concepts. Choosing to write about concepts which bring light should be the standard for writers, however, many people struggle with temptations

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1195 Words | 5 Pages

And like I said, it’s a history that nobody wants to relive.” For many students, leaving the word as it is, believe that the book is powerful and changing it, loses its meaning and vice versa. In a poll, the public was given a chance to give their opinion on having the word changed and it shows that 29% said yes and 71% said no. This literature captures moments in which many people suffered during the past time but it should not be changed, society must learn from their mistakes in which we do not let history repeat itself. The “n-word” is found offensive and so is using the word “gay” , for example, but that word is not being deleted from literature so why is the “n-word” any

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622 Words | 3 Pages

We are letting the word change a classic book into a book filled with controversy. There is even a company that makes the book without the word, changing it with the word “slave.” But even that won’t do, even if we ignore the fact that the word is making us change our literature, it doesn’t work in the context of the book in the quote “Niggers would come from all around there and give Jim anything they had, just for a sight of that five-center piece;” they use the N-word to describe free black people. But since they are now called slaves it doesn’t make as much sense and the whole meaning of the sentence is askewed. One of the main reasons people want to change/ ban the book is to forget the

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1669 Words | 7 Pages

Literature, old or modern, has always been subject to criticism and judgement due to the issues that exist within classic novels. Whether the issue contains profanity, violence, or content too mature for young readers, award-winning books’ existences receive threats to be banned and forgotten. Unfortunately for Ken Kesey’s classic, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, this may be the only course of action. While the novel displays violence unsuitable for high-school curriculums, Ken Kesey’s classic should be in every library for adult readers. Although the novel teaches valuable life lessons about individuality and is mild compared to modern media, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest should be banned in all high school curriculums because it incorporates

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1268 Words | 6 Pages

but the book has also sparked wild discussions about its content and if it should be taught in schools across the country. Although The Catcher In The Rye presents strong sexual themes and vulgar language, these aspects showcase the characters ' deepest emotions while staying true to the human experience and the power of language. The very same issues that cause the catcher in the rye to climb the banned book list, sexual themes and vulgar language, are exactly the things that make this piece worth teaching in high school curriculums, as they show readers the truest

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1585 Words | 7 Pages

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.

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518 Words | 3 Pages

In conclusion, while the book "Captain Underpants" has been banned in some schools and libraries in the USA due to its perceived use of offensive language and promotion of disrespectful behavior, it is important to consider the literary

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917 Words | 4 Pages

Students should learn about the value the novel provides from that time-period in which Mark Twain wrote, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Twain put the N word in the novel for a reason, to describe the time-period in which these events had occurred. Phillip Rawls writes, “‘It’s such a shame that one word should be a barrier between a marvelous reading experience and a lot of readers,’ Gribben said. Yet Twain was particular about his words.”

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