From complaints such as; this book is racist, and it is discrimination against “Black” people, the novel was removed from the Concord, Massachusetts, Public Library. (Apstein) In another case, the novel was marked as number five on the American Library Association’s “100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-1999.” (“Fight”) It isn’t shocking that the novel ended up on the list with all the misunderstandings that happened.
Mark Twain wrote this book to show readers what life was like. He connected it to his life growing up and wanted to make readers aware of the way people were treated for the color of their skin. Censoring or banning this book would be a crime because it teaches so much and we do not need to change it. Racism was and is a problem in our society and Mark Twain brings it to the surface through a fictional novel. By forcing a book to be changed and molded to make people more comfortable, it is saying you can alter history and history cannot and should not be erased.
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
Mark Twain, author of Huckleberry Finn, uses the n-word a total of two-hundred nineteen times in his book. Before diving into the subject matter, the book called Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, is a novel set before the Civil War following the journey of a young boy named Huck. Huck struggles to escape his abusive father and takes to the Mississippi river alongside a black man named Jim. Jim, himself, struggles to gain freedom and escape enslavement. This novel would be considered a serious offense to an individual who has a closed mind about the matter at hand and has not fully understood when this book took place.
The use of racial slurs throughout Huck Finn has been a controversial subject since the novel's publication in 1885. The most notable of these slurs the 214 occurrences of the word. The teachers worried that the use of such derogatory language may be an insult to The Many African American students in the diverse school systems of today's America and thus exclude the novel for from their curriculums.
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. Dr. Sarah Churchwell of the University of East
In the Novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, Huckleberry Finn was put in a tough situation when he is forced to make a decision about whether he should turn in Jim, a runaway slave, or help Jim escape. Throughout this chapter, Huck is trying to analyze the pros and cons of turning Jim in. What made this even harder for Huck was the passage of the Fugitive Slaves Law, which “required citizens to assist in the recovery of fugitive slaves.” Huck wanted to stand by his morals and turn Jim in because it was the right thing to do.
In conclusion, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should remain in schools, the book is useful because it serves as a way to introduce race into a class discussion, the book can bring up “teachable moments” as described by David Bradley in the short clip of 60 Minutes. (Schneider). Censoring books by banning them restrains readers from learning and talking about topics that may be labeled as “controversial” or “explicit”. The “n-word” has a negative connotation due to the usage of the word in the past, it is often correlated with a disrespectful attitude, however this is controversial since David Bradley describes the complexity by comparing and saying “Rednecks can make jokes about rednecks”, this in other words says that one is not “allowed
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn does a great way of capturing the reality of racism. Many believe that change of fiction is the worst form of censorship. Others argue the fact that replacing the “n-word” with “slave” is still as powerful as using the word and it creates a more respective tone. But is it really? The word is so controversial which many students have different feelings about.
Modern times challenge Twain’s satirical writing, as it becomes progressively offensive towards racial groups. Many critics and journalists alike debate whether The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should be banned in classrooms as it perpetuates racial stereotypes and its unnecessary use of the N-word. “The Case Against Huck Finn”, written by John H. Wallace, is an article that states every point of why the book should be banned in school. One of the authors' thesis is that the usage of the N-word in the classroom severs the relationships between the teacher and black students. John H Wallace writes, “the black child is offended by the use of the word ‘n*****’ anywhere, no matter what rationale the teacher may use to justify it.”
In the novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark twain it demonstrates a relationship between a white boy and a black slave named Jim. Throughout the novel, there is a lot of racism demonstrated in a variety of ways. Many people are complaining about how this novel has a strong use of the N-word and how it is offensive to many individuals and how the novel should be banned from shelves. However, others believe that the use of the N-word is not offensive as it was before during slavery in the old times and it should just be kept in its original form. Another side to this debate would be to support the issue of changing the N-word to “slave” or to keep the N-word to be used throughout The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
The Controversy of Huckleberry Finn Throughout history, books have been banned for content that certain parties deem inappropriate for the public. The censorship of books by the government, local organizations, or private individuals removes books from certain areas, limiting public access, usually due to the nature of themes and ideas. This includes books with topics related to violence, extreme political beliefs, race, gender and sexuality, or any potential offensive content. In the case of Huckleberry Finn, religion and race have been used as reasons to ban the book. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has divided readers on its banning, with some claiming that it is racist, not racist enough, and anti-Christian.
The novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, should not be banned in schools. This novel, written by Mark Twain, is a very controversial novel. It contains many things that may be uncomfortable or that could possibly offend other people, like the way the “n” word is being used so frequently and the way the slaves, such as Jim, are being treated. But, Mark Twain wrote this novel for a reason. He wanted to show the readers how slavery was in general.
Many people may not recognize the name Samuel Langhorne Clemens; however, chances are he is quite well known as “America’s favorite writer,” (USA Today) Mark Twain. For many years his classic novels, including The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer were taught widely in high schools and universities as coming-of-age stories and to tell what life was like on the Mississippi. Unfortunately, because of the language of the time, “Huck’s frequent use of the n-word – 214 times by one count – has prompted parents and educators to question its use in classrooms and libraries. The American Library Association reports that Hucklberry Finn was the 14th most challenged book in the past decade”
Doubtless, it may seem racist to us, but when the novel was written in the context of its time,
