ipl-logo

Racism In Huckleberry Finn Essay

468 Words2 Pages

America has always been full controversial ideas, whether it was dealing with independence from Britain, or joining foreign wars, America has always pushed on to move past these conflicts that once divided the nation. The conflict of racism however, is one of the biggest and everlasting conflicts that still holds America back from becoming an even better country. The idea of racism is showcased in many ways throughout America, even in American classics such as Huckleberry Finn. Controversies have arisen from the use of slavery in any type of representation to the public, especially in literature. Literature has been used before to influence the American culture into seeing the truth about slavery, with the publishing of Uncle Tom’s Cabin in …show more content…

The use of the “n-word” in Huckleberry Finn has stirred up controversy in America today, making some schools question whether to censor an American classic, ban it, or keep it in its’ original form (Source 1). Schools should keep the original copy of Huckleberry Finn in the cirriculum for schools in order to truly battle the idea of racism that exists even 125 years after the original book came out. Only by keeping the original copy of the book, can teachers and students correctly learn to properly battle the idea of racism in America. Battling the idea of racism in classic literature is one of the best ways that can help bring down the topic of racism to a place that is less hurtful and effective, which can then reunite America as a whole in due time. Despite the other two instances in the controversy of Huckleberry Finn, the most reasonable choice would be to keep the book in its original form due to the ability to engage with the idea of racism head on, enlighten readers on the effect that racism has in contemporary society, and it even lessens the effect that racism has on

Show More
Related
1456 Words | 6 Pages

In 1998, McClintock High School in Tempe, Arizona assigned students to read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. The book has long been regarded as a controversial novel, and each generation that comes upon it has found something that rubs against the current societal norms. The mother of a student at McClintock took serious offense to the use of the word, “nigger” throughout the book and protested that it be banned due to the racial discrimination (Source I). Huck Finn is just one of the many pieces of literature that have been labelled “challenging,” and many feel that they do not deserve a place in schools’ curriculum. However, the study of challenging literature introduces students to new ideas and lessons that they can apply

Read More
828 Words | 4 Pages

American literature has always been a form of entertainment and education. When slaves were introduced as characters in books, they were always negative, stereotypical characters, but not until 1883 when Mark Twain wrote The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was a change made. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a book about a southern white boy in the 1800’s that runs away with an escaped slave on the Mississippi River. For years, schools have been debating on if the book should be banned in schools or not, and it is already on a variety of banned lists. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should not be banned in schools because it is an anti-slavery novel that teaches students valuable lessons and informs students of the past culture.

Read More
1253 Words | 6 Pages

Huckleberry Finn Needs To Stay In Schools Did you know that Mark Twain’s The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn is one of the most challenged books in history. In fact, it was banned within the first year of its release. Recently, schools have been banning the book and removing it from the curriculum due to the racial slurs within it and its offensive nature towards students.

Read More
641 Words | 3 Pages

Mark Twain published the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in 1885. This book shows the story of a young boy, Huck Finn, who goes through challenges in the society. Huck Finn is full of controversies. Twain satires religion, authority, and the society of his time and addresses the issue of slavery. Throughout the novel, Jim, who represents an African American slave, is the character representing all the problems that an African American experienced during the period of slavery and racism.

Read More
1999 Words | 8 Pages

The word ‘nigger’ is used 219 times throughout Mark Twain’s novel ‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’. This fact, along with Twain’s depiction of Jim and subtle attack on religion, has offended not only multitudes of African-Americans, but also the Catholic Church. Twain’s novel has simultaneously revolutionized American literature and become one of the most frequently banned books in history. ‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’ was extremely provocative from its very publication, as its themes of rebellion, disobedience, and interracial friendship were thought to corrupt young children. In recent years, debates have no longer centered around Huck’s disobedience but implications of racism and anti-religious allusions.

Read More
709 Words | 3 Pages

There’s one thing about The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn people don't agree on and it's the use of the n-word. Should it, or shouldn’t be taught in schools, there are multiple reasons why Huckleberry Finn should be taught! One of the reasons is how it shows the times back then, it gave people a visual on what “normal” looked like in the past. This book could also teach what the n-word actually means. Kids should be taught what it means in a school environment, not in the “real world” where they might not grasp the words' full meaning.

Read More
1266 Words | 6 Pages

Race is a divisive factor in many populations. It is a concept to categorize people based on their physical traits, such as skin color, and genetics. Race can be used as a mechanism for social division. As the novel unfolds, Huckleberry Finn’s perspective on race changes as he sees the importance for equality in Mark Twain’s, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Read More
1482 Words | 6 Pages

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is controversial and has been debated on being banned, due to its racist character; in reality, these allegations were untrue. Huckleberry Finn is known for the excessive use of the n-word, and many people have reservations about the word being used in the novel. While the n-word is profoundly offensive, “Most of the characters who use the word, including Huckleberry Finn, are racists and it would not be accurate for them to not use the word”(Gardner, 21). This evidence explains the way the n-word has evolved in its use over time. Twain kept his novel realistic to the time period, where that word was said often, and there was not a well-known alternative.

Read More
1402 Words | 6 Pages

The Huck Finn Controversy Ever since the book was published in 1884, the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been making waves all across the country with its repetitive and controversial use of the word nigger and apparent disregard toward the dignity of black people. The argument has been raging on ever since: Should the original and uncensored version of Huck Finn be allowed as a tool to teach our country’s youth about American Literature? My answer to that question is yes, that with a combination of understanding, preparation, and maturity this book could be a very helpful tool in education. One reason I would like to point out as to why we should stay with the original book and not replace them all with censored versions

Read More
1403 Words | 6 Pages

The black man on the back porch is afraid of the rattle snake because it is bad luck, or the innocent little slave is quick to believe everything one tells them at the drop of the hat. These are just some of the many racist stereotypes of the 1840s. A character named Jim is the star African American whom Twain bestoys the mission of being the stereotypical black man to prove a point. He along with his much more pallor companion Huck go on exciting adventures that unfold the events which expose the racist conduct of the time. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain saturates his novel with potent images of acute racism severe enough as to create a satirical mien that exposes the absurdity of prejudice.

Read More
1048 Words | 5 Pages

Literature is a precious art form to many and important for various reasons. Literacy helps improve grammar, provides entertainment, educates people and provides inspiration. It is specifically useful for educating people on racial discrimination as many classic works contain racism. Both To Kill a Mockingbird and The Butler are great at expanding people’s knowledge on racism. Although they have two entirely different plots, they both depict how little people value an African-American’s opinion, characters challenging racism and the acceptance of blatant racism.

Read More
142 Words | 1 Pages

In the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn the racist attitudes of the Deep South in the late 1800's are shown. Mark Twain portrays a runaway slave, Jim, as a racist caricature who does whatever is asked of him and exhibits little intelligence. The reader can initially see this through the use of the word "nigger" that is all throughout the book. In the modern 21st century this term is taken offensively, but in the 19th century this term was commonly used and Twain took advantage of it.

Read More
917 Words | 4 Pages

Rosa Parks once said, “Racism is still with us. But it is up to us to prepare our children for what they have to meet, and, hopefully, we shall overcome.” She describes that the future of our world has to be aware of things that have happened in the past, such as racism. The NAACP, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, is a civil rights organization that displayed their position on this certain situation. The NAACP position is correct in that Mark Twain’s un-sanitized version of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should be taught because the book describes the important awareness of the historical oppression of people, it provides a value of morality from that time period that students should learn, and gives an important lesson about race that should be taught to students.

Read More
1049 Words | 5 Pages

Some snakes have hip bones, this shows that they once had four legs like lizards, which are their close cousin (Karin Lehnardt). Species change over time because of competition, adaptation, and the environment. We can see this through the history. Competition can affect the way a species change over time because animals might get eaten by predators then they won't get to pass their genes onto the next generations. Adaptation will change a species over time because if the animals can’t adapt to the conditions they are in they will die, and not be able to pass on their genes or traits.

Read More
1124 Words | 5 Pages

Racism and Slavery are a hand in hand subject, without Slavery, Racism wouldn 't have been a broad topic. Although modern day slavery is nowhere to be found in America, Racism is still an existing matter. Racism against African Americans was a byproduct of permanent and inhumane enslavement of the black population. Although slavery was not only among Afro- Americans, it was also towards white slaves, and indentured servants who all received the same treatment, were punished equally and worked the same hours. The need to solve economic and social problems drove the Colonists to strip Afro-Americans down from their basic rights and such, which rose to naming all blacks, slaves.

Read More

More about Racism In Huckleberry Finn Essay

Related Topics

Open Document