ipl-logo

Should Huckleberry Finn Be Taught In Public Schools Essay

818 Words4 Pages

A single word, used 219 times throughout Mark Twain’s novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, causes a world of controversy surrounding this classic piece of literature (“Leave”). The use of the N-Word throughout the novel makes some people feel uncomfortable as they read and discuss the book; however, others argue that the book provides a valuable learning opportunity that gives students a refreshing perspective on racism throughout American history. Such controversy between Huck Finn’s great teaching powers, yet uncomfortable diction, proposes an everlasting question: should public schools teach The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn?
Many people feel uncomfortable with the teaching of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in public schools due …show more content…

A major theme throughout American history, as well as throughout Huck Finn, is racism. Racism, a topic still raw today, should not be ignored. Jocelyn Chadwick, a Mark Twain scholar, writes, “Twain brings into schools what most of us in this country desperately need, yet fear, most: discussions-frank discussions-about race”. With the use of the N-word and dialogue such as “‘We blowed out a cylinder head.’ ‘Good gracious! anybody hurt?’ ‘No’m. Killed a nigger’ ‘Well it’s lucky; because sometimes people do get hurt,’” it becomes apparent why people take offense to the book; however, Twain is simply reflecting history as accurately as possible (Twain 210). Avoiding the book due to the use of the N-word and the portrayal of black characters does not erase that part of American history; “[f]acing that history in all its offensiveness is crucial to understanding it and transcending it” (Fishkin). Twain himself writes that “‘the difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter,” which justifies his diction as he tries to authentically portray situations of the time (Fishkin). The historically accurate language, although potentially offensive, provides a truthful context that allows teachers to effectively teach about themes such as

Show More
Related
943 Words | 4 Pages

Some school districts have banned the book due to the use of the “n word”, the negative portrayal of African Americans throughout the book, and Huckleberry’s distasteful character, which offers a poor role model for youth. However, these misguided administrators misunderstand Twain’s literature because Twain uses the “n word” to spotlight its offensive and dehumanizing nature, the portrayal of African Americans is

Read More
163 Words | 1 Pages

For the reason that the n-word appears 219 times in the novel, many schools have decided to ban the book in their classrooms. Cautiously questioning students whether or not the novel arouses an “uncomfortable” (Coeyman) feeling, teachers debate on teaching The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Multiple teachers feel that their inter-racial classes may include students who feel offended by the n-word. Various schools have considered the novel to be “...too racially offensive…”(Coeyman). For instance, school districts in Virginia have banned the book after a mother complained about how her son was disturbed by the “‘...racial slurs in there and offensive wording that you can’t get past…’”(Balingit).

Read More
1666 Words | 7 Pages

Why Would a Good Novel be Kicked out of the Classroom? A trashy and racist book wouldn 't be allowed in classrooms. The novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain, is getting a lot of negative talk about. The dominant problem that students, parents, teachers, and even professors, face , is the usage of the n-word.

Read More
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).

Read More
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
1054 Words | 5 Pages

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been one of the most controversial piece of literature since since its publication in 1884. Written by Samuel Clemens aka Mark Twain, it tells the story of a boy in his early teens named Huck Finn. In an effort to escape his abusive father, Huck fakes his own death and escapes in a canoe on the Mississippi River. There he meets up with the escaped slave of Ms. Watson’s, Jim who eventually becomes a surrogate father to Huck. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn shows Huck’s moral development, as it ebbs and flows like the Mississippi river he floats down.

Read More
692 Words | 3 Pages

Should the word “nigger” be used in high school literature? That is the tough decision that many high school teachers face when try to decide whether or not to teach The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. Huck Finn uses the n word throughout the book to refer to a friend who is a slave. Even though that word can be very offensive, it is a big part of our history that high school students should be mature enough to learn about. Many students do not continue on to college after high school; therefore, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should be allowed to be taught in high school.

Read More
947 Words | 4 Pages

"I believe that Huckleberry Finn is one of the great masterpieces of the world..." a quote from H. L. Mencken. Many people believe Huckleberry Finn should be taught in schools, but then on the other hand many believe it shouldn’t for its vulgar language. A handful of people are offended by this book, they complain and say it’s not appropriate for high school students (Powell, Fight over Huck Finn). When the students have heard more explicit language than what is used in the book. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a wonderful tool for education because it shows many life lessons through the characters of Jim the slave, the Duke and the Dauphin, and Miss Watson and Widow Douglas.

Read More
821 Words | 4 Pages

The appropriateness of Huck Finn being used in a High School curriculum has been a widely debated topic since the time that it was published. Many believe that the book promotes racism and stereotypes and provides no value to students in the classroom. Being a High School student that has read this book, I strongly disagree with these negative views. Some might say that Huck Finn celebrates racist stereotypes because of the way that many of the characters in the book talk about and treat black people. For example, minstrel episodes, which served the purpose of making the audience laugh at minorities’ expense, and the frequent use of the ‘N’ word, are very offensive to many people today.

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
994 Words | 4 Pages

The announcement of a new, censored, version of Mark Twain’s classic, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn sparked controversy across the United States in regard to which version would provide the best educational experience. Even though the revised publication may be more politically correct due to the replacement of the word “nigger” to “slave”, it dampens the milieu of the story. Additionally, the argument for censorship in the novel is flawed considering the social discomfort created from word “nigger” can be used to form an intellectual lesson or discussion. Alan Gribben’s edition of the novel is less literarily enriching because the unnecessary censorship worsens the syntax compared to the original publication.

Read More
924 Words | 4 Pages

Some American school districts have banned Mark Twain's novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn because of the novel’s use of word “nigger”. The “N-word” is used 219 times throughout the book. (News, C. (2016, October 01).  Different schools approach this topic in a variety of ways. Some schools completely ban the book, others teach the book how it was written but ignore and do not discuss the word, they buy a sanitized version that replaces “nigger” with "slave", or they teach the book saying “nigger”.

Read More
1585 Words | 7 Pages

“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.

Read More

More about Should Huckleberry Finn Be Taught In Public Schools Essay

Related Topics

Open Document