Should Huckleberry Finn Be Taught In Schools

History is complicated. History is the base behind every countries’ past. History is a complex subject that is taught in order to forbid similar mistakes from reoccurring. Therefore, the controversial aspects behind a historical event, such as the Watergate Scandal, a historical person, such as Upton Sinclair, or a historical novel, such as Uncle Tom’s Cabin, should be embraced. History is thus not meant to be sugar coated because these moments have shaped the modern world of today into a vicinity that has mostly learned and progressed from its past. One novel, in particular, embraces this concept through its satirical yet realistic depiction of slavery within the U.S. This iconic novel is known as the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which

As previously mentioned, this novel is highly opposed because of its extensive use of the “n-word”, as well as the belief that the novel is racist. An example of this notion was when Huck, who was believed to be Tom Sawyer at the time, mentioned to Aunt Sally that the boat he was on “...blowed out a cylinder-head” and “killed a nigger” (Twain, chapter 32). Aunt Polly then proceeds to say “...it’s lucky; because sometimes people do get hurt” (Twain, chapter 32). Due to these accurate yet cruel depictions of society’s view on African Americans, those who criticized the novel believed that the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn “...promotes racism and demeans African American children with its extensive use of the word "nigger"...” (Novels). However, supporters of the novel consider that Twain is only revealing the realities of how life was like for an African American person. Furthermore, the “n-word” is a part of history. Because this word is a part of history, the word should be embraced as well as not be ashamed of. Moreover, supporters of this novel are capable of overlooking the “n-word” such as author, David Bradley, who acknowledged the word “...nigger…” and then said how one should, “Get over it.” Bradley emphasizes that although the “n-word” does have a past to it, it is merely a word that is mostly ubiquitous in the modern society of today and should not be perceived as taboo. Critics tend to disregard that the “n-word” or racism are not the major focus of the novel. On the other hand, supporters believe that the moral development of Huckleberry Finn is majorly the main focus of this novel. For instance, when Huck comes back to the raft he exclaims to Jim, “There ain’t a minute to lose. They’re after us!” (Twain, chapter 11). This moment in the novel marks a turning point in Huck’s character because both the characters are in this predicament together