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Stereotypes In Huck Finn

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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. This story is supposed to take place in the 1830s and 1840s. During this time, slavery was legal. Even though slavery was abolished by the time this book was published, this type of language and views toward …show more content…

I think it makes sense to read this book at the same time that we are reading about slavery and other events during this time period in our textbooks. Freshman year, Newport Harbor students do not take a history class. Junior year, we cover American History but did not cover this time period for very long or in much depth. I believe Sophomore year would be the best time to read Huck Finn. As mentioned before, it provides additional context that goes along well with the facts that are given in textbooks. I would like to thank you for taking the time to read my ideas regarding Huck Finn. Before reading this book, I thought it would be boring. I was surprised to find that I not only enjoyed the book, but also learned more about what was going on during this time period. I strongly urge you to continue allowing high school students to read and analyze this book during the sophomore year to align with the textbooks and

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The definition of a sterotype is, "A widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing. " In the interactions between Huck and Jim, I do believe that Jim is being stereotyped. Although Jim is perceived as ultimately much more of an adult than any other character in this book, intelligent, and practical, it is shown that that stereotyping is an underlying theme with this character. He is your typical black slave, who believes in all of the superstitions that he was most likely taught to believe him, being from a slave family.

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Huckleberry Finn is a part of American history and teenagers are old enough to hear and/or read the words in this book. “There was a free nigger there from Ohio-a mulatter, most as white as a white man” (Twain 27.). It’s a part of history because it shows what it was like back in 1835, it shows what it was like to be a minority back then. The teenagers just need to learn not to use them towards people. It will also broaden their knowledge by

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Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, why this book written by Mark Twain should be on the banned books list in schools and why it is too mature for it’s students. This book is full of situations that honesty students are not able to handle, leaving inappropriate impressions about racism and how to treat people and is going to cause teenagers and young adults to repeat the language and personalities seen in this, to other groups of this century that are fitting now The problem with Adventures of Huckleberry Finn isn’t that it is a bad book, not that maybe it is poorly written or isn’t a learning experience. The fact of the matter is that students do not hold the attention span or mental capacity to be forced to deal with this. While some may use to excuse that high school students may have enough knowledge over these situations, or if explained, people would enjoy the moral of the story more, that is not always the case.

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828 Words | 4 Pages

With the novel being told in the first person point of view of Huck, we get a first hand experience of the prejudices then. We are able to see just how stereotypical and racist white people were in the past. A majority of the people in the south viewed blacks as inferior, or below them in social ranking. They ordered around their slaves and treated them with little respect at times. Although The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn can make students feel “uncomfortable," it is beneficial for students to read it.

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The adventures of Huckleberry Finn was first introduced to the public in 1884 by Mark Twain. After going through hell trying to write the book, and its rocky release and low sales showed how controversial the book was even in his time. I believe Huck Finn should not be taught in public schools because the language used is offensive, is hard for for students to understand , and the book has been controversial since its beginning. Para 1 A High school in Philadelphia banned the book Huckleberry Finn from its curriculum due to its use of the N-word making students uncomfortable, and “the community costs of reading this book in 11th grade outweigh the literary benefits”.

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Essay The novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is a story about a young boy who is trying to find who he is during the civil war. In this novel by Mark Twain it speaks about this young boy, named Huck, and how his original morals are beginning to change while he helps free his friend Jim, who is a slave. Though People have argued that this book uses many racial slurs that demoralize the African American race. Though there is solid reasoning why those are not Mark Twain's true intentions.

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Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: Should it be read and taught today? For many years there has been and still is a controversial debate over whether this book should be read and taught to children today. This novel follows a young white boy named Huck and his black slave friend, Jim. Despite their racial difference they both have one thing in common which is their longing for freedom. Although freedom means different things to both of them, the story follows the adventures they have together.

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For: Huckleberry Finn needs to be taught in schools. The Novel reflects on social issues present in the time it was written which can be related to similar social issues of today. It adds to the historical knowledge for students taking US History 2 which is taught the same year as Huck Finn is. The Novel also serves as an introduction to American literature, reflecting realism, romanticism, regionalism and character development through

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The Maturation of Huck Finn In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain’s character, Huck, shows multiple ways of maturing throughout the story. Already in the beginning of the story Huck shows a start to maturing, first while in the cabin with Pap, on Jackson Island with Jim, a slave owned by Miss Watson, then again in the abandoned house with Jim once again. These three examples of maturing are not the only ways that Huck matures throughout the story, but the definitely what help him make decisions later on in the story. Huck Finn’s first display of maturity is when he decides to escape from his father in chapter seven and decides to do it on his own.

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Original or revised, Huck Finn will still remain a great character to follow along with, and to be involved with in his adventures, but if this story is to be taught in schools then the original read needs to be read and discussed. There is no point, then, reading this story about the culture of the nineteenth century, if the offensiveness cannot be addressed in an advanced classroom. So many other books-banned books-are read every year by students, and those books along with The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn contains some complex topics; debatable topics. In order to create capable thinkers, they need to learn how to think about the deep, uncomfortable, nitty-gritty, subjects of life. Students learn about the loss of innocence, evil, corrupt politics, death, sex, racism and much more in books like Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, Animal Farm by George Orwell, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and there are many other books which contain subjects close to these.

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761 Words | 4 Pages

Professor David Bradley is an American Literature expert, and he is is strongly against censoring the book, he believes the book would not be Huck Finn without it., and in fact the use of the word could be a tool against racism. It has a very negative connotation so people say it or talk about it, but problems never go away when they are ignored. Huck begins the story as a racist, but this is all he has ever known, but through the course of the book he changes a lot, and sees Jim as his best Friend. One incident of Huck’s views changing is when he has to go apologize to a black man, he is not pleased about doing

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738 Words | 3 Pages

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a classic novel that takes the reader on a series of thrilling adventures full of life threatening situations, racism, and slavery. The author Mark Twain, uses the novel to highlight the flaws in society by creating a character like Huck, whose personal sense of morals and justice are more noble than those of the very people trying to civilize him. Throughout this captivating novel Huck endures his fair share of trouble and morally challenging decision but he always comes out on top by following his heart and doing what he feels to be right.

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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.

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Huckleberry Finn is a story about a rambunctious young boy who adventures off down the Mississippi River. “The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain demonstrates a situation where a Huck tries to find the balance between what is right and what is wrong. Huck faces many challenges in which his maturity will play a part in making the correct decision for himself and his friend Jim. Huck becomes more mature by the end of the novel by showing that he can make the correct decisions to lead Jim to the freedom he deserves. One major factor where Huck matures throughout the novel is through his experience.

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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a novel written by Mark Twain in 1884, tells the story of a young boy’s adventures, troubles, and experience growing up in America’s south during the 1800’s. The book has charmed readers for generations and has long become a great American classic. Personally, I did not enjoy The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. I understand Twain’s desire to have the book come from a young boy’s perspective, but he did not execute this intention well. The book was choppy and difficult to read.

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