ipl-logo

Teaching Huckleberry Finn Research Paper

890 Words4 Pages

The Importance of Teaching Huckleberry Finn

Ever since it’s publishing in 1884, controversy around Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn over racial and social criticism has been discussed to this day. It follows the journey of a runaway boy named Huck and his escaping slave partner Jim on a raft down riding the Mississippi river in search of freedom. This story takes place in the Antebellum period, a time of progress and racial tension and that leads into one of America’s darkest moments, the Civil War. Many schools do not teach this book, or even contain it in their libraries, due to its use of the “N-word” and racial subtexts. On the other hand, many schools teach it as their main curriculum. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn …show more content…

When teachers are explaining the significance and meaning of the book, they need to understand that “even when twain was writing his book, ‘nigger’ was universally recognized as an insulting and demeaning word”, and should not be passed off as acceptable due to when it was written (Smith 107, Carey-Webb 31). The book the “N-word” 219 times, but in the eyes of the author of this paper, it does not come off as being racist only to degrade blacks but more like Twain is criticizing society in that time period. In the story, there are rarely any white characters who are portrayed as good people. Most of the time Huck describes them for their flaws, like his father or the Duke. Meanwhile, he calls Jim the “N-word” only around other white people in order to not look like a “a low down abolitionist” but deep in down, to Huck “that don’t make no difference” (Twain 43). There is strict punishment given to those harboring runaway slaves in the south back then and the fact that Huck does not care and even called Jim his friend after getting to know him, sheds a new light on how people should not be judged for the color of their skin. If students, parents, and teachers look past the layer of racial comments, they may just understand more of the historic significance and social criticism of the

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
935 Words | 4 Pages

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is an American classic, it was the starting point for all great American Literature. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been awarded all of these honorable titles because of its abnormal and controversial plot line. During the time period when the book was written, it was unacceptable to view African- American’s as anything other than slaves. They were viewed as inferior to whites and were treated like property, they had no rights. The main character of the book, Huck, disagrees and disobeys these norms and pushes the boundaries of society when he becomes friends with a slave from his childhood; Jim.

Read More
645 Words | 3 Pages

Some may like the changes Jackson made or they may hate them. Two people can look at the same thing and see something different, it is all a matter of perspective. J.R.R. Tolkien, the author of The Hobbit probably would have created the film different than Peter Jackson, the director of The Hobbit. The novel, is about a small, non adventurous Hobbit named Bilbo. One day Bilbo meets a wizard who invites him on an adventure.

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
746 Words | 3 Pages

The lessons that the reader learns through this novel are still applicable today. For example, people today are judged based on their looks and how they dress, not on who they really are. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should be read and studied in schools because the truths found in the book are still relevant to us and can be applied to our daily

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
1011 Words | 5 Pages

Starting from a young age, everyone loves to go on adventures and have fun, just like Huck Finn. Growing up in St. Petersburg, Missouri, he is a white 12 year old boy and the son of a drunken father. In the beginning of the book, Huck is seen as a little innocent boy. Until he enters the world with his friend, Tom Sawyer, as they go on adventures, which creates problems and controversy through the history of the North and South, civilization, and racism and slavery. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Huck has many controversial experiences that are still a problem in today’s society, which is why we should keep teaching the book in school.

Read More
743 Words | 3 Pages

We know that Twain is not racist, but he did use the N-word to show what kind of people his characters were. Delila Lloyd wrote a document that addresses both sides of the issue, but one of the points that sticks out is "Take the N-word out of Huck Finn, and is it really Huck Finn?" (Lloyd). Huck uses the N-word because he grew up in a society where the word was meaningless, and was used to describe slaves as scum. The word practically means nothing, but not as in the word doesn't have a meaning, but in the sense that the people described as the word are meaningless.

Read More
966 Words | 4 Pages

According to Raziye Akkoc, a writer for The Telegraph, the American novel “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn [has been banned] because [of] its use of the N-word was not "inclusive" and made students uncomfortable.” Mark Twain’s novel Huckleberry Finn is about a young man that travels down the Mississippi river with a slave named Jim, and the many different journeys they encounter. Many people in society, however, have come across the question of whether or not the novel should be banned because of some of the vulgar language in Twain’s work. Even though it includes poor grammar and spelling, Huck Finn is a novel that establishes good morals, true friendships, and demonstrates the true historic time period.

Read More
768 Words | 4 Pages

Although there has been an overwhelming amount of debates regarding the teaching of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in high school settings, students should still have the opportunity to experience this novel, even if additions or compromises need to be made, because of the story’s historical significance, underlying portrayal of African American dignity, and overall benefits engendered by Twain’s writing. Many argue that African Americans are undermined throughout the story, but the abundance of dignity underlying Jim’s character and the compromises that can be made in the classroom are often overlooked. The most controversial part of the book for many parents seems to be the fact that “it uses the ‘n’ word more than 200 times -- which they say is damaging to their children” (Beckett, Huck Finn’s Fate to Be Decided).

Read More
458 Words | 2 Pages

It should be taught so people understand the horrible things black people experienced and that it should never happen again. In conclusion this is a very beautiful story of a strong bond between Huck, a young white boy, and Jim, an older black slave. There are many other characters that tie into their adventures but it’s special to read and see how their friendship strengthens through the hardships and trials they face. Huck and Jim both have kind hearts and a concern for other people as well as loyalty to each other. With that said, this is why I believe The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a true

Read More
2074 Words | 9 Pages

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

Read More
1046 Words | 5 Pages

I says to the people, why ain’t this “n” put up at auction and sold?” (Twain 27). These two quotes are great examples of how “n” was used constantly back then and how slaves or colored people were looked down upon by others. Huck didn’t expect Jim to care so much about his family like white folks do, so it surprises him. Many people back then didn’t think that colored people had feelings and that’s why they were so cruel to them and always said harsh things to them.

Read More
1159 Words | 5 Pages

The novel tells a story of a young white boy, who is abused by his alcoholic father in a time where African Americans were not seen as humans. This novel also signifies a personal change for the protagonist, Huck Finn, because he sees a Jim, a runaway slave, as a living being rather than dirt. That period still exemplified the hate and racism shown towards African Americans and addresses abuse. School districts don’t like the frequent usage of the “N-word”, and who really does? It’s a derogatory slur as well as insult, and it certainly wasn’t used as a compliment towards African Americans.

Read More
917 Words | 4 Pages

Students should learn about the value the novel provides from that time-period in which Mark Twain wrote, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Twain put the N word in the novel for a reason, to describe the time-period in which these events had occurred. Phillip Rawls writes, “‘It’s such a shame that one word should be a barrier between a marvelous reading experience and a lot of readers,’ Gribben said. Yet Twain was particular about his words.”

Read More

More about Teaching Huckleberry Finn Research Paper

Related Topics

Open Document