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Why Huckleberry Finn Should Be Banned

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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is one of the most controversial and banned books in American public education. Why do you suppose that is? Is it okay for any school board to remove it from its school libraries or prohibit students from studying the novel in class? Why or why not? The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is often considered controversial and banned in American public education because of its use of racial slurs and its depiction of racism and slavery in the pre-Civil War South. Some argue that the book is racist, offensive and that it should be removed from school libraries and not read in classrooms. Others argue that the book is an important piece of literature that provides valuable insight into the time period that it takes place in, the issues of race and slavery, and that it should be taught and studied as part of a broader understanding of American history and literature. …show more content…

Explain why. Include at least one quote from the novel. In Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," the dishonesty and lack of conscience displayed by the king and the duke could be seen as more morally reprehensible than the gullibility and ignorance of their victims. The king and the duke actively seek to deceive and exploit others for their own gain, while their victims are simply taken in by their lies and deception. One quote that illustrates this is when the king says, "I see it warn't no use wasting words - you can't learn a nigger to argue. So I quit." (Chapter 18) This quote shows the king's disdain for the people he is conning, and his belief that they are not worth the effort of convincing. However, it's important to remember that the novel is a commentary on the society of the time and the author's critique of human nature, and not just about the actions of these characters

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1284 Words | 6 Pages

eople say the book Huckleberry Finn is racist and makes fun of religion, but it is a classic that teaches children about so many things like southern beliefs, morals, and truth about slavery. During the 1800’s slavery was a huge part of the south. Huck is just a regular southern boy who chose to help a slave run away to be free. This journey ended up taking the Huck and Jim deeper into the south than they intended, Huck had to make many difficult decisions along the way. Mark Twain’s book Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should not be banned from the school curriculum.

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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

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292 Words | 2 Pages

Whether or not Huck Finn should be taught in schools has been hotly debated over for years. Many say that the book should be banned from schools because of the racial comments in the book; people claim that it could scar the youth, but instead teaches them morals on racism and empathy. Huck Finn should not be banned in secondary schools. The book uses the “n-word,” A LOT, and today using that word is offensive to many people.

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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.

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224 Words | 1 Pages

Even though the idea is mainly about replacing the “N” word not much would change if you add “slave.” The usage of the “N” word was not meant to bring disagreement and argument but for educational purpose just how Twain intended it to be. Since the book has has been read and analyzed for many years the idea of the “N” word is going to be in everyone's mind so when they are reading the “new” edition of the book the word “slave” is pretty much not going to change much. Both words themselves present a very intense and memorable moment to when African Americans were being used as slaves and were being mistreated. This then brings the concept of racism and people think The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is racist and should be banned for that reason.

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815 Words | 4 Pages

Censoring the N-word in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a terrible idea with many consequences. Changing Nigger to slave only makes it more comfortable for people who can’t face the idea of past slavery. It also obscures view of what Mark Twain was wanting to. Changing the N-word completely disproves his idea of staying true to others dialects. The N-word should not be censored in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn because it changes the connotation of the entire book.

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283 Words | 2 Pages

History Banned because it is Offensive Was Huckleberry Finn written at a time when racism was considered acceptable? The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is a controversial book series considering its racial attributes. This book is about a boy who fakes his death and starts an adventure with a runaway slave who he befriends. Many argue that the book should be banned for racism, but others disagree because of its originality and illustration of a major turning point in history for America.

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369 Words | 2 Pages

There’s a difference between making a decision for the better good and because it supports a certain belief. For instance, one person’s beliefs may benefit him/her but put someone else at risk. In Huck Finn’s case, he is forced to protect and lie for Jim despite it putting himself at risk as well. His decision, in turn, makes him care for Jim as a person and become more humane.

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1563 Words | 7 Pages

The book was banned because it prompted bad morals and behavior for young people. “Nigger” is said over 200 times in the book which made people believe that the book was racist. In the 1990s Huckleberry Finn was ranked number five in Top 100 Banned or Challenged Book; it is currently number fourteen. The history of the banning

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1906 Words | 8 Pages

Racism takes a massive toll on the book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The book Huckleberry Finn teaches us different lessons on how black people were treated and how racism was/is a big part of the world. Mark Twain published his novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn on December 10, 1884, and was pronounced a banned book in 1885 because it was said to be “‘trash’ and ‘only suitable for the slums’”(American). In my opinion, Huckleberry Finn should not be a banned book in high schools since it teaches us valuable lessons about what blacks' lives were like and how they were treated differently than any other person. In this analysis, I’m going to be talking about how Huckleberry Finn matured throughout the story and how I think that

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863 Words | 4 Pages

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is considered a classic piece of American literature, however, does it really deserve to be taught in schools? With so many other books that cover topics more relevant to today, why should a book about a boy who runs away with a slave be taught over books focusing on more modern topics? Well, apart from the defense that the book is a classic, it does have a few motifs that make it still very relevant to today. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huckleberry finds himself grappling with his sense of right and wrong, and his internal conflict its still quite relevant to the debates people people have today. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should still be taught in schools due to his contemplation

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734 Words | 3 Pages

If one reads the novel, he or she would see that the relationship between Huck and Jim speaks louder than an inappropriate word. Therefore, by banning this novel and countless others like it, schools are depriving students of learning about history, and reading about what life, and literature, was like in times before their own. This shows that novels shouldn’t be banned from public high schools because some novels that are considered unsuitable for teenagers to read contain information about

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731 Words | 3 Pages

The book was challenged by a middle school in Brentwood, Tennessee in 2006 because the book contains “profanity” and “contains adult themes such as rape and incest.” The complaints also say that the book promotes “racial hatred, racial division, racial separation, and promotes white supremacy.” The people that say that are people that are trying to ‘protect’ other people from knowing and understanding what happened in the past because they believe that if they do know and understand what happened in the past then they will become racist and believe in white supremacy. These kinds of people are like the Holocaust deniers who believe that six million Jews where not murdered despite all of the evidence against that. George Santayana once said “Those who cannot remember the past are bound to repeat it.”

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1598 Words | 7 Pages

Since its release in 1884, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain has been banned from libraries and even some schools for many years. Despite this, the book should be welcomed into libraries around the world due to its immense significance as a cornerstone of American literature, its ability to provide readers with a vivid picture of our past, and its capacity to teach valuable lessons. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a misunderstood, timeless classic that should remain available to readers of all ages. It is important to note that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is not a racist or anti-religious book. There is much controversy surrounding the book and many educated sources disagree on how it should be handled.

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