Why Is Huckleberry Finn Be Banned

Natasha Johnson

Mrs. Cook

American Literature

05.31.23

Should The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn be Banned? Philosopher George Santayana said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” This quote emphasizes the importance of remembering history—full of victories, downfalls, successes, and mistakes—to ensure that humanity does not commit actions it has already regretted. Racism and slavery, what make up the heart of the American Civil War, are topics that should not be ignored or forgotten. Mark Twain wrote a classic novel detailing the adventures of a boy in nineteenth century America where slaves were common and racism was expected. The reader follows the main character, Huckleberry Finn, in his journey of figuring

One of the main characters in the story was Jim, a slave for Huck’s caretaker, and slaves were typical for everyone in the book to have. The reader got to experience, from Huck’s perspective, the discomfort of viewing how slaves were treated. They were met with abuse, disrespect, and unfair living and working conditions. Even if a Black person was not a slave, most people were highly racist toward them. The reader saw Huck’s internalized prejudice multiple times in the novel. Black people were generally thought to be dumber and more incapable than white. That idea was expressed in Huckś train of thought, though it did develop throughout the story. Twain also explored different views that people had about slaves and Black people, aside from Huck. Some characters in the novel treated their slaves more civilly and with respect, seeing them more as people, while others treated them as less than human and only saw them as tools. The inclusion of various ideas of how slaves and Black people were thought of helps the reader to see different ways of life and struggle with the thought of how they may have treated them if they had lived in that time. Twain wrote about slavery and racism as they were in the time of Huck Finn. He did not try to make them appear better than they were, ensuring that his reader would have to confront the dark history of America. He even went so far as to use the N-word, a highly offensive racial slur, as people in Huck’s time did. While some may argue that the use of such a term was not necessary, its utilization ensured that no part of the America’s past was glossed over. The reader would have to face the discomfort that stemmed from a crucial time in history. It served as a reminder of why such a period is looked upon as shameful and cruel and why society should not let a