For some people the sound of Huckleberry Finn reminds them of the old American classic tale by Mark Twain about a boy on the Mississippi River. For me, the name stirs memories of high school English class and the grueling work of writing essays. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is undeniably a part of American culture. If a student doesn’t read it in school, they’ve still at least heard of it. They’ve also probably heard about the endless debates that the book has created for over 100 years. The book was banned by the Concord, MA library just one month after its publication for being “trash and only suitable for slums.” So why is the book so controversial? According to Pearl James the problem is the portrayal of the runaway slave, Jim. In …show more content…
She mentions that the different styles of dialect are helpful in distinguishing between each character. She says Twain’s use of dialect and phonetic spelling are meant to mimic speech, not writing. Even Mark Twain says in the beginning of the book, “In this book a number of dialects are used, to wit: the Missouri negro dialect; the extremest form of the backwoods Southwestern dialect; the ordinary "Pike County" dialect; and four modified varieties of this last. The shadings have not been done in a haphazard fashion, or by guesswork; but painstakingly, and with the trustworthy guidance and support of personal familiarity with these several forms of …show more content…
Rather she is just presenting the facts of the book that could support each argument. She writes in her essay that ending of AHF is largely based on the reader’s opinion on Jim. If the reader sees Jim as a stereotype and static character, then the entire adventure on the river was pointless, like a circle. However, she also points out that if the reader interprets a more dynamic character in Jim with actual development, then the journey was meaningful, like a line. James draws evidence for both sides mentioning the long, drawn-out trick at the end of the novel. James does not give her opinion on the subject; instead letting the reader use their knowledge to form their own
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is considered by many to be the greatest American novel ever written. Despite this praise, Mark Twain’s masterpiece has never been without criticism. Upon its inception it was blasted for being indecent literature for young readers because of its lack of morals and contempt for conformity. Modern indignation toward Huck Finn arises from its racist undertones, most notably Twain’s treatment of the character Jim. As is the case with many canonized yet controversial books, the biggest conflict revolves around the inclusion of Huck Finn on required reading lists of public schools throughout the country.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is, perhaps, the most famous novel in American literature. Chances are that you made a poster about it in middle school, read it in high school, and wrote several reports on it in college. However, as famous as the novel is, it is also notoriously controversial for its language and portrayal of African Americans (which I will term “narrative realism”). After eventually capturing a coveted spot in the American literary canon, concerned calls from the American public for its ban only grew. Today, the great controversy over whether the novel belongs in the American literary canon in the first place continues. However, there is a clear answer: the novel deserves its coveted spot in the American literary canon
People from the south, especially the deep south like Missouri didn’t want to be seen in that kind of way. They felt like they were more than just some racist and uneducated fools. Pearl James assertion of how “Twain creates the impression of American folk culture through his use of dialect and phonetic spelling, which mimics speech, rather than writing” is valid because in the real world people are not all the same, everyone is different. Their actions are different the way they speak and the vocabulary is different. Twain wanted to use this information and put it into his writing. He creates various dialects to all the characters he adds into his novel. For example, one reason why this book was first band from schools and libraries was because it had a vigorous debate over the numerous appearance of the “N” word. As awful and disrespectful word that is, Twain used it over and over again throughout the novel. The reason being was because that’s how people talked back then. He wanted his novel to be as accurate as he can make it. Furthermore, without the use of this word the novel and dialect would change dramatically. It wouldn’t seem to give it that extra kick to make the reader feel like they were there listening to the character’s conversation. He uses this specific type of language to access the culture and to accurately define a character and to make it more believable, complex, and therefore dignified. Or it can make them seem merely uneducated, and caricatured.
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a significant book in the history of American literature that presents readers with the truth of our past American society in aspects such as speech, mannerisms, and tradition that we must embrace rather than dismiss by censorship. It is a novel that has been praised and proclaimed America’s “first indigenous literary masterpiece” (Walter Dean Howells) as well as one that has been criticized and declared obscene. It has undergone much scorn and condemnation as a novel and many feel that it should be censored. This, however, is not the way it should be. Huckleberry Finn is a masterpiece and, as a matter of fact, it is one on many levels. The story itself, though
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a novel by Mark Twain, has been controversial since it hit the shelves on its release. The novel had ideals of racism, slavery, tricks, and societal wake up calls that was a smack in the face to readers. This novel has been fought now and again to be censored, or to be banned altogether from public high school reading lists. Huck Finn is a novel in which the reader doesn’t have to look very far below the surface to see the message and proofs it brought to the surface. The word choice, character traits, and plot line are all factors that made Huck Finn what is considered the greatest fiction novel in American writing. Ernest Hemingway, author of The Great Gatsby and other major literary works, said, “All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn." The novel was written to shock people, and that is exactly what it did. Censoring or banning this novel would be taking away a piece of American culture and taking away meaning from the purpose of the novel. Huck Finn should be encouraged in high schools, as written, and taught to show the meaning and influence this novel had on people at the time it was written.
“All modern literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn,” this is what fellow writer had to say about this classic novel. Still, this novel has been the object of controversy since it was published more than 150 years ago. Some people argue that Huckleberry Finn is a racist work, and that the novel has no place in a highschool classroom. This feeling is generated because a main character in the story, Jim, and other slaves are referred to many times as “niggers.” When Mark Twain wrote this book, he was striving to show the general public that society was wrong in the past, that the way white people thought black people were less than human was a wrong viewpoint. The
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a classic novel with the ongoing debate of whether or not the novel should be read within schools. This debate is surrounds to book within the matter of slavery and harder writing for students to understand. However, Huck Finn educates students about the past in a different view also opens students up to local color by showing slaves are humans as well.
I feel this way because it is what I am least able to understand. From what I understand, some people feel as if the ending was too glorified for the rough plot that encompassed the rest of the novel. Moreover, Huck seems to revert back to the innocent, society-influenced boy he was in the beginning of the novel before going through the transformation he does going down the river. Quite simply, Huck sees Jim as a human, even a friend at times, on the river, but feels superior and treats Jim like property just as everyone else does on shore. Considering the novel ends on shore, as it starts, it is easy to assume that the novel ends with Huck as racist and ignorant as the rest of antebellum society and as he was before his journey down the
Year after year The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is placed in the top ten banned books in America. People find the novel to be oppressing and racially insensitive due to its frequent use of the n-word and the portrayal of blacks as a Sambo caricature. However, this goes against Mark Twain’s intent of bringing awareness to the racism in America. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is classified under the genre of satire and is narrated by a fictional character named Huckleberry Finn. The novel takes place in the south during the year 1845. With his abusive father, and no mother, Huck is left feeling lonely, and as if he has place to call his home. So he decides to leave town, and on in his journey where he encounters a slave he’s familiar with, Jim, who is also running away. This story captures their relationship and growth as they face many obstacles on their way to freedom. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn satirizes people’s greed and violent behavior by mocking the stereotype of southern hospitality.
Many students and parents believe that this book should not be taught in schools because it can be offensive to some readers. Parents complain of their children reading such a "racist" book at school and demand that it should not be forced upon them to do so. Huckelberry Finn is said to be one of the greatest novels in American history and it is very brave for someone to say that it should not be taught. Most people believe that Jim is portrayed as a fool in Huck Finn when in reality he wasn't. Jim is the stereotype for a slave from that time period, but he is also different than people see him, Jim is a very caring man. He stays with Huck after realizing that his father had died, he also went through so much trouble to be with his family again. That is something that not all men would do.
Mark Twain has always been one of the most controversial authors of all time. Though in recent years, there has been increasing controversy over the ideas expressed in his novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. In some extreme cases the novel has even been banned by public school systems and censored by public libraries. The basis for this censorship is the argument that Mark Twain's book is racist, but in reality Twain was against racism and used this book to make people aware of what was going on in the south. He did this by using the regional dialect of the south, showing the attitude of the other characters in the novel toward black people, and showing his depiction of black characters. If one were to "read between the lines"
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is one of the most controversial novels of all time in America. Critics typically object to the strong language Twain uses, but other areas of debate include sexism, Twain’s opinions on Christianity, and of course, racism. While sexism and Twain’s opinions against the church are present in the novel, by and large, the most expansive area of discussion revolves primarily around racism, and more specifically, around the characterization of one of the main characters, Jim. Although Jim may act in accordance with stereotypes about his race, he only does so to further his own goals, and as a result subverts the stereotypes to which he pretends to conform, giving audiences a useful lens through which
Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn is perhaps one of the most controversial novels the North American Continent has ever produced. Since its publication more than a hundred years ago controversy has surrounded the book. The most basic debate surrounding Twain's masterpiece is whether the book's language and the character of Jim are presented in a racist manner. Many have called for the book to be banned from our nation's schools and libraries. Mark Twain's novel is about a young boy who was raised in the south before slavery was abolished, a place where racism and bigotry were the fabric of every day life. The novel is the account of how Huck Finn, who is a product of these
Mark Twain is a world renowned Regionalist author whose work gives vivid descriptions of the area. Mark Twain incorporated characteristics of regionalism by using the dialect of the time, and place of Huckleberry Finn through the dialogues of the characters. His writing also shows the social classes of the time. Lastly, his writing is filled with imagery, giving you a description of the environment.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain has been called one of the greatest American Novels and considered a masterpiece of literature. The book is being taught by teachers across the country for years. Now, Huckleberry Finn, along with other remarkable novels such as Of Mice and Men and To Kill a Mockingbird, is being pulled off the shelves of libraries, out of schools and banned from classrooms because it has been considered unsuitable and racist for today's youth. An classic American novel like this book should not be banned from schools; it shows history, growth and friendship.