Racial Slurs In Mark Twain's The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn

The revisional author, Alan Gribben, said he worried that the N-word had resulted in the novel falling off reading lists. He believes his sanitized edition will please more readers and teachers. Gribben has plowed over Twain's freedom of speech in the process. After all, Twain isn't around to comment(Dawkins 1). The responsibility of this book belongs to no one. Banning or sanitizing Huckleberry Finn should not be a topic of discussion because Twain had every right to write the book however he desired. Offensive terms and words are being invented right now. We should not pick on historical terms when others are being invented everyday.

It is odd to think that a high school student would pick up the word “nigger” and use it against another student because high school students have already been exposed to topics such as slavery and racism. Therefore, it would be unlikely for a student to use “nigger” against another student given the fact that race is still a “volatile and divisive subject” in this country and high school students is not ignorant infants that can’t distinguish the rights and wrongs about the word “nigger.” (Williams, Randle). At this point in time teenagers are exposed to excessive profanity through the media, music lyrics on TV and many times it is not censored. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should be kept in library shelves and schools in its original form because students can receive moral lessons and therefore, mature as human beings. A big part about how a student can react to the novel is how the book is being taught. Teachers should acknowledge the intention and purpose of Mark Twain, which was to appeal to the reader 's emotions through the use of specific diction. Along with teaching the literary elements of the novel the teachers should also imply the ideas and controversies that are being presented in the novel. Twain’s purpose was also to capture the moments that defined the 1800s such as slavery and racism. After all, the novel should be taught in its original

There has always been controversy about Mark Twain’s book, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and whether or not it should be taught and discussed in school. Many think the book should be banned. The argument against using the book is based on the “N-Word” and other racial slurs which are used throughout the book. They are offensive.

Should Huckleberry Finn be taught in schools? This question has been a topic of discussion over the past years and is still being talked about today. A lot of people say that the book should be banned from schools because of the racial comments in the book. People claim that it could offend the youth, and teach them unfit words. It is understandable for people to be concerned about the books language, but in reality all the book does is enlighten the youth on the history of slavery and many more. In Joan DelFattores article she states. “The elimination of "nigger" is presented not as censorship but as a rescue mission to save Huckleberry Finn from oblivion, because many secondary schools will not teach material that makes students

How would you feel if an author published a book that contained a word that was once used frequently but has now developed into one of the most derogatory and unfriendly things a person can say? Since 1884, when the book was first published, there has been much controversy regarding the use of the word “nigger” in the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain. Many people all over the world, predominantly the African-American population, feel that the word demoralizes the Blacks, and feel that the novel should be strongly censored from society. Some say that the constant use of the “n-word” forces the reader to conceive one of the main characters, Jim (Huck’s slave friend), as a buffoon, and it therefore embarrasses the

Since the release of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in 1885, the way that different races relate to each other (specifically people of European and African descent) has changed astronomically. In some ways it’s improved dramatically, but some aspects of inter-racial relations have changed in ways that are not necessarily positive since the books release.

Despite all the criticism, of racism and other questionable material for young readers, Mark Twain’s The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn is a superbly written novel, which in the opinion of this reviewer should not be remove the literary cannon. Twain’s novel is a coming of age story that teaches young people many valuable lessons and to some extend makes students reexamine their own lives and morals. The most common argument for its removal from the literary canon is that the novel is too racist; it offends black readers, perpetuates cheap slave-era stereotypes, and deserves no place on today’s bookshelves.  However one must ask if Twain is encouraging

Mark Twain’s novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is considered an American classic. However, critics demand the book should either be censored or banned from high school classrooms, because of its racial overtones and use of the “N-word” 215 times. Several schools, in fact, have already banned the book. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should not be censored or banned, and should be read by high school students, because it is an important work of literature that illustrates what life was like for African-Americans prior to the Civil War.

            In addition, reading this novel hopefully invokes in people a sense of shame for the mistakes of our ancestors.  Though the novel’s language may offend some, it is Africans Americans and Caucasians alike who are offended.  Nobody likes to look at the word "nigger" nor hear it used, however, we must accept that this word was at one time considered appropriate language.  Reading the novel, I was repulsed by this word and my stomach churned as I read about the ignorance and hate stored within the hearts of characters.  However, I enjoyed reading this novel and gained a new perspective of life prior to the Civil War.  I think that when schools ban the novel Huck Finn from their curriculum that they are in effect failing their students.  Huck Finn is an excellent piece of literature, rich with history, description, and unique perspectives.  By not allowing

I think the old version of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should be taught because, the only reason why Mark Twain used the n-word in the first place in the book is because that is how the people talked back in the day. Then you can’t replace the n-word with slave because slave refers to the actual repeal of human rights. That is not what the n-word means. The n-word is just another word for a colored person. “It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger; but I done it, and I warn't ever sorry for it afterwards, neither. I didn't do him no more mean tricks, and I wouldn't done that one

To sum up, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is an important piece of literature that should be allowed in schools. By banning the book or censoring the n-word, students will either not get the opportunity to learn about slavery in a different way that what is taught at school or they will not learn the true meaning of the story that is intended to be learned. The n-word has a strong impact on the audience and by removing it the story will no longer be seen as one of Twain's original work and will instead cause more controversy on its importance to students. The friendship that was formed throughout the book teaches students something more than slavery and shows how Jim was viewed as more than just a slave. It does not encourage racism and

The usage of such racial epithets was to give the audience a better context of the epoch, to express the dialect used in the book, and to better shine the light on the predicaments of the slaves in the era. These opponents cannot avoid racism forever; however, as a recent study completed by the University of Arkansas found that over 80% of African Americans, 60% of Latinos, and around 40% of Caucasians still experience day to day racism, regardless of if they live in the North or South (Dowe). Moreover, major news channels, including, but not limited to, ABC News and U.S. News & World Report, even have specific, running pages devoted to the prickly issue. Sooner or later, the adversaries’ bliss is going be curtailed as they will face an imminent meeting with the reality that they did not want to

Mark Twain was an astounding author of his time who often wrote humorous stories tied in with satire and irony. Due to his innovative and unique style of writing, Twain’s books have been labeled classics. One of his most known works is the much loved Huckleberry Finn. The book is often read and taught in many schools as part of the curriculum. However, there has been much controversy over the book due to the usage of the N-word throughout the story. Due to the language used, many schools are quite apprehensive about the book. Many want to take it out of the curriculum completely or use an explicated version as they find it not appropriate or suitable for the reading level of the class. However, Twain’s usage of the word was simply in terms of literature where the story was staged in a period of racism and slavery.

This fictional, satirical follow-up to to Mark Twain’s 1876 novel is just as popular, although for most it’s for different reasons. The amount of times that the “n-word” is used is between 160 and 213 [2]. Since the 1950s, black parents and some white sympathizers have called this book out as being racist. As for my opinion on this, I never got why this was bad. Sure, it may seem racist to us, but in the context of it’s time, there’s really nothing wrong. That was the controversy of it, as for the story itself, it’s a classic in it’s own right.

An issue of central importance to Huckleberry Finn is the issue of race. The story takes place in a time of slavery, when blacks were considered inferior to whites, sometimes to the point of being considered less than fully human. But Huckleberry Finn challenges the traditional notions of the time, through its narrator and main character, Huckleberry Finn. While in the beginning, Huck is as unaware of the incorrectness of society’s attitudes as the rest of society is, he undergoes many experiences which help him to form his own perspective of racial issues. Through the adventures and misadventures of Huck Finn and the slave Jim, Twain challenges the traditional societal views of race and