To begin, many believe that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should be removed entirely from schools, however a vast majority think that the book should remain in the classroom. David Bradley, author and teacher at University of Oregon, in a clip of 60 Minutes claims that reading the book in classrooms is beneficial and believes that if the book is being taught with the word then this allows for “‘teachable moments” in the classroom. Also David Bradley explain how the context of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn show how race is in society at the time during the time that the book was written in, he goes on to explain how after they get on the raft Huck tells Jim that they're after them and he doesn't say that they're after you. in the
So as you can see the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a great piece of american literature and should be taught in all high schools. not only because it shows how racism was back in the late 1800s but also because it shows the true meaning of the word
Huck Finn should be taught in high schools. The current state of the book draws controversy because of the use of the N-Word. The current debate is about whether or not we should remove the book from high school curriculums and required reading. We have a few options for what to do with the book. One, we get rid of the book from reading lists and from high school libraries. Two, we wait until college and require young adults to read it. Three, we continue to teach it to high school students, remembering to always be conscious of the connotation and effects of the racial slurs used in the book.
The novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is one of the most controversial novels written in American literature. Multiple different people have disagreed about this novel and whether it should be allowed to be taught in school or banned since the late 1980s. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a valuable novel and should be included in high school curriculum because it teaches students about the history of American society, it demonstrates Twain’s style of writing, and it addresses the topic of race.
Alfred Jacoby stated, “A masterwork… a volume worth having.” All schools will have their own individual opinions about this book in its entirety. The people, who speak negatively about The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, strongly need to reconsider their opinions and motives. People today and children today need to learn the reality of racism, they cannot just think it is okay, Huck' s example and willingness could totally prove them wrong! If the book offends a child, or makes them feel uncomfortable, maybe they could just sit this one out. No school should ever totally ban this book. It should remain in all libraries until it is forgotten, which might take
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.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a controversial book that leads to disagreements amongst educators. Schools have to decide whether it is appropriate or not to teach this book. A school in Pennsylvania stopped teaching this book and made national news. The school in Pennsylvania decided not to teach this book because “‘the community costs of reading this book…. outweigh the literary benefits’” (Flood). Schools believe that Huck Finn is either too racist to be taught or the perfect opportunity to discuss racism. It creates discussions that are too hard for some teachers like Marylee Hengstebeck who stated that “if [she decided] to teach it, [she] must virtually ignore parts of the novel”. Huck’s struggle between
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
Moliere said, “Unreasonable haste is the direct road to error”, which is what most people thought when Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain was first published and assigned in classrooms. That allowing such a novel to be taught to children is a disgrace. Assigning the novel Huckleberry Finn, or one like it, in the classroom can result in both positive and negative consequences. In John H. Wallace’s The Case Against Hick Finn he claims this book causes embarrassment for African American children. Similarly, Paul Butler, argues that, despite the historical context, Huck Finn enforced racism among other students in his article Why Bother Reading Huck Finn. Opposingly, in History, Slavery and Thematic Irony in Huckleberry Finn, Richard K. Barksdale argues
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is arguably one of the best novels of all time. It’s also one of the most controversial. The book was published in 1884, nineteen years after slavery was abolished in the United States. Slavery was still very common practice in the setting of the book, and the plot of the book is a kid trying to help a black slave escape and find his family. The first controversy of the book occurred when it first came out. People did not think the book should’ve been sold because it included a white kid socializing with a black man, which was not proper at the time. The next controversy still goes on today. Many schools do not teach the book because Twain used racial words that weren’t frowned upon then, but are now. Despite all of that, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should be taught in schools because it teaches American history, it helps kids learn valuable literary techniques, it is a great example of writing from a legendary author, and it forces kids to explore and develop their own morality.
Since the early ages of literature, there have been works of literature that have been considered controversial because of the content, as some believe they are offensive or inappropriate. Works such as Martin Luther 's 95 Theses and The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger are just two works of literature that have sparked major controversy. One of the most controversial works of American literature is The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn written by Mark Twain and eventually published in 1885. The novel expresses major points of that controversial time period that many people take offense to. One problem that people have had for years about Huck Finn is whether or not to allow this novel to be taught in the English Language Arts curriculum. People included in a grade nine through twelve grade are taught by the use of the ELA curriculum. The groundbreaking themes of Huck Finn, outweigh the reasons why people believe it should be banned, making it an essential read in American literature. There are parts of the novel that should not be read by young children, such the use of the word "nigger," how Huck saves a black man, Huck’s lack of maturity, and Huck’s fraudulent schemes require a certain amount of maturity that is not possessed by middle school students. Therefore, the teaching of this novel should be restricted to ninth grade as the minimum age to read this novel in an English classroom.
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.
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
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a novel based on the journey Huck, a young boy with an abusive father, and Jim, a runaway slave, have down the Mississippi River to Free states for an end goal of freedom. Freedom means different things to both of them, to Huck freedom means to be able to do what he wants and not be “sivilized”, while Jim’s definition of freedom is being able to live in peace with his wife and children. While on their journey to freedom they develop a caring unusual friendship. There is a great deal of controversy over whether or not The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should be taught in
High schools seem to be censoring everything these days – school published newspapers, websites, students’ clothing, and even their book choice. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a book which causes a lot of controversy as to whether the language and events in the book are appropriate to teach in a high school setting. Before the book ends up on the “banned book” list, it should be noted that it should be taught in a high school setting because although The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn contains some extreme racism, it could awaken the reader to the harsh reality of the past treatment of blacks, and this book was basically Twain’s way to expose the collapse of black people’s civil rights in the 1880s, and their rights will continue to be trampled over in generations to come by attempting to
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.