Aside from banning or censoring Huckleberry Finn, it is argued that the story should be allowed in its original from. By allowing the story in its original form, students are exposed to Twain's use of language, which includes the use of the n-word. Getting rid of the story will not allow students to read an important piece of literature that can teach them so much ,such as, a strong relationship and a side of slavery most students do not get the chance to learn about. There are many different sides on Huckleberry Finn, but “the key to understanding Huckleberry Finn is through Twain’s use of language”(David Bradley). So removing the n-word form the story defeats Twain’s purpose and does not portray the message that the author was aiming for.
Supporters of banning say profanity can negatively influence the actions and thoughts of readers, especially younger readers that may not have heard or read many corrupt words. Huckleberry Finn, a book commonly inveighed for its use of contentious racial language, is commonly challenged for that reason. For USA Today, Martha Moore wrote, “When the younger reader is staring at that word five times on a given page and the instructor is saying, 'Mark Twain didn't mean this and you have to read it with an appreciation of irony,' you're asking a lot of a younger reader”. Granted, foul vocabulary is a challenge that academies need to address, but not through barring novels. Besides, if the reader is sufficiently mature for the book, they can still learn from it. For instance, some racial characterizations do not intentionally persecute people, but show the contrasting tensions between them, conforming to the time period. Again, the article “Huck Finn Navigating Choppy Waters Again” revealed, “The word is there for a reason… The word is terrible, it's hurtful, but it's there for a reason” (Moore). The racial epithets used in that book convey the attitude of Missouri in the 1840s when friction between African Americans and white people was rising. Additionally, banning a book due to concerns about the language is not beneficial to pupils because it prevents them from learning from other components of the book. “Often the organizations or schools that ban these books fail to see the book as a whole; they often center on the one page, the one scene or even the one word containing the offensive language or meaning and judge the whole book based on that one aspect,” according to an article by Adriana Lopez. She makes a sound point. A book contains a whole plot with themes that
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.
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
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
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
Many people read books and they are often so quick to judge the little details that describe an action, thought, and event that take place in the story. However, if we want to learn about the past and how it has influenced today’s world, we have to be prepared for whatever comes up. If we, as people, get offended and avoid reading famous written works from long ago, how will we be able to learn more about literature? Although “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” uses disrespectful language and contains immoral actions that should not be performed by anyone, it should not be banned because it is one of the few books that teach the audience a lesson that is still relevant in today’s society and allows us to
The question is, should huckleberry Finn be removed from public school curriculum? No, I don't think so, because it was written 150 years ago and it shows in a way we can understand, how hard life was for black people back then. This book is a part of American history. If this book is too offensive to read, then is To Kill a Mockingbird going to be banned
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is widely regarded as an American classic and is read in high school classrooms across the country. The book was written by Mark Twain during the late 1800’s and it is set during a time in America before the Civil War. It has been appraised for the way that Mark Twain told the story through the eyes of a young and adventurous boy from the South named Huckleberry Finn. Huckleberry Finn was a whimsical character that found himself involved in various adventures around the Southern areas of the United States with his companion, Jim. In recent events, the character of Jim has stirred up a large amount of controversy, largely due to the various times he is referenced as a “n-word” in the story. Various schools across America have
Mark Twain’s famous nineteenth century novel, Huckleberry Finn, has become an icon of controversy in today’s modern era. Because of its seemingly degrading portrayal of African Americans and its repeated use of a word now considered inappropriate, many people are left to wonder whether the book should be allowed in places such as a school atmosphere. Almost the whole entirety of the book is written using ungrammatical features and nonstandard English, which is another reason people believe it should not be used in an academic setting where proper use of language is taught and encouraged. Since this book was set in a time where the division between educated versus uneducated, or social standing, was shown greatly through speech alone, Twain
I agree with you that Huckleberry Finn should not be removed from schools. Also, I think you made a point when you said that the option should be given on which version someone would want to read. That way you are giving the classrooms the chance to pick which version they would rather read instead of the teacher reading a specific version.
Many attacks on the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn have made due to its use of the n-word. In fact, many have proposed creating a book in which all instances of the word are replaced with the word slave. Opponents claim that this action changes the very meaning of the text by
For more than a century Mark Twain’s novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been ridiculed and banned by schools across the United States. Over the years many people have asked “Should this novel be taught in classrooms?” Most believe that this novel does more harm than good. This novel should be taught in schools because it provides a clear picture of what time was like back in the 1800s. The N word is known to cause many problems but if teachers can teach the message Twain was trying to say then students would understand that this book was not hating on a particular group of people. As Americans we can learn from this novel, to never allow such racist claims to any race throughout our future.
Everyone has different opinions--different opinions make the world go round. It also causes arguments and problems, but the one good result it does is, it gives an opinionated individual the opportunity to convince society what is right. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, is a very controversial novel. Many individuals believe The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is an important part of American Literature, and some others think quite differently. Extending on the only good result that comes from arguing; The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should be included in the high school curriculum because of its valuable lessons, important view of the past, and Huck’s unique characteristics.
Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was a follow-up to Tom Sawyer, and it dumps us right back in the Southern antebellum (that's "pre-war") world of Tom and his wacky adventures.