What Does Twain Teach Huck 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.

Twain unnecessarily uses the word a total of 219 times throughout the novel. Although this argument is valid, his language is an important aspect of the story. Huck's ignorance often surfaces, and his frequent use of the “n-word” certainly causes the reader to cringe. In a classroom, discomfort among students is often magnified. The offensive language in Huck Finn certainly makes it a difficult book to read, however, it does not entail eliminating the novel from classrooms. Critics have often discussed censoring the book and replacing the “n-word” with “slave” instead. This would be just as ineffective as eliminating the book. Mark Twain intentionally uses this language to bring reality into his story and help show the change that his characters undergo. Changing the diction and language would be changing the story. Just because a word is offensive, doesn’t mean it is being used for the wrong purpose.

One of Mark Twain’s best selling novels, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, has been disputed ever since the novel has been published in 1884. The novel was based on a young white boy who escaped his abusive alcoholic father and had so many crazy adventure with Jim, a runaway slave. The novel also included racial slurs such as using the word “nigger” over 200 times. Over the time that has gone by, the novel is still unwanted and so many schools are discussing to ban this famous American literature because of just one word, “nigger”. So many people found this word to be offensive so instead of banning the book, the word “nigger” was replaced with “slave”. Also other options were considered such as making a new edition of the novel or just replace

There are some that do believe the book is good but the use of the racial slurs are not to be taught in the school system. From the moment the book was published , Mark Twain's "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" caused major controversy. The book challenged parental and adult authority, made fun of religion and was said to have influenced the attendance of children at school. From the time the book was written to now this is still makes headlines on the controversy the book causes. There have been districts in America that ban this classic book for the reason of the word “nigger”, a word so offensive it is usually called the N-word. Is a good thing to change the word from one thing to another? “that might be a trick question, any answer I give

Many schools have banned teachers from teaching on Twain’s Huckleberry Finn for various reasons. One of those reasons is that Twain uses the word nigger, and he uses it to many times. At the time that this book was written, slaves and free black people were called niggers. So Twain in his writing is being politically correct when writing about Jim and the other slaves

Education in Huckleberry Finn or in that time period was rare to any person because not a lot of people had a chance to learn how to read and write. My subject is about naming some quotes and explaining whats wrong with them and how to fix the phrase to make them comprehensible (understood). Also, about why most people didn’t get an education. Although most white slave owners didn’t know how to read or write 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

But according to Michael Meyers, “It is in the classroom, exactly, where the word ‘nigger’ belongs. It does not belong in the street, in casual conversation among whites or between blacks.” (67). John Wallace feels that because the word “nigger” appears over 200 times throughout the story, it “has caused him to be traumatized as a high-school student when it was required reading.” (“View of Slavery Still a Hot Topic”). Wallace went so far as to change the book, replacing any words that he felt were offensive to black people with other non-offensive words like slave or black man. When Wallace changed this book to what he felt was less offensive, the novel lost its irony, and its values (“View of Slavery Still a Hot Topic”). Other people argue that the text is harmful for young African-American students to read, but they must realize that Twain was writing for the time of the story. He wrote these words as a reminder that the way people acted in the past was unacceptable, and should not be tolerated, nor repeated. He knew that the way he had the characters treat Jim and the other slaves was wrong, but he was writing a period piece. These actions fit the way people acted in American society in the 1830's and 1840's (Cryer 60). Twain goes on to show that even though Huck has been brought up to think of blacks as only slaves, and that he knows that freeing a slave, is not only

Huck Finn is a historical fiction novel that uses offensive language in a satirical way to portray slavery in the nineteenth century. The novel is questioned for its historical inaccuracies and use in junior high and high school classrooms. Some believe that the “reading aloud of Huckleberry Finn in our classrooms is humiliating and insulting to black students” (Wallace, 17). Yet, others believe that “one gathers a deeper understanding of the meaning of living in a slave society such as the one Huck and his peers lived in” (Barksdale, 49). Because of the novel’s vulgar language and repeated use of the “n-word”: “the appellation commonly used for slaves in slavery time, appears more than 200 times”, the novel can become a source of discussion within the classroom environment (Barksdale, 52). Although students would have to be prepared for the “far-flung historical and psychological causes and consequences”, after reading the novel, its negativity and racial discrimination can be discussed rather than its status as a literary classic (Barksdale, 53). This novel can create a safe way to discuss the use of racial profanities as well as racism during the 19th and 20th centuries compared to the racism experienced in the 21st century. If teachers and students are able to discuss The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in a constructive manner rather than

The “N” word should be used in the book because the word is used on an almost daily basis by younger people. People use different forms of the “N” word but it all has the same meaning. Why should the word be changed in the book if others don’t change it in their vocabulary? Huckleberry Finn is a book that was written in the time where the “N” word was used every day.

Huckleberry Finn is a classic novel that is taught in a majority of high school classrooms today. It is considered one of Twain’s finest works but is also one of the most controversial as well. The excessive use of the “n” word throughout his novel is very upsetting to some, stirring up the question as to whether or not Huckleberry Finn really is racist. With this question being asked many believe the novel should not be taught in schools, as it is inappropriate and offensive. Although Huck Finn can be mistaken as racist, it should not be banned from schools.

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

A vast amount of people see this other version of Huckleberry Finn as an educational advantage knowing that teachers can utilize this version of the classic novel without offending some of their students and also making sure that they are able to teach this book to their students without making them feel offended or uncomfortable since the N word has now been changed to slave. Although this opens up a variety of opportunities for many schools in the United States, one fact cannot be ignored at this point in which although the N word may have been replaced with the word slave, it completely changes the authorial intent for Huckleberry Finn let alone the fact that while teachers use this novel as a learning experience for their students, they will have to change the intent that the author had throughout this book knowing that Twain had originally used the N word in order to emphasize the attitudes that the characters that he had created have had during this period of time in the

Huck also shows what he learned from Mary Jane’s attitude towards her own slaves here: they have families and their own feelings, and they shouldn’t be separated from each other. He also spends a large amount of time contemplating the relationship which he and Jim have cultivated over the last few weeks. Huck now understands, through his time spent with the Wilks, that relationships are built on trust, a trust which he would be completely betraying by turning Jim in. He seems especially to realize this when thinking about how Jim “said [he] was the best friend old Jim had in the world, and the only one he’s got now” (214). After his experiences with the King and the Duke with the Wilks, Huck cannot betray Jim’s trust. Throughout the entire

Words may sting and leave wounds but if left alone, it may worsen. High schools may vary on the continuation of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain due to the usage of the word “nigger” throughout the novel. There have been numerous counts where schools concluded to continue teaching the novel but changing the official version by replacing “nigger” to “slave”. In all honesty the novel should remain the same because individuals will understand how a word may impact each group in societies differently and may learn how at the time period it insulting yet allowed.