Why Huck Finn Should Be Banned

There will always be controversies in life, whether big or small, whether it affects individuals or groups, or whether it will make any difference to one’s life; this argument affects millions of adolescent lives. Where saying yes obliterates comfort zones and advocates racism, and while saying no promotes a conformist, mass mentality mindset and erases history. “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” is the name to put on the face of this problem. The controversy of this book has been fought over since it’s been published but the inspiration and individualistic philosophy this book teaches is far too great to dispose of. “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” should be required reading for students because first, the moral of the book preaches

Society has had problems with The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn shortly after being published. Huckleberry Finn was first published in January of 1885 and only two months later in March of 1885 the book was banned. The problem first with the book was it was too friendly toward African Americans and believed to lead children astray from certain values. Now over 100 years later “Huckleberry Finn is still making news” (Pitts). Now in the 21th century we have a problem with Huckleberry Finn not because of kindness to African Americans or believing it would lead children astray from traditional values but because of “one reason - one word: nigger” (Pitts). This word has been seen as a problem in the classrooms and teachers and schools refuse

“Banning books gives us silence when we need speech. It closes our ears when we need to listen. It makes us blind when we need sight,” Stephen Chbosky. Books open up people’s minds to new ideas and allow people to the world in a new light. Banning books only makes one want to read those books more- to learn and poder over the controversial issues. One controversially banned novel is the The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. This book while still has lessons to teach people in today’s society, including the ignorance of racism to addressing modern day issues; therefore The Adventures of Huckleberry FInn should not be banned.

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.

Mark Twain went against endless amounts of criticism about his racist’s comments in his novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The character of Jim is demeaning to African-Americans as he is portrayed as a foolish, uneducated, black slave. The “n” word is also used in the book describing him and many other African-American characters in the story. However, some see this book as anti-racist and believe that the use of racist’s comments is not racist at all. Those who think that are mistaken because Huck Finn in clearly a racist novel.

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

but upon further inspection and a little context it’s revealed that this statement is only offensive to make a point. And that point is that Huck has a hard time humbling himself to a nigger, not a slave, not a black man, a nigger. Because Twain chose this term the readers get to see that Huck begins the process of escaping the southern values instilled in him. Huckleberry Finn should be read by students in classrooms across the country even if it be a sanitized, because the book is too significant to pass

I think they should keep the old version of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn because it is more educational.

A widely debated topic concerning, Mark Twain’s classic Huckleberry Finn centers on its content which may or may not be too offensive to be allowed on public school reading lists. The NAACP and concerned parents want Huckleberry Finn “removed from mandatory reading lists, for the books damaging effects on African-American students” (Hentoff 98). The book did not get removed; in “1998 Judge Reinhardt wrote: ‘an important part of education is thinking critically about offensive ideas’ ” which is just one side of the argument (Hentoff 99). There are two sides of this debate which have valid points and even stronger feelings, to remove Huckleberry Finn or keep it in schools. The pro banning side declares the book has offensive language, racially insensitive, and the book encourages racial tension. The con banning side retorts First Amendment rights, knowledge stops repetition, and the book is anti-racist and teaches moral values. Huckleberry Finn is one of the most read classics, yet since its publication, has always stirred up trouble.

HuckleBerry Finn has been one of the most challenged and banned by schools and libraries since it was published in 1885. This book gives us a great insight into what America used to be like during its times of slavery in the Southern States.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is an outstanding work of American literature that evokes controversies even 133 years after it’s publishing. It’s known that this novel in the past few years has been banned by several high schools regarding the use of language within the book. However in literature, English, and American history classes today, Huck Finn is still taught frequently. Contrary to opinions regarding the teachings the book in the past, I believe that high schools should include Huck Finn in our curriculum. As a student who has read the book, I believe that the use of language contributes to Mark Twain’s invention of giving a new view on works of literature. Even though the n-word, an epithet that’s been used in the book 219 times

Even though The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is an important piece of literature because it exposes the racism in the South in America during the 1800’s, the advocacy for removing it from schools is understandable. In the twenty first century, much in contrast to the nineteenth century, racism is becoming less and less acceptable in our modern day society. There has been a steadily growing disapproval for any racist behavior since the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950’s. Because of this growing disapproval, books that may be deemed offensive or racist, such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, have become looked at and studied with contempt. A way that people have tried to halt the classic American novel from being given to young adults or children is to stop teaching it completely in schools and replacing it with another example of classic American literature. By doing this,

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Banned There is a reason that Mark Twain’s novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been on the list of the most frequently banned books in classrooms. The book has ignited many controversial opinions especially after a school collectively decided to ban it. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn follows a young boy and his adventure across the Mississippi River for freedom and adventure.

When looked up in the dictionary “Nigger” can be defined as a name for a black or dark skinned person. It is just a word and can be taken in many ways. Some people find this word to be contemptuous when it is said by a white person or someone of a different race than African American. How can a word be racist based on the race of the person that said it? If two African Americans were to say this word to each other than no offense would be taken, but it would be very “disrespectful” if the color of skin were to be changed on one of the people. I do not believe that “Huckleberry Finn” is a racist novel just because of the terminology used.

as his exploitation of the “n-word.” These elements combine to greatly overpower Huck’s individual beliefs, which have never been the main offender of the book. Furthermore, one cannot negate claims of racism in Huckleberry Finn based on the novel’s positive reception by a historically bigoted audience. The fact that Kaplan, a white man, felt obligated to nullify cries of racial injustice in 1984 exemplifies the need for education on literary racism that so many were trying to ban. But the routine silencing of black voices has not ceased over the past thirty years.