The novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, is a controversial book being brought to the attention of readers of being racist. Most people consider the book racist because of the ¨n¨ word and the character Jim. Not until after 100 years of being published people were worried about the books racial descriptions because they started teaching the book in public schools. Black parents didn't like the idea of their kids being taught a book they thought was about slavery and black people being frowned upon. Publishers edited different versions of the book to avoid being referred to as racist, and school districts even banned the book from being in elementary and intermediate schools. The novel is not racist itself, nor the author, …show more content…
100 years after the book was first published they started teaching the book in classrooms, and African American parents weren’t happy about their kids being taught about a book that has the word nigger in it. They would go to the school board and protest for the book to be banned, and most schools banned the book from being in libraries in elementary and intermediate schools. Even a few districts denied the book being taught in high school classes. Parents were outraged to find out that their children were being told they had to read this book, even though it was racist. “Black parents and public school officials objected to classroom use of Huckleberry Finn on the grounds that the book was insulting and even humiliating to black students. Specifically, they objected to the inflammatory word “nigger,” which appears on almost every page, and to the portrayal of Jim and other black characters.” (Apstein). Some schools even asked publishers, or looked for edited versions of the book the replaces the n word, and was less derogatory to blacks because they wanted to keep the book in the curriculum. Most families don’t realize that the book is merely about freedom for Huck and Jim, for them to work together to find the freedom they think they deserve (Is Huck Finn racist?). Readers of the book believe that the book itself is not racist but there may have been characters portraying racial qualities, but not every character had been
Huckleberry Finn Is Not to be Sivilized Censorship has always been a controversial subject, particularly when the materials in question are works of literature hailed as American classics. Despite the throngs of adoring fans who undyingly advocate for their favorite stories, certain novels are repeatedly called into question, chief among them The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. 219 occurrences of the N-word have earned the novel a multitude of challenges for crude and offensive language (Source F). However, this single word is fundamental to Mark Twain’s message.
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
Since its publication in December of 1884, Mark Twain’s novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, has created a great deal of controversy in American society. This well-known story follows a troubled young boy and a run away slave as they adventure down the Mississippi in search of new lives. Huck Finn longs for freedom from both his father, and from the society he has been exposed to. Jim longs for freedom from slavery and racism. Readers have argued over the matter of whether or not this novel should be banned from schools due to the frequent use of the “n-word”. It has caused many to question Twain’s intensions throughout the book, and is often seen as offensive. Although slavery has remained a difficult and upsetting issue in our nations
Throughout the years, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been taught in schools and has received high praises because it is classified as a classic American novel and teaches valuable life lessons to the reader. Recently, the novel has been questioned on whether or not it should continue to be taught in schools, because people assume this novel is racist because of the use of the “N”-word, however, the novel is not racist, therefore, it should continue to be taught in schools because it shows how life was during the time period the novel was set on. This novel also emphasizes the ignorance of the racial controversy and it teaches the reader about racist and abusive issues that are still occurring today. One of the major reasons why this
“All modern literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn,” this is what fellow writer had to say about this classic novel. Still, this novel has been the object of controversy since it was published more than 150 years ago. Some people argue that Huckleberry Finn is a racist work, and that the novel has no place in a highschool classroom. This feeling is generated because a main character in the story, Jim, and other slaves are referred to many times as “niggers.” When Mark Twain wrote this book, he was striving to show the general public that society was wrong in the past, that the way white people thought black people were less than human was a wrong viewpoint. The
Apart from being one of the landmarks of American literature, Mark Twain’s classic tale,The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, is a mirror of the deeply embedded racist attitudes of the Deep South in the 1880’s. First, not to mention the most controversial and obvious, is the liberal use of the “n” word throughout the book. Taken as a derogatory term by modern-day Americans, Twain’s use of the “n” word is simply a reflection of the times. Huck Finn was written when cruel and unjust treatment of colored people were commonplace and use of such a word didn’t get so much as a second thought.Huck Finn depicts a time when slaves were not treated as people but as things without emotions or personalities, mere property. For instance, Jim is initially known only in relation to whose property he is. He escapes from being continuously treated as property, even sold to a family that will most likely treat him even less humanely.
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
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
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.
Mark Twain has always been one of the most controversial authors of all time. Though in recent years, there has been increasing controversy over the ideas expressed in his novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. In some extreme cases the novel has even been banned by public school systems and censored by public libraries. The basis for this censorship is the argument that Mark Twain's book is racist, but in reality Twain was against racism and used this book to make people aware of what was going on in the south. He did this by using the regional dialect of the south, showing the attitude of the other characters in the novel toward black people, and showing his depiction of black characters. If one were to "read between the lines"
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.
Is the controversial novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to be considered as a racist book? Face or Opinion? This book has been banned in a lot of schools in the United States because of racial slurs or the “N-word.” Some schools think this will make children feel “embarrassed” to use these racial slurs. Regardless if this racist or not, this book shows how slavery was in the South in America in the 1800s using irony, humor and satire.
Ever since its publication over a hundred years ago, controversy has swarmed around one of Mark Twain’s most popular novels, Huck Finn. Even then, many educators supported its dismissal from school libraries. For post Civil-War Americans, the argument stemmed from Twain’s use of spelling errors, poor grammar, and curse words. In the politically correct 1990’s however, the point of argument has now shifted to one of the major themes of the book: Racism. John Wallace once said of the book, “It’s the most grotesque version of racist trash” ever written. Were Twain’s archetypal characters and use of vernacular language an assertion of his own racist views, or a critique of the injustice of
Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn is perhaps one of the most controversial novels the North American Continent has ever produced. Since its publication more than a hundred years ago controversy has surrounded the book. The most basic debate surrounding Twain's masterpiece is whether the book's language and the character of Jim are presented in a racist manner. Many have called for the book to be banned from our nation's schools and libraries. Mark Twain's novel is about a young boy who was raised in the south before slavery was abolished, a place where racism and bigotry were the fabric of every day life. The novel is the account of how Huck Finn, who is a product of these
Thesis: Students, teachers, parents, professors, and others have debated for decades whether The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a racist novel and if it should be banned from the classroom.