The Truth of Huck Finn
Throughout the classic novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain continuously and loosely uses the word "nigger." In the society of the year 2002 that word has become one of the most evil and hated in the English language. It is thought of as so bad that it is rarely even spoken, as people prefer to be politically correct and say "n-word" in it's place. The use of this word has caused the book to be banned and censored by many schools across the country, as people want to shield children from the supposed racism of the novel. It was found to be the fifth most challenged book of the 1990's. This word is definitely terrible and has no place in the current society, but it is important to examine Twain's motive behind the inclusion of this word in the story. The book should not be dismissed as cruel and racist before all of the facts are examined. Before forming a wrong opinion, the evolution of the word and the reasons behind it's use in the novel should be examined. After learning all of the facts, the use of the word in the book shouldn't be looked as evil, but as a reminder of how far society has come.
This novel was written in a time very different from today. It was first published in 1884 and is set some years before in the early 1800's. At this time slavery was common practice in the southern part of the United States. People grew up believing there was nothing wrong with it. People in this time spoke almost identically to the language presented in the book, including referring to African-Americans as "niggers." Twain explains the dialects he was trying to present before the story even begins. In an explanatory he says he was using "the extremist form of the backwoods Southwestern dialect" and "the ordinary Pike County dialect." Both of these types of speech would have included this word. Twain did not use this word to be derogatory toward black people but for the story to remain authentic. The appearance of the word in this book should be looked at as a reminder of a bad time in history.
The Adventures of Huck Finn is a very controversial book which brings much debate on whether it should be taught to children in America. The main reason for this debate is because the offensive word ‘nigger’ is used commonly throughout. The book is a classic and is seen to some people as such a great book that we should overlook the offensive word to understand the real lessons Mark Twain wanted to get across. One solution to this ongoing debate is something called the New South Edition, which substitutes ‘nigger’ for a ‘slave’ a word that is less personal and describes the history of America. Dr. Alan Gribben writes about the controversy and how the change effects the new edition. He uses personal anecdote, emotional appeal, historical references.
Although most will be pushed to go to college some will choose to go out into the workforce immediately and that cannot be looked down upon because that is their decision and that is what they want to do, but with that in mind they must always consider college because in a lifetime it will more than likely be the wiser decision. One who takes the risk and tries to go to college might find out they want to be a biology teacher and not an astrophysicist and that is all due to college and all the experiences that it can bring along that have absolutely nothing to do with education but of broadening horizons and making one see different points of view. That is where the true value of college lies, not with the education and degree, but with the experiences, meeting new people, learning new ideals and cultures, and the ultimate tool you gain is just finding out who you are as a person. During college you learn what you like and don’t like, what makes you happy and doesn’t, you find yourself during college and that cannot simply be overlooked because of a price tag. That is why I believe everyone should consider college and overlook the price tag all to find themselves and further them along as a human being and a
The lessons Mark Twain teaches throughout his book are vital for every High School student to experience. One of the major points for arguing that The Adventure’s of Huckleberry Finn should be banned is the repetitive and overuse of the N word. On a surface level, the way the N word is used could seem very disrespectful however as one dives deeper into analysis, Twain seemingly uses the N word loosely to portray a message. Throughout the book, Jim is always looked upon with a negative attitude and being just a typical black person because of these traits. However, as Huck and Jim venture along the Mississippi river, Huck begins to act more and more like Jim is an actual person. A prime example of this is when Huck says “they’re comin for us” (Twain 63) rather than saying they’re coming for you. Huck sees him and Jim as a relationship rather than just him and a slave. Another example is when Huck says, “It was 15 minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a n----” (89). Huck’s apology shows how Huck’s mindet towards not only Jim but all black people has changed, and that he actually has feelings for them now. The overall lesson tha...
When one is young they must learn from their parents how to behave. A child's parents impose society's unspoken rules in hope that one day their child will inuitivly decerne wrong from right and make decisions based on their own judgment. These moral and ethical decisions will affect one for their entire life. In Mark Twains, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck is faced with the decision of choosing to regard all he has been taught to save a friend, or listen and obey the morals that he has been raised with. In making his decision he is able to look at the situation maturely and grow to understand the moral imbalances society has. Hucks' decisions show his integrity and strength as a person to choose what his heart tells him to do, over his head.
When a book uses the "N-word" 213 times (Carey-Webb 24) and portrays the African American characters as inferior to their white counterparts, it becomes easy to assume that the book’s author Mark Twain is using this novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, as a form of racist propaganda to display upon America in the late 19th century post-Civil War Era. By the late 19th century slavery had finally ended across the United States, but racial tension, discord and discrimination were still very much at large. For those opposed to slavery in its original iteration, and, therefore, opposed to its continuation in this form, the only thing left to do was to continue fighting the battle for equality and rights in any way they knew how.
The famous civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. once said: “The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people,” capturing the main message of the short story “The Lottery,” by Shirley Jackson, perfectly, because of the themes of peer pressure and tradition present throughout the story. In this story, the people of a small village gather for their annual tradition, a lottery, in which one person is picked at random out of a box containing each of the villagers’ names. The village, which is not specifically named, seems like any other historic village at first, with the women gossiping, the men talking, and the children playing, but soon takes a sinister turn when it is revealed that the “winner” of the lottery is not truly a winner at all; he or she is stoned to death by everyone else in the village. The purpose in this is not directly mentioned in the text, and the reader is left to wonder about the message the story is trying to convey. But there is no purpose; instead, the lottery is meant as a thinly veile...
The word is taught by many to be said to any slave during this time period. I thought that there were white slaves? Where they called “niggers” as well? Indeed, there were white slaves that were called “niggers” along with black slaves. Many people are unaware of this fact and only subject the term to only be meant for black people. Since this new knowledge had be brought to light, the word “nigger” consequently does not refer to just blacks but rather both blacks and whites. The term groups together any property owned during this time period that was marked as a slave. The African American slave owners during this time were not called subject to the word. This is because a “nigger” was someone of low class or even just a piece of property that could be replaced. Another misconception is that there were in fact many black slave owners as well as white slave owners. The meaning of the word is arguably the most contemptuous word in the english language. “You are a white nigger!” “You are black nigger!” These two sentences mean the exact same thing. This term, as horrible as it is, should be just as offensive to white as it is to
A lot of people want to know about the writing of Mark Twain. Mark Twain’s writings are widely known around the world. ” English teachers are always saying that Mark Twain is the greatest author in American literature.” Stated Dr. Engel in his lecture called “The Genius of Mark Twain.” Mark Twain has been criticized a lot by people about his writings. Especially his novel called The Adventures of huckleberry Finn. The only reason he received as much criticism as he did for that novel was because one specific word. That word is powerful too. This word can be used by one person in the wrong way and shut down a community, a family, and maybe even a life. That word is the word “nigger.” We are not even going to get into that subject right now because that is not what we are here to talk about. People always
In today’s society we perceive the lottery as being a great fortune brought down upon you by Lady Luck. It is a serendipitous event, even if the person has done nothing to earn it. One would never see the lottery as an unfortunate occasion that occurred in your life because it is supposed to bring prosperity into your life. Also, one would not dare to think that winning the lottery would bring such repercussions as injury or death. In the short story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, the author could have used Mrs. Tessie Hutchinson as the town’s scapegoat due to their reluctance to change traditions, her horrible work ethic, and minority status as a woman.
Let's face it, going to college is socially prestigious. Most people go to college only for the title of being called a college student. " For some young people, it is a graceful way to get away from home and become independent without losing the financial support of their parents." (Bird 484) They do not want to be looked down upon so they do what would look best in the eyes of society. It is practically beat into our heads that in order to be a productive citizen of society, you should have some sort of college education. Being a college student is perhaps a more respectable role than being, for example, a janitor or a garbage man because of the negative connotations such jobs receive.
Sleep is a behavior universal to all people, yet it remains largely a mystery. Chronic sleep deprivation has become rampant throughout western society, for a number of reasons. The aim of this research is to investigate the effects of sleep deprivation, with major objectives being to identify what sleep is, and the reasons for sleep. An emphasis is also placed on the effect, symptoms, causes and ways to combat sleep deprivation. These areas are of particular interest to those seeking to investigate sleep deprivation, or individuals who suffer from sleep deprivation by investigating the symptoms, causes and strategies to combat sleep deprivation.
Imagine what it must be like to live in a world of darkness. Marlow, the main character in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness experiences this first hand. As he travels through Africa, Marlow lives in a world of darkness as he witnesses the effects of imperialism, drastically altering his view of human kind. In the beginning, Marlow desires to travel to Africa because it is unclaimed land, only to discover imperialism now casts darkness upon the land. As the story progresses, Marlow witnesses the dark treatment of the natives as a result of imperialism. Upon Kurtz’s death, both Kurtz and Marlow realize the detrimental effects of imperialism, casting a dark shadow on humanity. At the end of the novella, Marlow lies to Kurtz’s fiancé because the
Although that is true for some, it is not true for all. Some would say that money is not everything, as long as they are happy. While that is true and happiness should hold a great power over people’s lives, for most, college will bring people happiness. There is a great percentage that individuals that attend college will still benefit the same if not more than those that do not attend college. As earlier implied, college is not for everyone and Isabel Sawhill and Stephanie Owen display that well in their essay, “Should Everyone Go to College?.” Owen and Sawhill say that people are actually doing some individuals a disservice by telling them everyone needs to go to college (Page 209, Para 1). In “Should Everyone Go to College?” they say this because they think it is necessary that people think about their likely education path and career path before investing so much money and time into secondary education (Page 212, Para 1). This is true, people should not invest a lot of their self before they have thought about where they want this to lead them. Even though everyone does not have to go to college to benefit in academic, financial, and social ways, for most, it certainly will not do anything but make them grow as a person and become more
Charlie Marlow, a young sailor, begins his adventure in the core of Africa piloting a steamboat up the Congo River. He becomes acquainted with the managers at the Outer Station and is told of an extraordinary man named Kurtz, a first class trader and commander of the Inner Station, who is said to obtain more ivory than the rest of the Company combined. Marlow discovers that many people within the Company are quietly hypocritical, being in opposition Kurtz for his nonconformist techniques, even though he is known to contend for humanizing, improving and instructing the indigenous population. It is then that Marlow’s obsession and intrigue with this “remarkable man” (Conrad 104) that is publicly despised despite being respected and virtuous, begins.
Education is a form of personal freedom. By pursuing a college education, you are setting yourself up to be a successful and independent individual who not only has a degree, but is knowledgeable of the things in this world that matter. Many may argue that you can be more successful and earn a higher salary than an individual with a degree. This statement is very true, however, those individuals who become rich overnight and have these “special gifts” are very far and in between. This is due to the fact that it is very rare to become an overnight success story and although these people may not have went through college, they still worked extremely hard to be where they are today. This goes to show that one of the best things about earning a degree is the fact that it is one of the only things in this world that no one can take from you because you “earned” it. For example: as a recording artist,