The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Inappropriate for Children
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is, not and
should not, be considered a child's story. A story like this may corrupt
a young child's mind. It deals with adult themes and concepts that are
generally not suitable for young children. Als o, if used as a child's
story it may confuse them or give them the wrong idea about slavery and
the terminology of the time.
First of all, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is extremely
inappropriate for children because it may put bad ideas into a young
impressionable mind. At the young age of about twelve, Huck is roaming
around the woods all by himself and later on is flo ating aimlessly down
the Mississippi River with a bunch of criminals. Huck is living what may
appear to the children to be a very exciting and glamorous life. Most
parents would never steer their children the wrong way in life, don't want
to tell childr en about a kid around their age or little older than they
are that is homeless and basically cheating and stealing to survive. This
novel explains in depth about various scams such as the Wilks brothers
scam, and the teaching schools like the dancing sch ool or "yellow
cution". In addition to the royal nonesuch plays which teach children
that all you need to do is take the money and run like the King and the
Duke did. After reading this novel the majority of children won't go out
and try to scam their n eighbors. However, it may seem like an appealing
lifestyle for them. It may also give them the impression that being a con
man for a living, or being homeless and wandering is a wonderful and
glorious carefree lifestyle, and because your Mommy or Daddy tells it to
you, it must not be the wrong thing to do.
In addition to giving the wrong idea about life, it is a brutal
and vulgar book that children should not be exposed to. There are a
couple of deaths like when Colonel Sherburn kills a harmless town drunk
named Boggs. Earlier on Huck is staying with a the Grangerford family
that is in the middle of a feud with the Shepherdson family. Buck, the
youngest child, is about Huck's age. Buck speaks of murdering all of the
Shepherdsons for a reason he doesn't even know of. Eventually Buck is
killed by a She pherdson right in front of Huck's eyes. The King and the
Duke are tarred and feathered later on and Huck doesn't really think twice
about it. Huck also encounters a wreck on the river with two criminals on
it that are going to leave a third one on there
to die. Not to forget the alcoholic and abusive father that is killed in
a whore house. Which is just another example of how vulgar this story is.
Furthermore, not only is the plot very adult, the language is also
unsuitable for children. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn takes place in
the pre-civil war south. At this time slavery is very common and is
condoned by society. Black people were tho ugh of as property and treated
extremely poorly and inhumanly. When Huck makes up the story on why he,
"Tom", was late getting to Aunt Sally's house he explains that a cylinder
head had blown up. When Aunt Sally asked if anyone was hurt "Tom" says
that nobody was hurt, just a couple of niggers were killed. Aunt Sally
was relieved and said "good, because sometimes people get hurt". This is
an example of how black people were treated. Not as real people but as
property or luggage. Huck would have gott en a similar reaction if he
told her that someone had their suitcase broken. The "niggers" were left
to live in shacks near the Phelp's house. Treating black people that way
is not a setting a good example for today's youth.
We've all made mistakes and the United States made a huge one with
slavery, reading to your kids about "niggers" being killed and treating
"niggers" as servants is not helping us teach today's children that
slavery and racism are a bad thing. Another th ing that is unsuitable for
children is the excessive use of the word "nigger". This was a book
written a long time ago and nigger may have been a common term to use.
However, we shouldn't teach children in today's society to call black
people niggers.
In conclusion, Huck Finn is not a child's book and shouldn't be
read to children. They are too young to comprehend the book in a mature
way. Also, they are too impressionable to take in that kind of
information and not be affected in some way by it, an d the only way Huck
Finn can be interpreted is in a negative way that gives children the wrong
idea about life. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should never be
taught to young children.
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