Examples Of Racism In Huckleberry Finn

Racism in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Throughout the many centuries of human history, literature has been a way for people to develop imagination and understand others around them. It enables one to develop perspectives and opinions of certain problems and how to react to them. From William Shakespeare to Ernest Hemingway and other famous authors, dozens of classic books have been published and read by millions and millions of people around the globe. However, though many of the classics are well-written and include compelling stories, some novels have been criticized by certain individuals and groups because of racism.

People and activists speak out against it, for they do not want others to be exposed to the negative aspect of racism. They believe that if one is exposed to recurrent and offensive phrases, then it is not beneficial for one’s well-being. In Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain includes certain words and expressions which

Kathy Monteiro, whose daughter had to read these, began to notice that the books, primarily The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, had “inflicted psychological injuries on her daughter and other black students” (Walsh). She declared that African American students experienced increased bullying and taunting from others, which became more prevalent after it was assigned for the students to read. Ultimately, she believed that novels with racism were creating a hostile learning environment. This prompted her to sue the school district, bringing about the court case Monteiro v. Tempe Union High School District. The court case was eventually dismissed, for Judge Stephen Reinhardt said, “requiring a district to accept a demand from a parent to remove a book such as Huck Finn [The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn] would prompt challenges of other works”