For decades, people have been debating whether Twain’s novel Huckleberry Finn is racist or not and if it should stay in high school curriculum. This is one of the biggest controversial novels in history. There are so many topics that people can argue about. Twain's novel isn't racist and it should stay in the curriculum because of how he used the “N” word, Huck’s behavior, and Huck and Tom’s influential characters.
Mark Twain’s use use of the “N” word creates the biggest controversy in Huckleberry Finn, but that doesn't make his novel racist. Most people’s issue with the novel is the fact that he uses the word nigger 219 times. People feel that that is main reason why it is racist when in fact it's not. “Race matters in these books. It's a matter of how you express that in the 21st century” (Schultz 6). He thinks the novel could be racist or it could not be racist, just depends on how it's viewed. One of the biggest literary critics said, T.S. Eliot, called Huckleberry Finn a masterpiece. Ernest Hemingway said, “it is the source of all American literature” (Schultz 6). This word is a part of history and it shouldn't hold as much power as it does.
Even though Huck Finn acts childish sometimes and might not have the best behavior, he is
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John E. Bassett says in his article, “Satire or Evasion? Black Perspectives on ‘Huckleberry Finn,’” A number of black educators and parents have fought against the inclusion of the book in high school courses on the grounds that is psychologically damaging to black adolescents. . .” They think that Twain himself is racist and the novel is proof that he is. Those parents, teachers, and even librarians think it's too inappropriate to be taught in school. This novel was so offensive to them that they had to even ban it from public libraries (Bassett). Just because a handful of people do not like it doesn't mean it needs to be
How would you feel if a white boy couldn’t apologize to a grown black man because it goes against his faith? If I was in the black man’s position I would feel disrespected but I wouldn’t blame the white boy because he was brought up like that and it’s in his mentality to look at African Americans as property and with disgust. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain incorporates racism and slavery to show how and why it is wrong. He uses Huck, one of his man characters, to demonstrate how a white boy breaks forth from society’s racist ideas and the people around him to have a strong friendship with a slave name Jim, who becomes a fugitive. He uses Jim to demonstrate humanity and how it has nothing to do with the color of your skin. He also shows the struggle African Americans had to go through during that period of time in order to be free. Through friendship Huck learns that Jim is a regular human being just like everyone else.
Paula Lieder is a high school English teacher, and in her classroom while teaching this novel, she leads the class in discussions about racism and slavery. Lieder says that when reading this book “the discussion of race and prejudice must occur.” Her class also discusses the controversy of the book and the use of the word “nigger” (Lieder). When reading this novel students may ask themselves questions about the use of the word “nigger” and how it affects the book like Holbrook did. It’s obvious that Mark Twain was a good writer, and he knew what he was writing. So why would he use the word “nigger” repeatedly? (“Huckleberry Finn”) Holbrook would say it’s because Twain wants the reader to feel disgusted and upset. In order for Twain to get his readers to understand the hurtful nature of this word, he hit them with it over and over (“Huckleberry Finn”). Huckleberry Finn also stirs students’ imaginations while presenting information about human nature. Leo Marx says in Sharon Rush’s article,
The decision to ban the novel Huckleberry Finn from classrooms and libraries has been an ongoing controversy. The presence of the 'n word' and the treatment towards Jim, and other blacks in general, has made many readers uncomfortable. Despite this fact, Huckleberry Finn has been and remains a classic read. I do not believe the novel should be banned or sanitized because it is a part of American history whether it is good or bad, also we have no right to change someone's writing simply because we do not like how it is written, Mark Twain's writing should not be penalized because of the ideals of today.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was written by Mark Twain, published in 1884, and according to Alison Flood in the article US school stops teaching Huckleberry Finn because of 'use of the N-word', “one of the most-challenged [novels] of all time.” The story depicts the relationship between a young white boy who is running away from home and a grown slave who is running away to escape slavery. The novel focuses on Huck Finn growing up pre-civil war in deep and very racist south. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should stop being taught to high schoolers because it is too open to interpretation, and doesn't
In the novel Huck Finn, the author repeatedly uses satire to ridicule the insanity of racial ignorance and inequity of the time period. With his masterful use of role reversal, irony, and the obvious portrayal of double standards, Twain exemplifies the injustices of different races contrasting them with example after example of counter-argument shown through the friendship and adventures of Jim and Huck together.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain, is a novel that is read by many students in high school classes all across America every year. However, when you have a book that popular among schools, you will start to gain some controversy over it. There has been a recurring debate over the topic of banning this novel from being read in schools due to its 'offensive racial epithets' and other reasons, like poking fun at religion and challenging authority. I disagree with those who say the novel should be banned, and believe that schools should continue to read it and disregard those who say otherwise.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been banned from many high school classrooms over the years. This novel by author Mark Twain is one of the most controversial books in the United States. Huck Finn should not be removed from high school curriculums for mature students. Twain’s writing not only exposes the vices of 19th century Southern society and teaches about topics that spark debates, it also opens students’ eyes to social issues that are still problems in today’s society. Mature students should be exposed to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in the classroom setting.
Mark Twain had written two very similar novels that are based on the ideas of racism, or prejudice against certain races,(in this case, Afro-American during his lifetime. These two novels, Huckleberry Finn and Pudd'nhead Wilson, depict a very satirical yet realistic view of the way society behaves and how people in general live and grow in different social systems or positions. Huck Finn depicts a strong basis on racism and society, where as Pudd'nhead Wilson illustrates how slavery and racism are portrayed in his society.
There is a major argument among literary critics whether Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is or is not a racist novel. The question boils down to the depiction of Jim, the black slave, and to the way he is treated by Huck and others. In the 1950s the effort to banish The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from required classroom reading lists came publicly to the floor again, not chiefly on the grounds that its depiction of black characters and the use of the word “nigger” were demeaning to African-American students. Many feel that Twain uses the word too loosely. However, many believe that Huck Finn should be taught in schools on the grounds that the novel’s racist theme accurately depicted what life was like for a slave in pre- Civil War times.
When taking a look at Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn, racism is a large theme that seems to be reoccurring. What some may think to be racism in Twain's words, can also be explained as, good story telling appropriate to the era the story takes place in. Twain himself has been suggested as a racist based on the fact that he uses the word "nigger" in his book. However, Twain was an avid abolitionist. For those who claim that Twain was a racist, they must have only been looking out for themselves and not those who are willing to learn about the past, whether it be ugly or perfect.
Huck Finn does not promote racism. All racist comments are merely historically realistic or are to be taken with a satirical manner. Twain uses the novel to morally fight racism. More volumes of Twain's Autobiography will be published in coming years according to his will (Auto). His true feelings may then be fully understood. Until then Huck Finn will be the subject of debate. However, no amount of debate could upset the novel's position as one of the most definite works in American history (Fishkin, 1993).
...e end of the novel, Huck and the reader have come to understand that Jim is not someone’s property or an inferior man, but an equal. To say that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a racist novel is absurd, but there are always some hot-heads claiming that the novel is racist. These claims are not simply attempts to damage the image of a great novel, they come from people who are hurt by racism and don’t like seeing it in any context. However, they must realize that this novel and its author are not racist, and the purpose of the story is to prove black equality. It is vital for the reader to recognize these ideas as society’s and to recognize that Twain throughout the novel does encourage racist ideas, he disputes them. For this reason, and its profound moral implication, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should not be removed from the literary canon. [1056]
There is many racial elements in, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a story that has caused much controversy over the years. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, was published two decades after the civil war was over, yet it is set in a time period before the civil war began so there is many examples of racism and slavery. Mark Twain believed that slavery, and owning slaves was acceptable, but he was not a racist.
Why would a man who fought against slavery, injustice, and discrimination write a racist book ? For some time, many students, educators, and scholars debated whether The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain deserves its place in our literary canon. Certain readers find the relationship between Huck and Jim especially problematic due to abundant use of the N word and Twain’s stereotypical depiction of Jim. On one hand, Jim is viewed as an uneducated slave who is always in peril due to Huck’s playfulness and immaturity. Yet, on the other hand, Jim is a complex secondary character crucial for Huck’s development from naiveté into maturity. Despite, the glaring overuse of racial epithets, Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn should remain in the literary canon and continue to be taught as it allows readers to address racial misconceptions, such as racial
Teachers are worried that if they expose their students to such a harsh language, which will be dehumanized as a person. In Jamie Beckett’s article ¨Huck Finn’s fate to be Decided¨ from Chronicle South Bay Bureau, Jamie Beckett, a journalist, depicts the way that people have different opinions whether or not schools should allow their students to read ¨The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.¨ Jamie Beckett writes in his article, he explains that ¨African-American Parent Coalition argues that their children already are exposedwith racial slurs that erode their self-esteem and affect their performance in school¨ (Beckett). Although Jamie explains the side of why the book isn’t for students due to the foul language that could alter the student's way of perceiving society, there are other ways in which Jamie mentions why the book is key to America’s