The Censorship of Huckelberry Finn The Adventures of Huckelberry Finn has been called one of the greatest pieces of American literature, deemed a classic. The book has been used by teachers across the country for years. Now, Huck Finn, along with other remarkable novels such as Catcher in the Rye and To Kill a Mockingbird, are being pulled off the shelves of libraries and banned from classrooms. All the glory this majestic piece by Mark Twain has acquired is slowly being deteriorated. This is occurring because some say it does not meet 'today's'; politically correct standards. This is an immense disturbance to all who have read and cherished Huckelberry Finn and know this work's true meaning. Censorship, as defined in the dictionary, is, in the case of a book, to take out things thought to be objectionable. Censorship is far more than that. This mere word prohibits us from all things branded with its mark. In this instance of The Adventures of Huckelberry Finn, it takes away an American treasure, and more importantly, defies First Ammendment rights. Those who find Huck Finn distasteful and unappropriate are trying to brand this work, by censorship, and make it unjust to read. This is similar to a farmer trying to brand his mark upon a bull, with those against Huck Finn as the farmers and Huckelberry Finn is the bull. As most know the bull never goes down without a fight and won't allow thje farmer to branded, just as the supporters of Huckelberry Finn will not just be taken down passively. The main reason Huckelberry Finn is being subjected to such scrutiny is because of the way Twain protrayed 'nigger'; Jim, and his use of the racial slur. The Anti-Huckelberry Finn feel that it is to uncomfortable for African-Americans to read the book and think they are being stereotyped into Jim's image. Though some find it wrong for this American treasure to remain availible due to its racism, this is not the case. Even though the word 'nigger'; is used over 200 times in the book, it was common for African-Americans to be refered to as this during the period of the book and the time the book was published. Those trying to have Huckelberry Finn censored are also opposed to Jim being portrayed as 'an uneducated man, very superstitious, infantile, passive, and generally uncultured,'; as written by Frank Ritter. These ideas may at first seem like the basis for a good arguement, but it is later apparent that these
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Show MoreOver the 129 years for which the book has been in print, Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been regarded with much controversy, for many different reasons. As it has progressed, the subject of this controversy has been almost constantly changing. This essay will explore some of the claims and explanations of the controversy, as well as a discussion on whether the book is even that controversial. While everyone is entitled to their own opinion about this novel, The main complaints seem to revolve around three core topics: Twain’s portrayal of Jim and other blacks, The extensive use of the racial slurs and racism, and the final chapters of the book itself.
As controversial as he is, Mark Twain has been accused by some, of being a racist writer, whose writing is offensive to black readers. His novels have also been labeled as promoting slave-era stereotypes. Therefore, many people believe The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn deserves no place on today's bookshelves. To those of us who have delved wholeheartedly into Twain's wisdom and humanity, such accusations come across as ludicrous. To Twain's critics, the novel is superficially racist for the most obvious reason: many characters continually use the word "nigger". Yet, since the book takes place in the south, twenty years before the Civil War, such semantics were common occurrences. Therefore, should Twain be criticized for being historically correct? One should hope not. A closer reading of the novel also reveals Twain's serious satirical intent. In one scene, for instance, Aunt Sally hears of a steamboat explosion:
How would you feel if an author published a book that contained a word that was once used frequently but has now developed into one of the most derogatory and unfriendly things a person can say? Since 1884, when the book was first published, there has been much controversy regarding the use of the word “nigger” in the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain. Many people all over the world, predominantly the African-American population, feel that the word demoralizes the Blacks, and feel that the novel should be strongly censored from society. Some say that the constant use of the “n-word” forces the reader to conceive one of the main characters, Jim (Huck’s slave friend), as a buffoon, and it therefore embarrasses the African-American community through the use of stereotype. Although it may be hard for many people to read it without having a negative reaction, the censorship of this American classic would be preposterous. As one reads this novel, one can begin to notice that the main character, Huckleberry Finn, reached a turning point with his troublesome behavior and slowly but surely began to mature and settle down into adulthood. Mark Twain actually used the relationship of Jim and Huck to portray the moral values these characters come to learn and, therefore, his book should not in any way be censored or be kept away from the classrooms. This message is more powerful than the usage of the n-word in the novel.
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.
“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 book is also denounced because people feel that this book is anti-American. Russians have even taught this book to show that Americans are generally rotten people (Loeffler, class notes). But this novel is in no way anti-American, everything written about Americans is used as a satire, to make such a poignant book less serious, and to add some levity. Twain also has hidden morals in his messages. Huckleberry Finn should be taught in highschool classrooms because it is a very valuable and educational novel, with a moral and a theme that are needed to be learned by everyone.
The classic American novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain has been a source of controversy since it was published. The controversy is centered around Twain’s use of the N word. It is a very heinous, powerful word that is almost always offensive. Mark Twain is well known as a satirist, in laymen's terms he makes light of social issues through his use of language. The story takes place in pre-civil war America so in order to effectively show the racism of the decade he had to use their vernacular. He did not intend to offend. He actually meant to make you feel uncomfortable with the racism. Huck Finn should not be censored because literary decisions should be left to the authors to make (5 Kathleen Parker), we need examples of ignorance to provide contrast to how far we have come, and because The powerful language Twain uses is necessary for the story and the story would be worse off for it.
Huckleberry Finn is a piece of literature that will never be forgotten, even if somehow, someday, it gets banned from public high schools, but in the mean time people are very resolute in keeping this book around. There is no way America can forget such a great novel representing the American Dream the way that it does. This book will not go down without a fight. In conclusion, through all of the controversy, through all the ideas of it being too racist and not appropriate for high school classrooms, after many examples as to why this novel should not be taught in schools and a reason as to why every argument against is bogus and impractical, Huckleberry Finn should be taught in public high schools without question.
Huck Finn has been named “the great American novel” by the English writer Andrew Lang, and deemed “the most admirable work of literature produced on this continent” by Harvard. Unfortunately, over the last 25 years, this thought provoking satire has faced intense scrutiny due to its alleged promotion of racism and racial stereotypes and specifically due to the use of the “N-word,” which appears 219 times in the novel. “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” has been banned more than 150 times by various school systems and libraries since its first publication in
Yet, no amount of literary stature can make this book's contentious content ignorable. Critics rave that Twain's use of the word "nigger", his creation of Jim to be simpleminded and submissive, and the torturous end of the novel all together make this book "the most grotesque example of racist trash ever written"(Wallace). However I believe that twain uses all of his racy content for a specific purpose. Weather it be to contradict or to criticize, I don't think that twain ever throws anything in just for his own enjoyment or to cause problems. If looked at with a careful eye, it can be seen how each and every part of this novel is a crucial element to Twains overall discussion of society.
In conclusion, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, although very controversial, is a novel where learning is inevitable. Whether it be learning from the overall message that the beautifully crafted story promotes for others, or discovering all of Twain's indirect lessons taught, it is a very prestigious piece of literature. Although many of the novel's critics base their ideas solely on Twain’s diction incorporated, most specifically his use of the word “nigger,” the novel does not become any less valuable. The meaning and purpose behind all of Twain's choices withheld in it, only reveal truths and openness concerning America, what it used to be back in the 1800s, and what it is now. Therefore, if it is to be taught in schools, it should
Huckleberry Finn is a book that has a strong impact on American history. Before-mentioned as how slaves were treated back in the day. This book will teach everyone how bad the United States really was. The author, Mark Twain, uses the word “nigger” again and again in the book also with the strong use of language. Huckleberry Finns showed a major piece of history, that I think all students should know about. This novel is hard to look past the few racist names that are repeated and examine the results that the author, labels. Others may claim that the continuous racial insults void the book of any true essence.
Censorship can be for the good of people, but as well for the worst. When censorishop comes into mind, many think of undemocratic or fascist regimes preventing any type of influence other than theirs. Most of the time, certain sensitive topics, phrases, or even words would be redacted to protect the public, but what happens when a famous piece of American literature was modified because of its choice of words that was purposely selected to convey its message? This is the case for The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain and is a fiction book about a young boy facing moral dilemmas in the racially-biased South. The book, commonly known in high schools, used the word “nigger”, a word ridden with a dark history of African American
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: a great lesson in American History or a novel that is too controversial for young readers? Throughout history there have been times when certain groups, organizations, and people have challenged books due to material presented in these books that conflict with their beliefs or values. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, was first published in 1885, since that time it has been one of the most challenged and banned books in America (CENSORSHIP). At the heart of this challenge is whether to allow books such as Huckleberry Finn part of schools and their curriculum. The debate on whether to allow Huckleberry Finn into school curriculum comes from the strong language and social issues present in this book (Powell). While there are some who argue that censorship of Huckleberry Finn in schools is necessary to protect students, others argue that Huckleberry Finn marks an important part of American History and issues that were present at that time.
...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]
Since its first publication in 1884, Mark Twain’s masterpiece The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has proven to be one of history’s most controversial novels; especially recently, the novel has often been banned by schools and censored by libraries. Characters in the book are constantly using disparaging language toward slaves, and the repeated use of the word “nigger” makes many sensitive and offended. Critics denounce the novel and Mark Twain as racist for this word being insulting and politically incorrect and for its depiction of black people and how they are treated. However, Twain was not attempting to perpetuate racism; on the contrary, he used satire to expose the ignorance and paradoxical views held by many in America at that time. Despite objections to the novel for offensive and insensitive portrayal of African Americans due to Twain’s negative and stereotypical “minstrel-like” characterization of Jim and the extensive use of the term “nigger,” throughout the novel, Twain exposes Jim’s unfeigned humanity behind a “minstrel-like” pretense by illustrating his capacity to possess profound human emotions and his triggering Huck’s moral transformation from a conscienceless, uncivilized juvenile into a an adolescent able to make the ethical choice.