Argumentative Essay: The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Argumentative Essay

“The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” the classic well acknowledged novel by Mark Twain was first published in the United Kingdom in December 1884. The book is commonly named among the Great American Novels; uniquely, one of the few to be written in vernacular English, characterized by local color regionalism. The book is told in first person narrative, through the perspective of a thirteen year old boy named Huck Finn. The book is recognized for its distinctive characterization of people and places in the South. The classic novel is listed #7 on the American Library Association’s Top Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2002 out of 515 challenges due to its use of offensive language.

First banned by the Concord, MA, library a month after its publication calling it, “trash and suitable only for the slums.” Mark Twain displays the N-word 219 times throughout the story.

“The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” has been denounced upon release due to its choice of language and more controversial in the 20th century because of its portrayal of racial stereotypes and the constant display of the racial slur, the N-word. Mark Twain is also questioned for his portrayal of the stereotypical treatment of Blacks. However, the book is still popular among readers and is praised for its realism and honest portrayal of attitudes during that time period. “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” examines the perception of race and identity. Surely, the novel is a masterpiece and displays an essential role of American identity. Conversely, the anti-racism in the book cannot be seen if the reader is not able to grasp the concept of the ironic narrator. Therefore, the book should be available for those who wish to read it by their choice. Nevertheless, due to the offensive language the text should not be presented as required classroom material. Twain’s diction and characterization by the display of the use of racial slurs and stereotypical treatment of black slaves in “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” distracts from the positive impact on racial attitudes; therefore, this

novel should not be used as a classroom book in schools.
Diction helps bring a story together. The frequent use of the N-word in, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” was before when it was first published and still today a slap in the face for African Americans. Alan Gribber, who is working with the NewSouth Books to publish a combined volume of the new version of the book reports that the N-word appears 219 times. The excessive use of offensive language distracts from the anti-racism in the writing. According to Stuart Berg Flexner, "Negro” was generally pronounced “nigger” until around 1825, when abolitionists started objection to the term. Writing a generation after in “Army Life in a Black Regiment” (1869), Thomas Wentworth Higginson deplored the common use of the N-word among freedmen, which he regarded as evidence of low self-esteem. The novel’s racial epithets causes objection by many and causes humiliation to many black children when read in a classroom environment. In 1995, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” was taught in Cherry Hill, NJ to 11th graders, which resulted in a group of African American students who were formerly hard workers to stop trying and failing tests and quizzes in their English class, saying that as long as the book was being taught in the classroom they would no longer do their work. The teacher had not well prepped the children enough before beginning such a controversial book. The white students would “snicker” or “turn around and stare” at the few African American children when the word was read aloud. No amount of literary merit could cover for the amount of humiliation the African American children face when reading the passages aloud in a classroom environment. Langston Hughes explains in his book The Big Sea, the feeling of racial epithet evokes:

The word nigger to colored people of high and low degree is like a red rag to a bull. Used rightly or wrongly, ironically or seriously, of necessity for the sake of realism, or impishly for the sake of comedy, it doesn’t matter. Negroes do not like it in any book or play whatsoever, be the book or play ever so sympathetic in its treatment of the basic problems of the race. Even though the book or play is written by a Negro, They still do not like it
The word nigger, you see, sums up for us who are colored all the bitter years of insult and struggle in America. (New York: Thunder’s Mouth Press, 1940, 268-269)

The impact of teaching this novel in public schools will lead to African American students losing self-esteem and white students having their prejudices reinforced and also result in racial violence. The novel could potentially worsen race relations.
Twain’s depiction of blacks in general and Jim in particular represents the tendency of the dominant white culture at the time period to deny the African Americans humanity and identify them as inferior. The book presents Jim as a childlike person. The black characters in the novel are reduced to minstrel or childlike roles denying their humanity and maturity. A closer analyzing shows Twain’s satiric intent. An example is when Aunt Sally hears of the steamboat explosion.
“Good gracious! anybody hurt?” she asks.
“No’m,” comes the answer. “Killed a nigger.”
Aunt Sally then responds commenting, “Well, it’s lucky, because sometimes people do get hurt.”
Mark Twain skillfully demonstrates through the use of this casual dialogue ironically, the chilling truth of the old South. He shows that even the whites that were considered “nice” generally didn’t consider the death of an African American important enough to earn their notice. Ralph Ellison, an African American novelist, notes the way Twain allows Jim’s “dignity and human capacity” to be shown in his writing. The treatment of Jim in the novel is baroque, but displays the love and compassion a black man returns even after being treated awfully. . The use of the N-word shows the contrast between society’s dehumanization of slaves and Jim’s nobility of character, emphasizing the society’s heartlessness and Jim’s humanity. Many argue that though Jim is presented as a noble character, the novel’s ending cancels his humanity and undoes the progress made toward his brotherhood with Huck. However, the ending could also be seen as showing that Jim’s humanity and his innocence is used to show the falsity of stereotypes. Yet, Twain’s satire is difficult for children to grasp and can be seen as offensive if the reader is not able to see that Huck’s voice is the opinions that he had been taught by society.
While I’m arguing that Twain’s purpose is not demonstrated in a way children can grasp the meaning, it is justified to be able to see why some would argue to be taught in a classroom.

The language clearly accurately depicts America’s offensive past. Twain writes in the beginning that the language used does have a meaning as to why it is used.

“In this book a number of dialects are used, to wit: the Missouri negro dialect; the extremest form of the backwoods Southwestern dialect; the ordinary "Pike County" dialect; and four modified varieties of this last. The shadings have not been done in a haphazard fashion, or by guesswork; but painstakingly, and with the trustworthy guidance and support of personal familiarity with these several forms of speech.

I make this explanation for the reason that without it many readers would suppose that all these characters were trying to talk alike and not succeeding” (6).

In the hands of a good teacher, the novel can increase interracial understanding. The book allows the opportunity for readers to be able to identify and examine stereotypes and the impact; making them more aware of language, including racial epithets and its power. The book as a whole is seen as anti-slavery and criticizes society. The novel allows the readers to see the accurate representation of slavery without sugarcoating

it.
Even though “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” is an anti-slavery book, the concept of the ironic narrator cannot be expected to be grasped by children if it is difficult enough for experienced scholars to see that Huck’s voice is not Mark Twain’s and is the result of what the society’s authorities have taught him. Twain’s demonstration of the society at the time period with the repetitive use of the N-word is seen as offensive and distracts from the message he is trying to display. Especially, when taught in a classroom environment it is inevitable that African American children should feel uncomfortable with such a powerful word appearing so often throughout the story. Evidently, African American parents would wish for their child to be protected from what the word represents. Twain’s use of satire is far more difficult, if not impossible for students to comprehend; therefore, the novel would be hazardous to be taught in a classroom environment.
Because of the use of racial slurs and stereotypical treatment of black slaves, the novel should not be taught in a classroom, but available in the library for students to read by their choice. The novel provides the opportunity to become more aware of language and its power; however, if the student cannot grasp the concept of the ironic narrator the work is seen as rather more disrespectful and hurtful.