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The influence of history in the American literature
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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
The Adventures of Huck Finn is a very controversial book which brings much debate on whether it should be taught to children in America. The main reason for this debate is because the offensive word ‘nigger’ is used commonly throughout. The book is a classic and is seen to some people as such a great book that we should overlook the offensive word to understand the real lessons Mark Twain wanted to get across. One solution to this ongoing debate is something called the New South Edition, which substitutes ‘nigger’ for a ‘slave’ a word that is less personal and describes the history of America. Dr. Alan Gribben writes about the controversy and how the change effects the new edition. He uses personal anecdote, emotional appeal, historical references.
The book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was first published in December of 1884. It was first banned in Concord, Massachusetts from the Concord Public Library in March of 1885. Since it was first published, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been opposed and banned. The book is powerful and provides an amazing window into what this country was like in the time period it takes place in, banning this book is not an ethical thing to do because readers learn and grow from it and people should know how the United States was in that time period so that we do not regress and move backwards as a society.
The act of banning something is an aggressive measure. However, this being said whether to ban Mark Twains The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has long been debated. While some say that the book is offensive and disrespectful, others claim it to be a valuable learning lesson. Because of its beneficial lessons, its way of shocking the reader, its reputation as being one of the best novels in american history along with other controversial books being allowed in high schools, The Adventure’s of Huckleberry Finn should be read by every High School across the country.
High Schools in the United States should not ban The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. This book is one of the most important components of American literature in our libraries today, it throws the reader into a time when slavery was lawful and accepted, and gives the reader a new perspective on slavery in general. Until civil rights groups can come up with a better argument than the word “nigger” creating a “hostile work environment”(Zwick) it should not be taken off the required reading list of any High School in the country.
The novel ‘The Adventures of Huck Finn’ by Mark Twain is a coming of age novel. Huck’s maturity grows throughout the story. He first starts to show emotions toward a runaway slave, and by the end of the novel, has grown up to the point where, when Jim, the slave, is captured, Huck decides not to play games but to take it serious and rescue him the safest and most logical way. He also decides it give up playing games after his friend is shot to ensure that he would get the medical attention that he needed
Some of the most intelligent people had little to no traditional education. In Huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain, the protagonist Huck encounters a variety of people while he is floating down the Mississippi river. Huck is accompanied by a runaway slave, Jim, both Huck and Jim are running away from their lives to freedom. Throughout the adventure, Huck comes across a variety of people, with different levels of education and intelligence. In Huckleberry Finn, Huck encounters people with a variety of education experiences and intelligence. Huck learns throughout his adventures, intelligent people do not always have a lot of education. Society today is similar; Intelligence comes from motivation as well as the
Lauded by literary critics, writers and the general reading public, Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn commands one of the highest positions in the canon of American literature. On an international level, it is “a fixture among the classics of world literature” (Kaplan 352). It “is a staple from junior high . . . to graduate school” and “is second only to Shakespeare in the frequency with which it appears in the classroom . . . ” (Carey-Webb 22). During the push for school desegregation in the 1950s, however, many parents raised serious objections to the teaching of this text. These objections centered around Twain's negative characterization of Jim and his extensive use of the term “nigger” throughout the text. Many people felt this characterization, along with the most powerful racial epithet in the English language, were insensitive to African Americn heritage and personally offensive in racially mixed classrooms.
Life in the late eighteen hundreds was very different from the life we know today. Not only was there more inequality, there were also more health concerns and lapses in education. Mark Twain, in his book “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” has given us a special look into the past through the eyes of a young boy. Though this book is one of, if not the most highly criticized books in the American school system, it is also one of the most highly renowned. Through the criticism, Twain has given us a golden reflective opportunity.
Huckleberry Finn is an entertaining story, but its frequent use of a taboo word is a stain on the novel’s history. The use of the “N-word” in Huckleberry Finn has been hotly contested. Many schools have banned the book for its use of the slur. The slur is used many times throughout the book, in a heartbreakingly casual manner. Huckleberry Finn’s continual use of the N-word is shocking, offensive, and outdated. This is authentic to the time period, but upsetting to the modern person. But I believe that Twain’s use of the N-word is necessary to the story.
The Adventures of HuckleBerry Finn by Mark Twain is one of the most controversial and iconic books in American history.There has been a constant conversation about whether the novel is a good or bad novel since it’s publication in 1884. Huck Finn is a great piece of literature and deserves the praise of being called a central Document of American culture. Yes, like all great things it does have it’s downfalls, for example the ending was very disappointing to many people because it stops abruptly but maybe that's because Twain had a deeper meaning to it. The novel also touches upon the ideas of racism but doesn't make racism the complete focus of the novel this is interesting because it is praised for being a book about slavery. Another piece
Most people think that education only happens in a school, but there are other ways to be educated. The adventures of huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain, illustrates lessons learned by a young boy, Huck Finn. Huck has met many people on his travels and many of them taught him at least one thing he could use in his life; Huck’s most important educators are Pap, Tom, and Jim; these men have taught him more than anyone else. First off jim, a slave at first but after his owner died she set him free
Throughout previous years, America and society was not the way it is now; there were conflicts and different values that now seem as mistakes and regrets including the issue of slavery. America now regrets what was done before, but there is no way that it can be forgotten since it shapes how the world is today and the way of viewing society. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, the story takes place in the 1840s and it is about a white boy by the name of Huck, who runs away from his abusive father with a runaway slave named Jim along the Mississippi River. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has become a controversy in classrooms due to the constant use of the n-word which appeared 219 times in the book, school districts are
There are many cases in which one wonders whether or not what they are reading may have more than meets the eye,The adventures of Huckleberry Finn is more of a social commentary book rather than child’s literature, because it revolves around the main topics of racial difference, and a time period in which there was a varied amount of opinions over the solidified role of public education.
Throughout the years, Huck Finn’s message has been misinterpreted as racist. In fact, according to John H. Wallace the narrative is “racist trash” (112), mainly because of the word “nigger” (Twain 7), which is used more than two hundred times. Never-theless, most anti-Huck critics fail to understand the elemental use of the word. Twain intends to unveil the South’s reality; therefore, the absence of the word “nigger” would result in the erroneous portrayal of how a twelve-year-old, uneducated boy from Missouri would talk. For the same previous reason, Twain gives each character different speech. Not in order to generalize and stereotype, but actually “[forming] identity… by social realities” (James 16). Despite Twain’s intention, the diction he uses for Jim’s portrayal has offended several students and parents throughout the nation, for its jester-like characteristics (Henry 25). In reality, the different slangs, not just Jim’s, give each character the needed humanity to make them more “believable, complex, and therefore dignified” (James 16). Twain’s chosen diction exposes the reality of human beings, which a censored versio...