Huckleberry Finn in High School Literature Courses

I Believe that Huckleberry Finn should be taught and read in high school American literature courses, but only if students are provided with a teacher who can properly analyze and teach in a way that effectively shows this books true purpose as a satire of society. For if this is inefficiently done, the book can most certainly become offensive and crude, and as Wallace adamantly expresses can be "humiliating and insulting to black students" (source A). This book requires a mature audience of readers who must be able to look beyond the seemingly insulting surface. And readers must also understand that the message provided is not meant to have a similar effect as a speech by Martin Luther King. It is instead something more of a magnifying glass that Twain uses to illuminate overall the corruption and hypocrisy that drives society. It is not Twains solution, but instead his attempt to arouse awareness of the flaws in society and the flaws ourselves. While proceeding within these boarders, I believe that this book can produce a heightened sense of awareness and maturity out of its readers.

At its simplest form, disregarding all racial content, this book is a classic and holds literary value that is important for young readers and writers to experience. It shows effective use of irony and satire, both literary tools that should be taught to high school students. Also, Twain was one of the first authors to produce a righting style that was anything but the traditional romanticism. Twain sparked the literary switch into realism which vastly affects our literature today. In this way, this book has an essential place in the history of literature and is therefore important to be taught.

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.