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
The reason that books should be banned are to protect the innocence of young readers and to keep them from reading something inappropriate for their age. The reasons that they (the committee) give for banning Huck Finn are unsatisfactory and are not valid reasons to ban a book. Now, it is true that for most younger readers the elaborate satire and criticisms of the American culture in Huck Finn are lost, but that is no reason to ban it, it is simply a statement that some will understand the deeper meaning of the book, while on others, it will be lost. The claim that Huck Finn is flippant and irrelevant is ludicrous, the committee that decides upon the banning of the book is looking at it from the wrong perspective. They do not see Huck Finn as the masterful work of literature it is, but instead are taking it at face value. If one does read the book and take it at face value, without pondering the deeper meanings and elaborate satire, then in doing so “much of the humor, as well as the pathos, would be lost” (San Francisco Chronicle Defends Huck, paragraph
That is the way censorship is brought up in the book. Today, however, it affects more than just books. It is used in movies, TV, news, magazines, and the Internet. Words, obscenity, and some vulgar things can be kept from the viewing audience. They can keep certain people, those seventeen and younger from seeing movies, TV, or Internet sites. In the book one character makes a point of saying, “ignorance is fatal.”
Over 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.
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
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:
The biggest reason for people wanting to ban Huckleberry Finn is because of the use of the word 'nigger', which I will refer to as the N-word. There are some who seem to think that high school students are not mature enough to dismiss the use of this word. As a student, I can agree to the fact that people my age are not mature, but maturity does not define your level of knowledge. We are not fully matured yet, but we are...
“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.
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 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.
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
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
...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]
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been the source of criticism on many occasions. One major objection to the novel is based on the portrayal of black characters in general and Jim in particular as a “minstrel” with absurd dialectal speech and superstition. Former English professor at University of Alabama Claudia Durst Johnson states, “Black characters, including Jim, are reduced to minstrel or childlike roles which deny their humanity and maturity” (72). However, critics...