Huck Finn Research Paper

The utilization of the n-word in classic American literature has inspired many debates. Many critics want the word removed, while the opposing side claims that removing the word insults the author’s intention for writing the novel. Now that professors teach literature containing the n-word, such as the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, in the school curriculum, critics do not want children exposed to the word because they consider it a derogatory term. In Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain utilizes the n-word more than 200 times to depict white racism against African Americans in the 1800s. The teenaged Huck Finn mostly employs the word to delineate Jim, an African American, who gets entwined into Huck’s adventure. Many critics want to
In Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck Finn utilizes the word the most to depict Jim. Replacing the word with slave inaccurately portrays Jim because Huck has a friendship with him, not an ownership. Jim recognizes that he is “a free man, en [he] couldn’t ever ben free ef it hadn’ ben for Huck; … [he is] de bes’ fren’ Jim’s ever had” (Twain 83). They have an admirable friendship and “no fair-minded person could read the book today and emerge with anything other than a warm feeling about the teenage Huck and … Jim” (Hurwitz 1). Huck and Jim’s relationship grows over the course of the book and it ultimately leads to Huck wanting to save Jim from slavery. Nevertheless, Tom tells Huck after they saved Jim that Miss Watson freed Jim in her will. Miss Watson died during their adventure making Jim a freed man; therefore, replacing the n-word with slave misrepresents Jim (Twain 260). Just like removing the word, replacing the n-word distorts Twain’s main intention of portraying a realistic past. Furthermore, replacing the word inadequately depicts Jim.
Ernest Hemingway once said that “all modern American literature come from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn” (Flood 1). Therefore, removing or replacing the n-word in the novel would make it viable to do so for all classic American literature containing the word. However, setting that example only leads to major problems. Removing or replacing the n-word could distort the history in a novel and in the case of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, it could incorrectly portray a vital