Preview

Why Huckleberry Finn Should Be Banned

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
152 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Why Huckleberry Finn Should Be Banned
“Actions speak louder than words, but not nearly as often,” Mark Twain. Samuel Clemens, widely known as Mark Twain, author of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as well as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is criticized today for the language used in these books. Ever since the book was published 1885, The adventures of Huckleberry Finn almost immediately it began to be ban, the first being the Concord Library Committee. However, the reason for being ban in 1885 was because it in a way glorified the slave in a way it was too nice to them. Today The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn remains in the top list of banned books but supported by different reasons. The controversy today is whether the book should be taught in its original form, should the
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    Censorship in Huck Finn
    • 1676 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Censorship in Huck Finn

    Mark Twain 's classic novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been criticized since the day it was released. A library in Concord MA banned the book only a month after it was put into print and other libraries and schools have followed suit (Mark Twain 's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn). The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is not the only story to be widely banned, but it is one of the most controversial and well known. Many people claim that the novel is racist due to the frequent use of racial slurs and the disrespect and mistreatment of the character Jim who is a runaway slave. Mark Twain 's famous novel is not a racist text because it is a historical account of the south during the 1840s, when racism was commonplace. The book 's purpose was to emphasize real life and mock the faults in human nature.…

    • 1676 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Why Huck Finn Shouldnt Be Banned
    • 1267 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Why Huck Finn Shouldnt Be Banned

    To teach or not to teach? This is the question that is presently on many administrators' minds about The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. For those who read the book without grasping the important concepts that Mark Twain gets across "in between the lines", many problems arise. A reader may come away with the impression that the novel is simply a negative view of the African-American race. Many scholars and educators, like Marylee Hengsetbeck who said, "If Huck Finn is used solely as a part of a unit on slavery or racism, we sell the book short." feel that there is much to be learned about Blacks from this book and it should not be banned from the classroom. This is only one of many themes and expressions that Mark Twain is describing in his work. Another central theme is how the depiction of race relations and slavery is used as insight into the nature of blacks and whites as people in general. Overall, the most important thing to understand is that Mark Twain is illustrating his valuable ideas subtly and not pushing them upon the reader directly.…

    • 1267 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Should Huckleberry Finn Be Taught In Schools Essay
    • 874 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Should Huckleberry Finn Be Taught In Schools Essay

    The book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is considered a literary `classic. It has been a recommended read on many schools reading list for many years. But the book does have its share of controversy concerning the content within the book. Censorship is a thing many people do not like and some do not want this book censored and believe that the book should be taught in American classrooms. Others do not believe that and seek to have the book banned from being taught in schools. Huckleberry Finn is not a bad book but the negative aspects of the book may make the book unsuitable to teach. Huckleberry Finn should not be taught in school because it contains racism and offensive characterizations but it teaches that a persons identity is not solely based on their race.…

    • 874 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Adventure Of Huckleberry Finn Literary Analysis
    • 1160 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Adventure Of Huckleberry Finn Literary Analysis

    Mark Twain’s The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn is an American masterpiece. Contrary to The Algerine Captive Mark Twain‘s satire and irony is emphasized through the style and the use of the American “vernacular” dialect for the first time as well as the use of the African-American dialect. Therefore Huckleberry Finn remains the work that elevates this onetime rustic humorist into the ranks of literary genius. It is considered by Satirist Dick Gregory once said that Twain “was so far ahead of his time that he shouldn’t even be talked about on the same day as other people Huckleberry Finn is considered as the first American Novel and aimed at forging an American identity independent from the European one. The Novel, hence, satirize the paradoxical issues of slavery and the hypocrisy of the society as well as the deep intuitions of America.…

    • 1160 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Controversy over Huckleberry Finn
    • 519 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Controversy over Huckleberry Finn

    Huckleberry Finn is a novel written in 1884 by Mark Twain at the end of the American reconstruction era. During this time there blacks were still treated unequally, and a large amount of ignorance between the races was present. As a child Mark Twain often witnessed the harsh cruelty slaves had to endure and as he grew older began to empathize with them, and through those emotions he created this novel. He created a book from the view point of a young boy who was considered white trash at the time and kept true to the accents and phrases the different races used at the time. This included the word nigger which although today is considered extremely inappropriate, in the past it was a common term used by whites to label blacks. Using satire to show how absurd racism and prejudice was. Over a hundred years later this novel is still considered a classic, however, a controversy has arisen over the harsh language often used in the novel.…

    • 519 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Censorship: The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn
    • 155 Words
    • 1 Page

    Censorship: The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn

    Throughout history, literature has impacted the lives of many people regarding the language in its work. For varied reasons, many novels tend to be unsuitable to public audiences resulting with the publications getting censored or banned. Many argue that censoring vague context is necessary due to the negative connotations that can be redirected to the piece of literature which can factor in being offensive to some readers. However, most books that contain sexuality, profanity, or religious beliefs tend to have a mature content. For instance, Mark Twain’s 1885 novel; the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, has brought a numerous amount of controversy regarding the language being used in the book which resulted in the publications getting banned…

    • 155 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Why Should Huckleberry Finn Be Banned In Schools
    • 857 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Why Should Huckleberry Finn Be Banned In Schools

    The book Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain has been argued over for years about why it should be banned from being taught in schools since it uses the terms “nigger” and “injun”, both of which are looked down on in today's society for regular use. The reality behind the use of these is that they are put in to satirize that culture.…

    • 857 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Huckleberry Finn Criticism
    • 1018 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Huckleberry Finn Criticism

    The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn written by Mark Twain in 1884 is a classic example of American literature. It depicts the bond of a fourteen-year old boy and a runaway slave’s as they venture up the Mississippi River with hopes of finding better lives in the free North during the pre-Civil War era. One of the common criticism of the novel is Huck Finn is too wise beyond his years. Twain purposely depicted Huck to be this mature to attempt to change the American society through his art.…

    • 1018 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Should Huckleberry Finn Be Used In High Schools
    • 517 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Should Huckleberry Finn Be Used In High Schools

    Though many people rightly believe that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should be used in schools today; many people often oppose to the use of this novel in high schools due to various reasons. One reason many naysayers say that the novel should not be used in schools today is due to the use of the N-word. According to their defense, the N-word often is offensive to blacks out there because it reminds them of what is used to be like, when there was slavery. It brings everybody back to times when blacks, or African Americans, were most often associated with violence and hate, because not many whites treated them fairly (Huckleberry). Another reason many critics say the novel should not be used in high schools today is due to how the novel…

    • 517 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Huckleberry Finn The Great Controversy
    • 749 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Huckleberry Finn The Great Controversy

    American writer, Stephen Chbosky, once said “Banning books gives us silence when we need speech. It…

    • 749 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Should Huckleberry Finn Be Allowed In Schools
    • 1945 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Should Huckleberry Finn Be Allowed In Schools

    A trashy and racist book wouldn't be allowed in classrooms. The novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain, is receiving negative attention. The dominant problem that students, parents, teachers, and even professors, face , is the usage of the n-word. After reading this adventurous story, it is hard to find the problem that is upsetting many people. Therefore, this incredible novel should continue to be in the high school curriculum because it offers students a realistic historical background, it receives numerous positive reactions, and the meaning of the word nigger, (referred to as the n-word) is changing over time.…

    • 1945 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Huckleberry Finn Should Be Banned
    • 490 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Huckleberry Finn Should Be Banned

    The final reason that Huckleberry Finn should be banned from schools is that Huck teaches bad morals for the students who have to read this novel. Instead of following the rules of the society he has grown up with, he uses made up rules of Tom Sawyer and doesn’t question them. “So Tom got out a sheet of paper that he had wrote the oath…

    • 490 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Mark Twain's 'The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn'
    • 351 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Mark Twain's 'The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn'

    Mark Twain’s, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is not a racist book because it was written back when the N-word was present in every-day language. Twain constantly used the N-word because it was used in dialect around when it was written. Twain also refers to his not at the beginning of the book to show that his writing is not discriminatory. The portrayal of Jim is based on what twain thought a slave was like.…

    • 351 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Importance Of Huckleberry Finn In Schools
    • 959 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Importance Of Huckleberry Finn In Schools

    Huckleberry Finn should not be banned from schools, this will only allow the preconceived notion that our students lack the intellect to draw their own conclusions. It is important to remember that Mark Twain was not a racist and wrote about the criticism of the racist mindset that many 19th century people had and still have (Fishkins). The irony of history and racism is painfully intertwined in the past and present and with allowing the teaching of Huckleberry Finn it will allow some of these issues to be solved. Huckleberry Finn not only confronts the deepest racial feelings and insecurities, it calls for society to take a stand and learn from the past and present and with open minds to eradicate racism and censorship from great…

    • 959 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Huckleberry Finn In The Classroom
    • 137 Words
    • 1 Page

    Huckleberry Finn In The Classroom

    Kean’s rationale for the use of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in the classroom rests in the historical aspects it illuminates about America, Mark Twain’s reputation, the novel’s relatability to youth, and the use of literary techniques. Kean believes that the novel is a central document for understanding American heritage. The novel, Kean claims, draws a picture of middle American the pre-civil war period. Kean believes that the stance of censorship only arises because the issues brought up are so painfully not resolved. He insists that readers are to sensitive and it causes them to misread, what he believes to be, a clear indictment of the old south as an approbation of the morality. Kean argues against the novels censorship saying it has…

    • 137 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More