Why Should Huckleberry Finn Be Banned

It has come to my attention that the book Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is being challenged at our school. I can think of many reasons why this book should not be removed from our reading list here at Catholic High, and I ask that you take this letter and my opinion in it seriously before you take any action. I understand that the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been controversial ever since it was published in the late 19th century, but I believe that some of the reasons why the book banned are not an issue in today’s society. For example, many libraries banned the book from the 1890’s through the early 1900’s because it included sentences including, “Huck not only itched, he scratched” and he used the word “sweat” instead of “perspiration”. Most people today would not hesitate or think twice about it when they came across either of the above statements, in fact it is almost laughable.
What most critics today have an issue with is the infamous “N-word”, which at the time was commonplace language for white people in speaking to their black slaves. Some critics in the south were greatly upset by the way that Mark Twain portrayed them, and they thought he made them look bad. I’d like to remind them that the book is meant to be fiction, although it may attempt to portray American life realistically. I think that people everywhere already know and should accept the fact that the word was used, and just be thankful at how our civilization has progressed over the years. We can’t ignore that the language exists and was used the way it