...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...
Words: 1073 - Pages: 5
...Maze 1 Bethany Maze Ms. Woods CP English III December 13, 2012 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn The book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn written by Mark Twain has been considered one of the greatest American novels in history. Unfortunately, no one receives this sort of praise without criticism. This book has been deemed indecent for many younger readers due to its lack of morals and failure to conform to today’s politically correct language. Most of the disapproval comes from the racist comments, words, and general feeling towards one of the main characters, Jim. The big controversy here is whether or not this book should be available for young readers in libraries, and if it should be used as a learning material in classrooms. The book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should be taught in classrooms under certain conditions. One of the strongest reasons people believe that younger readers should not be subjected to this book is because of its racial undertones. Twain was writing to portray what happened at this time in history and what the social norms were. In fact if he didn’t include words such as the “N” word in his novel it would not have accurately portrayed the people during that time period. Using these racial terms is a sensitive Maze 2 thing to deal with. Although this book is accurate, younger readers aren’t educated enough to know the consequences of some of the terms used. Michiko Kakutani believed that “to censor or redact books on school reading...
Words: 763 - Pages: 4
...Descriptions In the selected readings of Mark Twain consolidated in “Mark Twain Selected Writings of an American Skeptic,” Victor Doyno includes chapters from “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” This book is the center of much debate and controversy over the use of one word, the “N” word. This word was used to describe Jim the Slave. In Chapter 31, Huckleberry Finn is struggling with his conscious of either turning Jim the Slave in to his owner or not turn Jim the Slave in and in turn assists him in staying free. He believes God’s Ten Commandments teach against stealing property, which is how slaves are viewed in the time. Huckleberry Finn sees the slaves as people with the right to be treated with all the respect as anyone else. This is where Huck Finn struggles since he feels people should not be property and should be treated with respect. Huck decides to accept his fate and says “all right then, I’ll go to hell.” (Doyno, 1983. Pg. 240.) In the end he decides to not turn Jim in and in turn satisfies his conscious because he feels people cannot be owned. With the language of the time, Mark Twain uses the word “nigger” over 200 times in his story “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” Mark Twain uses the term 219 times in that one story. (CBS News, 2015. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/huckleberry-finn-and-the-n-word-debate/ ) In much of the censored versions, the word is replaced with slave which leads to the belief that slave is the same meaning of the word. Even in Twain’s...
Words: 1619 - Pages: 7
...When watching a 60 minutes clip discussing censorship in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, as well as reading the article, “A New edition of ‘Huck Finn’ censors the N word’”, both sources disscuessed the controversy of the language used in “Huck Finn” as well as whether or not it's okay to censor and change one of the greatest books in a american literature. Both sources inform us that the novel is one of the most banned book do to the insensitive and over use of the “N word”, in fact it was stated that the derogatory term was used a total of 219 throughout the entire novel. But in efforts to allow more adolescents and people to read this novel a censored version was published that replaced every N word with the word slave. But the censored...
Words: 330 - Pages: 2
...he Dead Father Jerome Klinkowitzís remarkably insightful review of Donald Barthelmeís work begins with an anecdote about an evening they spent together in Greenwich Village (Barthelmeís home for most of his life as a writer), and how a perfectly Freudian remark by Barthelmeís wife put a stop to the writerís boorish mood:ìëWhy Donald,í she said, ëyour fatherís is bigger than yours.íShe was referring to their respective biosin Whoís Who in America.î It is Klinkowitz's well-argued contention that Barthelmeís mid-career novel The Dead Father (1975) not only represents the high-water mark of his skill as a technical master of postmodern prose, but that it also embodies the central neurosis/inspiration driving nearly all his work, from his first published story, ìMe and Miss Mandibleî in 1961, to his last novel, Paradise (1986).(Though The King is mentioned by Klinkowitz, it is clear he considers it to be barely part of the Barthelme canon.)For Klinkowitz, Barthelmeís near-obsessive goal as a post-modernist is to ìburyî his modernist father.For instance, Klinkowitz writes that, while at first glance ìMe and Miss Mandibleî seems a perfectly Kafkaesque tale of a man awakening to grotesquely transformed circumstances, in fact it is ì[f]ree of overweening anxiety and not painfully dedicated to existential questioning or angst ...î[1] ì[Barthelmeís] first inclination is to laugh at rather than flail angrily against the forms and themes of an earlier style ...î[2]Klinkowitz cites ìThe Indian...
Words: 977 - Pages: 4
...Summary: Chapter 29 The real Harvey Wilks, in an authentic English accent, explains the reasons he and his brother, William, were delayed: their luggage was misdirected, and his mute brother broke his arm, leaving him unable to communicate by signs. Doctor Robinson again declares the duke and the dauphin to be frauds and has the crowd bring the real and the fraudulent Wilks brothers to a tavern for examination. The frauds draw suspicion when they fail to produce the $6,000 from the Wilks inheritance. A lawyer friend of the deceased then asks the duke, the dauphin, and the real Harvey to sign a piece of paper. When the lawyer compares the writing samples to letters he has from the real Harvey, the frauds are exposed. The dauphin, however, refuses to give up and claims that the duke is playing a joke on everyone by disguising his handwriting. Because the real William serves as scribe for the real Harvey and cannot write due to his broken arm, the crowd cannot prove that the real Wilkses are indeed who they say they are. To put an end to the situation, the real Harvey declares he knows of a tattoo on his brother’s chest, asking the undertaker who dressed the body to back him up. But after the dauphin and Harvey each offer a different version of the tattoo’s appearance, the undertaker surprises everyone by telling the crowd he saw no tattoo. The mob cries out for the blood of all four men, but the lawyer instead sends them out to exhume the body and check for the tattoo themselves...
Words: 3663 - Pages: 15
...We want to root for Huck Finn and last in his innocence, yet we are forced into the mold of the American cultural narrative. We’re all taught to speak up, look someone in the eye, use your public language, more often than not, we don’t fit into the persona. Everyone wants to be accepted for who they are as individuals. Further, Rodriguez explains how this public speech and eye contact, has shaped him from a young boy in an Irish-Catholic school being taught by nuns. At first, he didn’t comply, but slowly he finally did. He uses more anecdotal evidence when discussing a black friend of his that graduated from college, and upon returning home, her mother tells her, “I don’t want you talkin’ white in here” (Rodriguez 733). He uses this to show us that American culture swallows...
Words: 765 - Pages: 4
...Mark Twain’s coming of age novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn features a boy who embarks on a series of adventures. The young boy sets off on a journey with little knowledge and no resources. Huck encounters a fellow slave that he was friendly with on his escape from abuse and torture who helps Huck grow his personality. Jim, the runaway black slave, who Huck was taught to bring shame upon, helped Huck morally grow throughout the story. Hucks decisions to save vulnerable people from disaster constitutes moral growth because he is able to reject the poor moral teachings of his father and Miss Watson and embrace his own value structure that recognises the humanity of his fellow man. The 13 year old boy basis his adventure off of bad teachings...
Words: 1306 - Pages: 6
...In the novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Huckleberry Finn gets to live a different life, unlike his peers. Huck realized he does not think like the other boys when playing as the robber gang. However, independent life has left its mark on the character - of course, Huck matured early. Often he behaves just like an adult, especially against the background of their "safe" peers. So, at the very beginning of the novel, the boys under the leadership of Tom Sawyer created a bandit gang, to "rob and kill." Huck does not see in this game is of no use, "Tom Sawyer called the hogs" ingots, "and turnips and greens -" jewels ", and after returning to the cave, we bragged about what to do and how many people killed and wounded. But...
Words: 547 - Pages: 3
...In chapters 24-30 of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, there is a clear theme of morals influencing one’s actions as events become more personal. Huck understands that the the duke and dauphin are dishonest men, but he does not think much about it; they are, at first, scamming random, gullible people who Huck has no connection with. However, Huck quickly becomes disgusted by their actions when they begin to scam the Wilks family. When the king and duke begin to sob, Huck fells “it was enough to make a body ashamed of the human race” (235). Their actions now stick out to Huck as this act is more personal unlike their previous antics; the Wilks are in mourning over a lost family member and are in a vulnerable state, yet the frauds...
Words: 404 - Pages: 2
...The Use Of A Satire The expedition taken by two people down a stream, is seldom consideration of as anything more than not only an adventure. However, Mark Twain uses his book, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, to search and make fun of many problems facing American community. Huck, the leading character, seems to be an untutored young boy who is continually under impression to submit to the "civilized" aspects of nation. Jim, who run with Huck, is a fugitive slave searching freedom from the mankind that has rejected it to him for so farreaching. In his book, Twain uses sarcasm to show many of "civilizations" problems. In the opening of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain interdict his auditory from verdict a cause, virtuous, or delineate. In secondhand oratorical strategies such as sarcasm, ferrous, and satire he defiance the peruser to examine for deeper meanings not only in the Notice, but throughout the whole book. His intention was to emit Life on the unveracious ideals that environment typify as versed through the view of inexperienced youth. The ironical events that interdict Huck from being a energetic nature allude to the defectiveness of hidden religion in people. Twain uses sarcasm to show the contention between enslavement and Christianity. As the peruser we see Miss Watson as a pretender. Huck remark this when he inquire to puff but is not tolerated to even though “she took snuff, too; of course that was all right because she done it herself” (2)...
Words: 1805 - Pages: 8
...Escape – Extract 2 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn “It was kind of lazy...”(p26) to “...till he got that chance.” (27) Collins Classics The Catcher in the Rye “The funny thing is though...”(p13) to “...when you think about it.” (p16) Penguin Analyse the extract in detail. Make sure you cover: * The ways in which the writer presents and develops Huck’s character. * The ways in which the writer creates a distinctive narrative voice. * The ways in which the theme of escape is presented. The ways in which any other themes are explored by the writer. * The ways in which the extract is a product of the novel’s social and historical context. In both extracts the theme of escape is explored. In extract 1, Huck is planning to escape from his abusive father and in extract 2 Holden does his best to escape from Mr Spencer’s room. Both extracts are in the first person so that the reader feels the narrator’s discomfort. Both characters feel the need to escape from oppression of some type; Huck from physical abuse at the hands of his alcoholic father and Holden from what he feels is the oppressive, “depressing” atmosphere of Spencer’s room and Pencey in general. In both extracts the reader feels the anxiety of the main character. However, the two characters are quite different. Huck is practical, resourceful and admirably cheerful whereas Holden is portrayed as neurotic and judgemental. We seem to be presented with a hero in Huck and an anti-hero in Holden. Both characters...
Words: 3185 - Pages: 13
...Jack Bloomfield Mr. Loeffler Am Ex 1 11 Dec 2009 People tend to look out for or take care of themselves first before they look to others; many characters in Huckleberry Finn are guilty of this. People may say that this is the big problem with society today, because people are too concerned with what is going on only with them and not what is going on around them. With society being to self-serving we are missing things that are going wrong that could easily be fixed in our world today. Most characters in this novel fall guilty to this one time or another and some fall more than others do. Two big examples of this theme in the book Huckleberry Finn are the King and the Duke. Huck and Jim first encounter the King and the Duke when they are on the raft and the King and Duke being chased out of a town and they jump aboard the raft. As soon as they are on the raft the King and Duke make up stories on how they are royalty. The Duke does his story first saying he is the rightful Duke of Bridgewater by decent of his great-grandfather who was the eldest son of the old Duke of Bridgewater. The Duke because he was a “Duke” had Huck and Jim call him names like “Your Grace” “Your Lordship” and etcetera. After hearing this, the King then tells a story on how he is the late Dauphin “Looy” the seventeen, son of “Looy” the sixteenth and Marie Antonette. He also goes on saying how he should e the rightful king of France. The King made them call him names like “His Majesty” and another names...
Words: 434 - Pages: 2
...Throughout life, society and people change. However, people may change differently than society. An example of this is Huckleberry Finn, in the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. Huck has changed in many different ways throughout the novel, developing from someone who is childlike and only cares about himself to one who has dealt with many grown-up issues, grown into societal beliefs, and cares about others, even people who are commonly disregarded, which is unlike what society believes. In the novel, Huck starts out not accepting religious beliefs. He sees heaven as a boring place, and doesn’t listen to the Widow or Miss Watson. On pages 10 through 11 it says, “Then Miss Watson she took me in the closet and prayed,...
Words: 2119 - Pages: 9
...Have you ever heard of an intense story that places multiple worlds in the hands of four 13 year olds who simply thought that they were playing a video game? A story that kills off the main characters, only to bring them back? Well if you haven’t you then you my friend have never heard of Homestuck. Homestuck is a webcomic, found at mspaintadventures.com, that was created and written by none other than Andrew Hussie. Andrew’s work is extremely complicated but hooks the hearts of many. He has worked hard to get where he is today and without his large and supportive fanbase, he wouldn't even be where he is right now. Andrew Hussie, through many years of work, has became one of the most prolific figures in the webcomic-making world. In the beginning before his webcomic “Homestuck” became popular, Andrew Hussie was just an average guy with a unique hobby. He went to Temple University and majored in computer science (betabeat.com). While he was doing that, he got interested in making his own website, so he did, and he came up with the site mspaintadventures.com. With this site he simply started to make webcomics with simple photoshop. None of his webcomics were getting very popular, and he didn’t expect them to get popular. His first webcomic in fact, wasn’t Homestuck, like many people he put several comics out there before he even started Homestuck. Jailbreak was one of his first webcomics, it followed an unnamed man trying to escape a jail cell, but Hussie drew it to a vague conclusion...
Words: 1144 - Pages: 5