Premium Essay

Why Should Huckleberry Finn Be Banned

Submitted By
Words 966
Pages 4
Free speech in America officially began on December 15, 1791, the day the First Amendment was ratified. Our founding fathers were a group of very smart men and women of all races, religions, and gender identities. And they understood that, hundreds of years later, the Constitutional principles of 1791 would remain unchanged. Our most important freedom, is the right to express one’s beliefs. As a teenager we hear about the crazy conservative religious fanatics trying to ban books from public libraries and trying to ban songs from being played on the radio. But that has changed. Today, crazy conservative religious fanatics are busy battling it out in Republican presidential debates. Meanwhile, it’s the liberal left at the forefront of stopping …show more content…
The world doesn’t always fit comfortably into peoples simplistic, idealistic self-importance. Nor should it. And now grand ideas have been replaced with ridiculous overstatements, with nobody around to say, “But maybe you’re wrong.” Actually, there are people saying that. But no one is listening. Because to be confronted with a different view is offensive. You just watched a show you dislike? Doesn’t make it the worst show in the history of television. Everything you dislike is not the worst thing ever. Every movie you like is not a four-star film. Every good movie does not “deserve to be nominated for best picture.”Every movie you hate is not the worst movie ever made. Every bad movie is not a “piece of crap.” Everything is not a travesty. We have reached the hyperbolic fake outrage height. Hence, it’s no longer enough that we just pretend to be incensed over semi-offensive moments of minor significance. We have to scour the Internet in search of pointless feel good stories to celebrate and heroes to applaud. And where does all this ridiculousness start? A school administrator, succumbing to pressure, eliminates Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Why Huckleberry Finn Should Not Be Banned

...The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should not be banned in public schools despite its use of racial slurs because it not only challenges the reader with such a controversial topic but shows the prevalence of racism in that era. The novel’s fictionalization of the south makes it more enriching as it brings a sense of realism to the novel. This novel is a beneficial teaching tool for students learning about racism in America so banning it would impair students’ learning of the south in this era. Many historical concepts of race are displayed throughout the novel, giving it more historical context than just slavery. The underlying reason for the push for the ban is because many parents are concerned about their child well-being while reading....

Words: 1262 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Why Huckleberry Finn Should Be Banned

...Would you not go to school just because you hear one or two kids curse? No, since attending school allows you to achieve an education and if you did not become educated then you will not become successful or become the best of yourself you can be. Similarly, in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, students should read it whether there be offensive words in it, since there is such a prevalent theme that everyone should know and be able to learn from. Every year the English language is changed whether it be “twerking” or having “swag”; The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn features the n-word over two-hundred times. If every book that had derogatory terms was banned, there would be no books for students to learn from. Furthermore, almost every group of people have been stigmatized against and in order to prevent future...

Words: 822 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Why Huckleberry Finn Should Be Banned

...Huckleberry Finn is a very contradicting novel. While it is considered to be one of the top ten books in American literature it is also one of the most banned books in public schools. Well why would such a great book be banned? Simply because of one word used multiple times throughout the book. I believe this isn’t a good enough reason Huckleberry Finn should be banned in public schools. One of the main reasons this book has the title of a great American novel is because of the author’s writing style. Before Twain, American authors still wrote in a more European style, like Edgar Allan Poe. Twain wasn’t interested in doing that. He wanted to portray the characters better and make you understand what was actually going on in America during...

Words: 827 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Why Should Huckleberry Finn Be Banned In Schools

...novel, Huckleberry Finn, has been very controversial ever since it has been published. There are some who believe that the novel should be banned from schools because of Twain’s use of the “n” word. Others believe that it is an American classic that is considered one of the greatest works of American literature which should be allowed in schools. I believe Huckleberry Finn should not be banned in schools because Mark Twain uses accurate dialect of the 19th century south. Also, the novel depicts the problems and issues that deal with slavery that everyone who reads it can learn from. Huckleberry Finn consist of accurate dialect of the early 19th century when slavery was still legal. Twain gives different dialects to different characters based off of their character and their role in the South. For example, Huck uses contractions and misplaced words when he says “what’s the use you learning to do right, when it’s troublesome to do right and ain’t no trouble to do wrong, and the wages is just the same?” (Huckleberry Finn, pg 91), and when Jim says “Goodness gracious, is dat you, Huck? En you ain’ dead-you ain’ drownded-you’s back ag’in?” (Huckleberry Finn, pg 83). Huck’s dialect falls along the typical dialect of the South while Jim’s...

Words: 748 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Why Should Huckleberry Finn Be Banned In Schools

...of society. It is found in movies, television shows, books, magazines,or even on the street in everday occasions. But what exactly is racism and why does it continue to be a problem? Racism is defined as “the belief that members of different races possess specific qualities or abilities and that those qualities mark them as either inferior or superior to another” by Gale Student Resources and Context. Racism affects any individual of a certain race, however in America, this issue has mostly affected African Americans, who’s ancestors were once bound...

Words: 1734 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Why Should Huckleberry Finn Be Banned

...The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, created by Mark Twain, is a highly controversial literature piece. The book has sparked countless debates about it’s vulgar word choices and its different themes. In the biography of Mark Twain, it was highlighted that the novel was banned in many countries and libraries due to its controversial themes (113). I do not believe the novel should be banned. I believe it is symbolic of the South and highlights the Southern culture during the age of slavery. The novel does not sugar code the way the South was during slavery. I believe some may want to ban the book because of the offensive language and themes; however, banning the book, bans the true history of the South. In the Mark Twain biography, Mark Twain...

Words: 334 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Why Huckleberry Finn Should Not Be Banned Research Paper

...Banning a book is never acceptable; books are a product of their environment, and readers can learn much about a time period in history and the literary influences from books, even if the language/content is not acceptable in our contemporary time period. Despite some of the language used in Huckleberry Finn, it should not be banned. Instead, the language used should be frankly discussed as to why it was included in the book, and the implications it had on the past and has on the present. The nature of the book is satire, and this is important for readers to realize so that they do not narrowly assume that Twain himself was racist (even if he was), or that anyone who reads the book will be racist. Of course, in contemporary society, the language...

Words: 410 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Should Huckleberry Finn Be Taught In Schools Essay

...Mark Twain’s first successful piece of work was a book about a young boy named Tom Sawyer. Tom and his best friend, Huckleberry Finn, went around, getting in trouble and going on exciting adventures. It was a popular children's book. So, when Mark Twain came out with his next book; The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a story of Huck running away from home and going on new adventures with a slave, everyone was surprised by its controversial topics and offensive racial slurs. Now, 130 years later, the book is the number one most banned book in America. The question of whether it should still be taught in school is being brought up again. The themes in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain are still relevant today, and therefore, the book should still be taught in school. Some of the themes in the book are argued to be inappropriate. A boy running away from home, the bad language, a white boy and a black man being friends, the scheming and scamming; these are all topics that some may think shouldn’t be taught in school. These are themes that need to be addressed because they are real life topics. They may have been hard to talk about in the past but now, they are good teaching devices. The controversial topics in the book...

Words: 862 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Mark Twain's Use Of The N Word Analysis

...more than a hundred years and the controversy of the word’s use has been lingering in the minds of all those living in America. Through his book, Mark Twain pushes his readers into thinking about why slavery is wrong and how immoral slavery is. By forcing doubt into the reader’s minds, Twain successfully gets his message through. Although some readers do not get the reason behind Twain’s constant use of the “n-word”, Twain’s book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn remains as one of Twain’s best sellers. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn sends a subliminal message depicting slavery as an immoral occurrence in history, unfortunately for some, this book has been misinterpreted as racist. Mark Twain did not intend...

Words: 1597 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Should Huckleberry Finn Be Taught In Schools

...Should the book, Huckleberry Finn,be taught in schools today? This question is very controversial across America. Because Mark Twain’s,Huckleberry Finnwasset before the Civil War, in the mid-1800s, Twain writes about slaves and blacks as they were saw in that era. Even though this was just a time in History that the whole world went through, people now want to try and erase that time in History. Huckleberry Finn was written during a time in America that should not be forgotten, but studied and used as a way to improve life today.Huckleberry Finn should be taught and read in schools. Huckleberry Finn is a book written by the famous author, Mark Twain. This book follows the adventures of a young boy named Huckleberry Finn. This book is...

Words: 564 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Should Huck Finn Be Banned In High Schools

...who took a controversial approach to waking up his readers. Many school districts and libraries banned his classic novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, due to its nerve-striking content. Many people only see what is on the surface of Huck Finn and ignore the true message within the text. Some teachers whilst reading aloud to the class even refuse to openly say “nigger,” which is found two hundred and nineteen times in the novel. From all of this Twain and Huck Finn have gathered a bad reputation despite all the thought provoking and positive aspects of the novel. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should be kept in high school curriculum because it showcases a truthful side American history, teaches morals and values,...

Words: 1136 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Research Paper Huckleberry Finn, Candide, Don Juan

...Three works of literature, labeled immoral, unfit to read and even satanic, completely criticized for their use of vulgar language and “blasphemes” way of speaking their mind. What critics fail to see is the true creativity of the humor in Candide, the morality and kindness in Huckleberry Finn, and the passion of Don Juan. All three of these great works of literature have suffered the injustice of biased criticism and have been rejected from public schools, which wastes their educational potential. Candide has been place into the index of prohibited books, Huckleberry Finn has been banned almost every public school, and Don Juan has succumb to a similar fate. What people don’t understand is that these novels and works of poetry can show us more about how humans treat each other, how realistic some ridiculous things can be, and how we can understand ourselves. Candide is a novel written by the French writer Voltaire, it’s about a germen man by the name of Candide who goes on quite a journey meeting a variety of people, constantly running into political and religious figures with bad results. Meeting up with old friends and characters he believed dead, the novel consists of unrealistic situations in a comedic fashion but in the end, through all the hell he can say let’s just forget about it and move on in our life. This story can give you a real life perspective and show you that life shouldn’t be taken seriously, if a guy like Candide can go through what he did without a thought...

Words: 1217 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Why Should Huck Finn Be Banned

...For centuries a war has been roaring in the world of literature about the american classic Huckleberry Finn. You are either on the side saying Huck Finn should be banned or that it should be praised for being a well written novel reflecting human weakness. While researching there was a considerable amount more of people who believe Huck Finn to be a great novel. But with great persistence I have came to believe that Huckleberry Finn should be not be taught in school due to having large amounts of the N-word, racial stereotypes, and religious disobedience. Throughout the novel Twain repeatedly uses the N word to such a degree that is intolerable. During the entirety of the novel “Twain uses the N-word a total of 219 times”(CBS 2). “NAACP...

Words: 826 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Huck Finn Censors The N Word Analysis

...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

Premium Essay

Censorship In Huckleberry Finn

...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