Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: English Class Necessity or Gateway to Controversy?

   

   

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a classic novel written by famed author Mark Twain in 1883. Despite being written in 1883, it would not actually be published until the December of 1884. The story follows the life of a young boy growing up in Missouri named Huckleberry Finn (Commonly referred to as Huck Finn) who helps a black man named Jim escape the harsh world of slavery that was taking place in America at the time. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, or Huck Finn as many people call it for short, has been widely considered to be the Great American Novel of its time because of the outstanding way that it was able to depict American culture during the time of its release. However, with all of the good that encompasses this tale of bravery and excitement, there is bound to be some sort of criticism that entails as well. The main source of criticism that comes from this book is caused by the excessive use of the n-word (The hard "r" one. Not to be confused with the slang version that is often used today). The infamous word appears in the story a total of 219 times. Nevertheless, serious controversy revolves around the book because of this factor. Some people have even gone as far as to suggest that the book be banned from schools due to the frequency of the racial slur that appears during the story. This, then, leads to the overall question. Is Adventures of Huckleberry Finn a story that should continue to be read in schools or banned because of the frequent use of the n-word that it contains?

     While it is quite clear that coming across the n-word a total of 219 times can be somewhat uncomfortable, I believe that it is safe to say that Huck Finn should still continue to be read in schools by students. The main reason that I say this is because of the fact that the story of Huck Finn provides several valuable lessons as well as it serves as an excellent representation of what life was like in America when it was written. For example, in the story Huck and Jim become what could be considered friends after they run into each other on an island and discover that they are both dealing with conflicts in their lives. The fact that Huck, who is a white boy, and Jim, who is a black man, become friends is proof that people can experience change and have the potential to come together when placed in certain circumstances (Keep in mind that Huck Finn took place in the 1830s. This was not a time that many Black and White People were considered friends). In addition, the story paints an accurate picture of life in the 1800s with the incorporation of slavery as well as the personalities of the characters. Many people feel that Mark Twain was also trying to be racist with his frequent incorporation of the n-word. However, you have to realize that this was how people generally spoke in the 1800s therefore, Twain was most likely speaking with his usual vocabulary without the intention of displaying deliberate racism towards African-Americans. 

     These are my reasons for why I personally believe that Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should continue to be read in schools and not be banned. I write this in respect to everyone else's opinion and what they believe in. Remember these are just my thoughts, my opinions, and how I feel about the situation. If you'd like, leave a comment about your opinion of whether Huck Finn should continue to be read in schools or if it should be banned!

Yours truly,

William Paige