Mark Twain wrote Huck Finn during the Reconstruction period in the south, at a time when most Americans wanted to forget all about the institution of slavery and its consequences. However, Twain set the time period of this novel prior to the Civil War when slavery was at its peak.
Thus, the racist views he included in the book mirrored the attitudes of most southerners It challenged authority, made light of religion, and brought up the issue of slavery and racism. Johnson, Claudia Durst. A student casebook to issues, sources and historical documents. Westport, Connecticut. Open Document.
Essay Sample Check Writing Quality. From the time it was written, to present day, Huckleberry Finn has been a very controversial novel. In addition, many scholars believe that the work is too mature for high school students and should be taught at a college level.
Although many readers believe that novels such as Huckleberry Finn are not appropriate for high school students, banning or censoring such controversial novels would result in students that are unaware of the different aspects of American culture.
Students and all Americans, as a result, would be closed-minded and not evolve in terms of their perspectives. In order to cause any kind of change, controversial works must be made public. Reading Huckleberry Finn and other controversial novels, allows readers to form new perspectives on life and the world around them.
Contrary to the belief of some that Twain is satirizing slavery, Huckleberry Finn is actually bringing awareness to the absurdities of religion and southern romanticism. Many critics believe that the author, Mark Twain, had not been able to shake off the legacy of his youth spent in Hannibal, Missouri, a place where slave-holding was prevalent.
Many parents, teachers, librarians and scholars have tried to abolish The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from high school, as well as, college curricula.
However, none of them have been voiced as articulately as voiced by public school official John H. The issue about the book not being suitable for readers of all ages alike, was first encountered within a month of the book being published. The book was published in December of and was already banned by the librarians at Concord, Massachusetts by January of This is what I believe as well. It is not necessary to ban a book because it uses language which was prevalent at the time the book was written.
Referring to a quote from my interviewee Mr. Rather than ignore what has already transpired, we should use the past as a tool to ensure that such behavior is limited to as far away possible from our society.
Racism is a very sensitive issue in the United States of America. Teaching the challenges of racialism will help place this novel into a contextual timeline in American history and enable students and readers to understand the reasons behind its censorship. The central theme in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn goes beyond race. The classic American novel highlights the coming together of races or people who historically could not coexist. The book illustrates loyalty that transcends any racial and social desegregation and hence, an urgent universal theme to teach to students.
The language used in the novel, though inappropriate at the time, can help students today to understand and appreciate the depth of characterization in classic literature. Students cannot learn from the past, especially the wrongs of the past, and subsequently change the future if the past remains blocked from them.
Mark Twain presented this novel in a way that condemns slavery and racism present at the time in American society. A runaway slave, Jim, gets assistance from a young boy, Huckleberry Finn and his friend Tom. In addition, the other white characters in this novel remain depicted in a negative way compared to Jim. It shows the harshness of Southern life and the experiences underwent by black people in the pre-Civil War era which is the reason to keep the book in schools. The book highlights essential lessons regarding racialism and social values and this is one of the reasons why The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should not be banned.
Its main character, Huck Finn, underwent significant moral development from the time he met Jim to the end of the book. In particular, Huck gets involved in a struggle between good and evil, a struggle in which good eventually prevails Culture Shock 2.
Hence, he disliked the racial segregation and the social practices taking place at the time. Thus, this is one of the arguments for the book belonging in the classrooms. Among the reasons why Huck Finn should not be taught in schools there is also the theme of slavery.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn represents the American society in the late nineteenth century, a period characterized by slavery and social exclusion of the black population from mainstream social activities. In the book, Huck Finn portrays a positive role model when he aids Jim escape enslavement in the peak of slavery.
The social evils at the time included slavery and racial segregation of the nineteenth century. Furthermore, the book captures a crucial section of American history.
Thus, the use of the term does not imply bias, rather its use bears historical implications as it captures the harsh social climate of the time. It shows that the application of the term matches with the cruel treatment slaves underwent during this era. Mark Twain satirizes the lifestyle in Southern cities of America in general through the way he depicts the characters. Subsequently, Pap pledges to change, an act that the judge declares the holiest time in history Schulten However, the following morning, the people find Pap drunk again.
This hurts the judge, which appears ironic, as the judge believed that Pap would reform after his encounter with him. This example shows that the Southern citizens bore ignorance in this regard. Southern lifestyles also involved family feuds and pointless conflicts.
An example that illustrates the ignorance and absurdness of family feuds involves the Grangerford family. A rich family who treats him as part of the family takes in huckleberry.
However, he later learns that a feud existed between Grangerfords and another family, the Shepherdsons. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn [electronic resource]. Other articles in Controversial Works. Want to support the Free Speech Center?
Donate Now. Twain, Mark. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Berkeley: University of California Press, Gilliam, Dorothy.
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