Censorship In Mark Twain's The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn

According to the old adage, “Knowledge is power”, and to strip one of knowledge or experiences is to strip them of their power to communicate effectively and intelligently. Additionally, knowledge helps to dispel ignorance and bias. The more cognizance one possess the easier it is to identify with the plight of others. In the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, racial slurs and an unapologetic portrayal of the South define the novel. While these topics can be offensive and remind the reader of America’s painful history, it also shows that although America has come far, and here is still so much left to be done. Depending on the maturity of the audience, censorship of the novel can only help to perpetuate racial and cultural biases. …show more content…
She states “Yet while Huck comes to love and respect Jim, he is occasionally nagged by his “conscience,” which tells him that he ought to turn Jim in. As a slave in the pre Civil War south, Jim is someone’s property, and Huck firmly believes that he is morally obligated to report him”(Apstein). After all, the main point of the novel is Huck and his moral journey from boyhood to something more, perhaps not yet a man but after what he has experienced, no longer a boy. The reader sees his internal struggle over what society deemed morally acceptable and what he knows to be true. The fact that Huck is struggling with the decision at all shows that the book is not inherently racist but challenges the reader to discern their own truths and what society has made them to