Censorship In Huckleberry Finn

It was once said by American comedian Tommy Smothers that “The only valid censorship of idea is the right of people not to listen.” Censorship has long been considered a strikingly controversial topic, with many seeing Censorship as a vital role in protecting the people, and others seeing it as a threat to freedom of speech/expression. Censorship plays a perpetual role in the average person’s life. Examples of harsh Censorship laws can be seen through many mediums such as censorship of several sites via Internet in regions such as China, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, or journalists arrested for covering “offensive” stories. However, one of the most common forms of censorship that millions of people encounter is censorship of the media- most …show more content…
Although censorship can be seen as a medium to prevent exposure to potentially sensitive/harmful material, it is harmful to society as a whole, and is a violation of freedom of rights.

Despite several efforts by many anti- censorship organizations, censorship of the media has and always will be in place. One of the most prevalent bannings is of the controversial “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”. The sequel to Tom Sawyer by famous American Author Mark Twain, tells the story of the white town drunk’s son Huckleberry Finn and his journey with slave Jim. However, considering the time this novel was written (1884), the use of the word “Nigger” is repeatedly used (a startling 219 …show more content…
According to the Director of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Resident Training Eugene V. Bresin, “Before age 4, children are unable to distinguish between fact and fantasy and may view violence as an ordinary occurrence.” While it is understood that, in order to prevent an upcoming generation of violent offenders, one must protect our children from being accessed to violent and sexually explicit material, that prevention is the duty of the child’s parents-not the government. In an essay written by Ben Baser, regarding media censorship, specifically preventing content sexual in nature from young children, he says “ [Regarding putting parental locks on a computer} need to take place on a local scale and can’t or shouldn’t be regulated/implemented by the Government – you must implement them yourself.” Many parents have their own standards on what is considered “innapropiate” for their young children’s eyes. What one parent deems to be “innapropiate” for their child could be vastly different than another parent’s discretion. One parent may consider Goosebumps as being innapropiate for their four year old, while another parent may not and would allow their child to watch violent films. This standard on what material should or shouldn’t be shown to young children is the right of their parents. The government should not dictate what a child can or cannot see, as each family as their own