Freedom of expression, it is one of the building blocks of our country, but with that comes controversy. One of the most controversial books is Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, some consider it racist because of the language used in the story and the way Twain’s characters treat slaves; because of this, some critics believe that Huckleberry Finn should no longer be read in High school. However I believe we should continue reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in class because: Huck is the first real all American character, it shows a unique perspective of the time and region, and it shows how everyone should have freedom including anti-slavery messages.
Huckleberry Finn is the first “all American character” in modern …show more content…
In reality, it’s actually anti - racist. People believe it’s racist because of the language used towards African Americans and the way they are treated in the book, but just like the author’s note says “The shadings [the different words and dialects used] have not been done in a haphazard fashion, or by guesswork; but painstakingly, and with the trustworthy guidance and support of personal familiarity with these several forms of speech” (Twain pg. Explanatory). The word that continuously gets brought up is the word “nigger” or - as I often refer to it - the n-word. It is used literally hundreds of times in the novel, so why shouldn’t it be considered racist? It shouldn’t be considered racist because as stated before every word has a purpose, so if you change one of those words you change the progress and impact of a character’s development in the novel. An article called “The Quintessential Assault: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn vs. Political Correctness and Comfort” argues that changing the n-word in say, a speech by Martin Luther King Jr. would alter the meaning and impact that Martin Luther King Jr. had originally intended. After analyzing his use of words such as: colored, black, nigger, and negro and how he used the words to drive home the point he was making, they concluded that changing these words to make them less offensive would in turn take away from Martin Luther King Jr.’s argument. Suggesting that censoring or changing the n-word from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn would have a much similar impact on the meaning Mark Twain has given us. The same article previously stated that works such as MLKJ, Malcom X, and books such as Kill a MockingJay and Bless Me are a few examples of other books that put kids in a topic of discussion that seems awkward and uncomfortable to talk about, but gives
Huckleberry Finn is the first “all American character” in modern …show more content…
In reality, it’s actually anti - racist. People believe it’s racist because of the language used towards African Americans and the way they are treated in the book, but just like the author’s note says “The shadings [the different words and dialects used] have not been done in a haphazard fashion, or by guesswork; but painstakingly, and with the trustworthy guidance and support of personal familiarity with these several forms of speech” (Twain pg. Explanatory). The word that continuously gets brought up is the word “nigger” or - as I often refer to it - the n-word. It is used literally hundreds of times in the novel, so why shouldn’t it be considered racist? It shouldn’t be considered racist because as stated before every word has a purpose, so if you change one of those words you change the progress and impact of a character’s development in the novel. An article called “The Quintessential Assault: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn vs. Political Correctness and Comfort” argues that changing the n-word in say, a speech by Martin Luther King Jr. would alter the meaning and impact that Martin Luther King Jr. had originally intended. After analyzing his use of words such as: colored, black, nigger, and negro and how he used the words to drive home the point he was making, they concluded that changing these words to make them less offensive would in turn take away from Martin Luther King Jr.’s argument. Suggesting that censoring or changing the n-word from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn would have a much similar impact on the meaning Mark Twain has given us. The same article previously stated that works such as MLKJ, Malcom X, and books such as Kill a MockingJay and Bless Me are a few examples of other books that put kids in a topic of discussion that seems awkward and uncomfortable to talk about, but gives