Should Huck Finn Be Taught In Schools Essay

Ever since the book was published in 1884, the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by author Mark Twain has been making waves all across the country with its repetitive and controversial use of the word nigger and apparent disregard toward the dignity of black people. The argument has been raging on ever since: Should the original and uncensored version of Huck Finn be allowed as a tool to teach our country’s youth about American Literature? My answer to that question is yes, that with a combination of understanding, preparation, and maturity this book could be a very helpful tool in education. One reason I would like to point out as to why we should stay with the original book and not replace them all with censored versions is that nothing comes free, and somebody somewhere will have to find a way …show more content…
This book is an iconic piece of American literature and gives a great insight as to how life was back then. When Huck Finn takes place, and when the book was written, it was common for people to use the n-word and belittle black people. The setting of a novel is a very useful tool in getting the main ideas of the novel across, and the setting of this book would not be complete without using the proper dialect and language that was used at the time the story takes place. The words were not accidentally put into the novel, Twain had a reason for them to be there. The author himself once said “‘The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug’” (Cole http://www.truthdig.com). What Twain is trying to say by this is that using the right words makes all the difference when writing a novel, and these strong words are necessary to convey the message he wanted to get