Essay on Racism in Children's Literature

The revisional author, Alan Gribben, said he worried that the N-word had resulted in the novel falling off reading lists. He believes his sanitized edition will please more readers and teachers. Gribben has plowed over Twain's freedom of speech in the process. After all, Twain isn't around to comment(Dawkins 1). The responsibility of this book belongs to no one. Banning or sanitizing Huckleberry Finn should not be a topic of discussion because Twain had every right to write the book however he desired. Offensive terms and words are being invented right now. We should not pick on historical terms when others are being invented everyday.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a staple of many middle school, high school, and college English curriculums across the nation for its crucial lessons about race and slavery. Historian Peter Salwen explains that Twain’s colloquial dialogue is “a way to underscore the truth about the old south” and highlights Twain’s mastery of satire (B). Thus, his ability to use advanced literary tools to convey that slavery was a widespread epidemic in Southern white society makes his novel ideal for study in American classrooms. Apart from the value of the story is the value of the words with which it is told. As an alternative to banning the novel entirely, many of its opponents recommend censoring the N-word, particularly Twain scholar Alan Gribben, who led an effort to publish copies replacing the racial epithet with “slave” (F).

Twain unnecessarily uses the word a total of 219 times throughout the novel. Although this argument is valid, his language is an important aspect of the story. Huck's ignorance often surfaces, and his frequent use of the “n-word” certainly causes the reader to cringe. In a classroom, discomfort among students is often magnified. The offensive language in Huck Finn certainly makes it a difficult book to read, however, it does not entail eliminating the novel from classrooms. Critics have often discussed censoring the book and replacing the “n-word” with “slave” instead. This would be just as ineffective as eliminating the book. Mark Twain intentionally uses this language to bring reality into his story and help show the change that his characters undergo. Changing the diction and language would be changing the story. Just because a word is offensive, doesn’t mean it is being used for the wrong purpose.

“All modern literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn,” this is what fellow writer had to say about this classic novel. Still, this novel has been the object of controversy since it was published more than 150 years ago. Some people argue that Huckleberry Finn is a racist work, and that the novel has no place in a highschool classroom. This feeling is generated because a main character in the story, Jim, and other slaves are referred to many times as “niggers.” When Mark Twain wrote this book, he was striving to show the general public that society was wrong in the past, that the way white people thought black people were less than human was a wrong viewpoint. The

To sum up, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is an important piece of literature that should be allowed in schools. By banning the book or censoring the n-word, students will either not get the opportunity to learn about slavery in a different way that what is taught at school or they will not learn the true meaning of the story that is intended to be learned. The n-word has a strong impact on the audience and by removing it the story will no longer be seen as one of Twain's original work and will instead cause more controversy on its importance to students. The friendship that was formed throughout the book teaches students something more than slavery and shows how Jim was viewed as more than just a slave. It does not encourage racism and

Apart from being one of the landmarks of American literature, Mark Twain’s classic tale,The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, is a mirror of the deeply embedded racist attitudes of the Deep South in the 1880’s. First, not to mention the most controversial and obvious, is the liberal use of the “n” word throughout the book. Taken as a derogatory term by modern-day Americans, Twain’s use of the “n” word is simply a reflection of the times. Huck Finn was written when cruel and unjust treatment of colored people were commonplace and use of such a word didn’t get so much as a second thought.Huck Finn depicts a time when slaves were not treated as people but as things without emotions or personalities, mere property. For instance, Jim is initially known only in relation to whose property he is. He escapes from being continuously treated as property, even sold to a family that will most likely treat him even less humanely.

“Huck Finn” story can be a debatable when it comes to history, and what the story is about. Some argue that Mark Twain’s abuse of using the “N” word triggers racism especially that this book was written when slavery became illegal. As one student said, "It is estimated that the word nigger is used 392 times which reinforces a negative stereotype of African Americans represented by the use of this derogatory word" (Jackson). Some can still argue that this book can be a bad influence to the youth as they might be using the “N” word as a racist rant. For some, it is very disturbing, upsetting, and bringing back the past.

It is odd to think that a high school student would pick up the word “nigger” and use it against another student because high school students have already been exposed to topics such as slavery and racism. Therefore, it would be unlikely for a student to use “nigger” against another student given the fact that race is still a “volatile and divisive subject” in this country and high school students is not ignorant infants that can’t distinguish the rights and wrongs about the word “nigger.” (Williams, Randle). At this point in time teenagers are exposed to excessive profanity through the media, music lyrics on TV and many times it is not censored. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should be kept in library shelves and schools in its original form because students can receive moral lessons and therefore, mature as human beings. A big part about how a student can react to the novel is how the book is being taught. Teachers should acknowledge the intention and purpose of Mark Twain, which was to appeal to the reader 's emotions through the use of specific diction. Along with teaching the literary elements of the novel the teachers should also imply the ideas and controversies that are being presented in the novel. Twain’s purpose was also to capture the moments that defined the 1800s such as slavery and racism. After all, the novel should be taught in its original

Mark Twain went against endless amounts of criticism about his racist’s comments in his novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The character of Jim is demeaning to African-Americans as he is portrayed as a foolish, uneducated, black slave. The “n” word is also used in the book describing him and many other African-American characters in the story. However, some see this book as anti-racist and believe that the use of racist’s comments is not racist at all. Those who think that are mistaken because Huck Finn in clearly a racist novel.

Mark Twain has always been one of the most controversial authors of all time. Though in recent years, there has been increasing controversy over the ideas expressed in his novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. In some extreme cases the novel has even been banned by public school systems and censored by public libraries. The basis for this censorship is the argument that Mark Twain's book is racist, but in reality Twain was against racism and used this book to make people aware of what was going on in the south. He did this by using the regional dialect of the south, showing the attitude of the other characters in the novel toward black people, and showing his depiction of black characters. If one were to "read between the lines"

Another perspective of the argument is to maintain Huckleberry Finn but replace the “n-word” with the word slave. Not only does this replacement alter the novel but it also send the message of censorship. Altering the work goes beyond just changing one word for another. The “n word” and slave are not even considered synonyms. Both words are used by Mark Twain throughout the novel and both

In these lines from Derek Walcott’s “A Far Cry from Africa,” the speaker emphasizes the natural human tendencies to “inflict pain.” Similarly, in his poem, “Sympathy,” Paul Dunbar explores pain from the point of view of a bird being trapped in a cage. It flaps its wings and tries to escape but it cannot. The bird symbolizes an African American bound by slavery and unable to escape. On the other hand, in Claude McKay’s poem “The Harlem Dancer,” the dancer feels as if

Mark Twain knew what he was doing, and this was one of the main reasons he knew to use this word. In the work of literature, the key to understanding why he used the "n-word" and Huckleberry Finn in general is the language of it all. If you look at the lyrics to "Rich as &$%#" by 2-Chainz, and think that is offensive, their is one MAJOR similarity between that and Huckleberry Finn- everything is for attention, but more importantly the difference is 2-Chainz is using it derogatorily, not in an educated sense like

This is again Twain making a mockery Southern values that considered it a sin to be kind to black people. Twain’s critics consider the novel to be racist and quite outwardly. They cite the common use of the word “nigger” as the most obvious instance of the book’s racism. To have used the words Negro or African American would have taken away from the story’s impact and would make it sound ridiculous. If Twain wanted to write a historically accurate book as he did then the inclusion of this word is totally

The second major role teachers can play in educating students about racism is through exactly that, education. "A lot has been written about the nature of prejudice, and racism, the many ways in which it is manifested, how it is transmitted and perpetuated, and even the stages that individuals go though in overcoming it's effects" (Hacker 192). If teachers would find this information, believe in it and share it with the children, then hopefully a few, if not all the views of the students will change. "Everyone needs this body of knowledge" (193).