We have just complete The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. Myself and one of my classmates wrote a collaborative essay on the controversy surrounding the novel as well as our own opinions on the hatred. Here it is:
Mark Twain’s famous novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, is often accused of being too controversial to read, especially in schools. It has been banned more than a few times because of the harsh content, exposing the real history of America. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is an enlightening novel that emphasizes the importance of many themes including friendship, education, hypocrisy, and discrimination. So why would such a novel be banned?
“Trash and suitable only for the slums” is how The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was described by a Massachusetts school back in 1885 (“US school stops teaching Huckleberry Finn because of 'use of the N-word'”). Today, the novel receives similar accusations, most often due to the repeated use of the N-word, other times because of the boring or outdated content. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn discusses a lot of sensitive subjects, the biggest one being slavery. But why is this any different than how we learn about slavery in history class? This novel is a merely image of American history that touches on emotions, but is informative as well. Galanty Miller stated in a Huffington Post article, “But The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is written objectively, without exaggeration or hyperbole or hate. The language in the novel is the language that was used at the time. We can’t deny the terrible past by pretending it didn’t exist” (“I Don’t Think ‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’ Should Be Banned”). Banning this novel is simply promoting ignorance and allowing for the same problems to continue in society today. The novel would not be seen as so controversial if it was all truly in the past, which brings up another issue. America needs to put these problems behind it once and for all.
Not only is The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn an eye-opening story with truth embedded in every chapter, it represents a change that has still not completely occurred in modern society. Huck Finn struggles throughout the novel as he tries to help his new friend Jim, who happens to be a runaway slave. Huck battles with himself trying to decide whether or not it is morally right to help Jim. Finally, Huck, who represents a changing America states, “I was a trembling, because I’d got to decide, forever, betwixt two things, and I knowed it. I studied a minute, sort of holding my breath, and then says to myself: ‘All right, then, I’ll go to hell’” (Twain 242). Huck decided that he needs to help his friend regardless of his race or the morals of society. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn pounds readers with these emotional moments that are meant to inspire them to want to change. The clear emphasis on love and friendship in this novel make it crucial for students to read, regardless of the language used within it.
Later on in the novel, Huck Finn shows his new sense of independence and his own acquired freedom when he states, “I reckon I got to light out for the Territory ahead of the rest, because Aunt Sally she's going to adopt me and sivilize me, and I can't stand it. I been there before” (Twain 324). The readers go through this journey of internal struggle with Huck Finn. Like him, they will want to change by the end even if it means being different than what society is used to. For something to change, someone needs to first be willing to identify the problem, which Huck Finn proves to both himself and the readers.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is regarded as one of the most controversial books in American history. The racially offensive language is the driving factor behind many school districts across the nation banning it. Others consider the Mark Twain novel to be one of the great classics that everyone should read. They believe that it proves valuable lessons that reflects a dark time in the twisted chronicles of the United States. Decide for yourself, is the painful look at the past able to be overlooked for the sake of a notable literary work? Or is the harsh language too much to glance over and ignore?
