Huckleberry Finn is No Racist Book
Dear School Board,
I have just finished reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and there is no reason it should be banned. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is what most people call today, the greatest American novel. So why would anyone think of banning this book? First of all, Huck Finn is a great story that every high school student should read and be able to read. And second, it is a great story with fantastic morals that every adolescent should be familiar with.
Everyone knows the story of Huckleberry Finn -- it’s about a boy named Huck who escapes his abusive father and finds himself on a raft helping a runway slave to freedom. On his way to helping the runaway slave, Jim, to freedom he runs into many other complications including two fugitives that will not leave Jim and Huck alone. But Huckleberry Finn is not just some childish story; it is a story that everyone deserves to have the opportunity to read.
Now why would anyone even think of banning Mark Twain’s masterpiece, Huckleberry Finn? It’s because of the language. This book contains the N-word countless times. Huckleberry Finn was published in the 1880s, back when this word was thrown around like no big deal. As Peter Salwen says in “Is Huck Finn a Racist Book?”, his article, “…since the action of the book takes place in the south twenty years before the Civil War, it would be amazing if they didn’t use that word.” But let me tell you something, I have read books, school assigned and not, that have worse contents in them than the N-word. So really, banning this book because of one, silly word is no excuse.
But really, Huckleberry Finn is not a pro-slavery book, and if you do think that, you’re really missing the whole point. This book is anti-slavery, and Mark Twain is basically making fun of the whole slavery movement. “…Jim was thinking about his wife and his children, away up yonder, and he was low and homesick; because he hadn't ever been away from home before in his life; and I do believe he cared just as much for his people as white folks does for their'n. It don't seem natural, but I reckon it's so. […] He was a mighty good slave, Jim was.”(115) As Huck travels with Jim he discovers that everyone should be equal no matter what their race is.
But let’s just put the whole conflict with the N-word aside and talk about what the book is really about – the morals. Huck is helping Jim to freedom because he knows it’s the right thing to do, despite all of Huck’s lies that lead Jim to freedom. “Well, the men gathered around and sympathized with them, and said all sorts of kind things to them, and carried their carpet-bags up the hill for them, and let them lean on them and cry, and told the king all about his brother's last moments. […] Well, if ever I struck anything like it, I'm a slave. It was enough to make a body ashamed of the human race.”(163) Huck obviously understands what is right and wrong, and if we let our students read this book, they just may develop these senses as well.
So do you have any more reasons to ban this book? To rob these students of a great, funny book they will love? Just because this book has some foul language does not mean you have the right to ban it. Or maybe because you don’t understand what Mark Twain is really trying to say does not mean you should ban it. And just because other schools decide to ban this book for no reason does not mean you should ban it. So, as you can see, there are no reasons to ban the book, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and I suggest that you allow everyone to be able to read this book.
Sincerely,
Riley James
I have just finished reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and there is no reason it should be banned. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is what most people call today, the greatest American novel. So why would anyone think of banning this book? First of all, Huck Finn is a great story that every high school student should read and be able to read. And second, it is a great story with fantastic morals that every adolescent should be familiar with.
Everyone knows the story of Huckleberry Finn -- it’s about a boy named Huck who escapes his abusive father and finds himself on a raft helping a runway slave to freedom. On his way to helping the runaway slave, Jim, to freedom he runs into many other complications including two fugitives that will not leave Jim and Huck alone. But Huckleberry Finn is not just some childish story; it is a story that everyone deserves to have the opportunity to read.
Now why would anyone even think of banning Mark Twain’s masterpiece, Huckleberry Finn? It’s because of the language. This book contains the N-word countless times. Huckleberry Finn was published in the 1880s, back when this word was thrown around like no big deal. As Peter Salwen says in “Is Huck Finn a Racist Book?”, his article, “…since the action of the book takes place in the south twenty years before the Civil War, it would be amazing if they didn’t use that word.” But let me tell you something, I have read books, school assigned and not, that have worse contents in them than the N-word. So really, banning this book because of one, silly word is no excuse.
But really, Huckleberry Finn is not a pro-slavery book, and if you do think that, you’re really missing the whole point. This book is anti-slavery, and Mark Twain is basically making fun of the whole slavery movement. “…Jim was thinking about his wife and his children, away up yonder, and he was low and homesick; because he hadn't ever been away from home before in his life; and I do believe he cared just as much for his people as white folks does for their'n. It don't seem natural, but I reckon it's so. […] He was a mighty good slave, Jim was.”(115) As Huck travels with Jim he discovers that everyone should be equal no matter what their race is.
But let’s just put the whole conflict with the N-word aside and talk about what the book is really about – the morals. Huck is helping Jim to freedom because he knows it’s the right thing to do, despite all of Huck’s lies that lead Jim to freedom. “Well, the men gathered around and sympathized with them, and said all sorts of kind things to them, and carried their carpet-bags up the hill for them, and let them lean on them and cry, and told the king all about his brother's last moments. […] Well, if ever I struck anything like it, I'm a slave. It was enough to make a body ashamed of the human race.”(163) Huck obviously understands what is right and wrong, and if we let our students read this book, they just may develop these senses as well.
So do you have any more reasons to ban this book? To rob these students of a great, funny book they will love? Just because this book has some foul language does not mean you have the right to ban it. Or maybe because you don’t understand what Mark Twain is really trying to say does not mean you should ban it. And just because other schools decide to ban this book for no reason does not mean you should ban it. So, as you can see, there are no reasons to ban the book, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and I suggest that you allow everyone to be able to read this book.
Sincerely,
Riley James