In his applaudable novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, author Mark Twain tells the story of Huck, a boy who is intelligent, thoughtful, and willing to come to his own conclusion and Jim a runaway slave. These two in the Mississippi River Valley gain freedom, but on their journey to find what they want they find themselves in various situations. Throughout all of this Twain vividly describes the reality of the time and what some people are facing using very strong words to send the message. Many believe that the novel should be censored, if not even removed from schools so that it cannot be taught. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Should Huck Finn be taught in schools? This point has been widely discussed for many years and continues to be debated today. Mark Twain is one of the most famous American writers. His book portrays dark parts of American history through the eyes of a young white boy. Mark Twain shows the American slave era very well. As children learn about the comic adventures of Huck Finn and his friend Jim, a runaway slave, they will also learn about friendship, language, morals and culture. However, many schools have banned Mark Twain's “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” due to the excessive use of insults and advanced arguments that could have a negative effect on children. Some people think that Huck Finn should not be taught in high school classrooms. It offends black people, parents don't like it and some teachers find it difficult to teach. Although some people believe that it should be taught because it gives us history lessons that we cannot hide or forget. Anyone who isn't discriminated against doesn't know how it feels. African Americans are the only ones who feel offended by reading Huck Finn. People find Huck Finn racist and teaches a lot about history to those who aren't black. But African Americans are offended by the constant use of the “n” word throughout the book. I believe Huck Finn should be taught. The book uses the racial term “the n-word” and that word is very hurtful and offensive to people today. But once upon a time it wasn't like that, black people were called that. Twain wrote it that way because that was how he knew it, there was no way he could have known that the word would be a derogatory term in the future. However, it still teaches us important things that everyone should experience. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Another reason why the book should be taught in schools is that we see the bond of friendship and lessons learned between the white boy, Huck, and the runaway slave, Jim. Throughout the book Huck is faced with the problem of whether or not to hand over Jim. He begins to see that even though Jim is a slave, he is a person and has emotions just like Huck. When Huck and Jim are in the canoe and Huck hears Jim crying for his family, he realizes this and thinks "...And I think he cared about his people as much as white people care about their people." This shows how Huck begins to see Jim more as a human being and less as a slave. Huck Finn is not just an adventure novel; is a book that encourages and requires students and teachers to think about deeper meanings, such as Mark Twain's purpose in creating a character like Jim.
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