Should Huckleberry Finn Be Taught In Schools Essay

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“Right is right, and wrong is wrong, and a body ain’t got no business doing wrong when he ain’t ignorant and knows better.” This statement is made by Huck Finn in Mark Twain’s novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. There has been controversy over this book being taught in schools since desegregation in the 1950’s. The reason the book is so controversial is because some feel it is too racist, due to the frequent use of the N-word and worry about racial issues amongst classmates and also the improper English. The reality is that this book really depicts the era that this book was set in and what it was like back then. The question, should The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn be taught in school? The answer is yes, it should be taught at a high school level, this book can teach many life lessons and it delivers an overall positive message.…show more content…
With racial undertones, poor grammar and an unruly child as the lead character this book brought harsh criticism from the beginning. Within a month of publication, this book came under fire and not much has changed, over the last 100 years this book has been banned or threatened to be banned, more than any other book in history. “Banning” by definition is the removal of materials, while “challenging” is an attempt to remove or restrict materials based on upon the objections of a person or group”. While this book has met its fair share of critics it has also been hailed a masterpiece. When considering what sort of things we want to teach in schools, we must also consider what value we gain by using a variety of books, even those that force us to step out of our comfort zone. To ban a book written in a different era because we as a society have evolved from this would be doing a disservice to our students. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn belongs in our

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