Why Should Huckleberry Finn Not Be Banned

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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain has been at the center of controversy since it was first published in 1884, but it should not be banned or edited. Huckleberry Finn has been praised by most of its readers, but some readers have viewed certain aspects as racist. Even though it is viewed as one of the great American novels, to this day people seek to ban or edit this novel. People have attempted to ban Huckleberry Finn since it was first released in the nineteenth century. Racism in Huckleberry Finn is present to teach a lesson, not to promote it. The novel gives a look into the racism and treatment of African Americans at this time period. Mark Twain uses the vernacular English of the South during this time period which includes the use of the word nigger. It is not uncommon for people to attempt to ban Huckleberry Finn because of the perceived racism, but a common alternative to banning is editing or removing the use of the word nigger. Replacing the word nigger detracts from the dehumanization of Africans Americans, as they were viewed as property and less than human at this time period. The removal draws from the historical insight into how African Americans were treated as noted in an editorial in Anniston Star, “replace the N-word with "slave" and you take the story out of…show more content…
Removing nigger and other offensive parts of the novel diminishes the educational value of
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