...Since Mark Twain's best selling novel, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn", there has been controversy over whether the book should be banned in public schools. Some people say that the book has strong political and religious views, along with pervasive language. "It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a n****; but I done it, and I warn't ever sorry for it afterwards, neither. I didn't do him no more mean tricks, and I wouldn't done that one if I'd a knowed it would make him feel that way" (Twain 156). Huck is not too happy about having to apologize to a black man, but he does it anyways. It shows a paradox by having Huck be not as racist as everyone else, which makes him a good person. This could have a negative effect on students due to racial slurs and foul language that could offend others....
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...Mark Twain’s first successful piece of work was a book about a young boy named Tom Sawyer. Tom and his best friend, Huckleberry Finn, went around, getting in trouble and going on exciting adventures. It was a popular children's book. So, when Mark Twain came out with his next book; The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a story of Huck running away from home and going on new adventures with a slave, everyone was surprised by its controversial topics and offensive racial slurs. Now, 130 years later, the book is the number one most banned book in America. The question of whether it should still be taught in school is being brought up again. The themes in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain are still relevant today, and therefore, the book should still be taught in school. Some of the themes in the book are argued to be inappropriate. A boy running away from home, the bad language, a white boy and a black man being friends, the scheming and scamming; these are all topics that some may think shouldn’t be taught in school. These are themes that need to be addressed because they are real life topics. They may have been hard to talk about in the past but now, they are good teaching devices. The controversial topics in the book...
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...Huckleberry Finn, has been very controversial ever since it has been published. There are some who believe that the novel should be banned from schools because of Twain’s use of the “n” word. Others believe that it is an American classic that is considered one of the greatest works of American literature which should be allowed in schools. I believe Huckleberry Finn should not be banned in schools because Mark Twain uses accurate dialect of the 19th century south. Also, the novel depicts the problems and issues that deal with slavery that everyone who reads it can learn from. Huckleberry Finn consist of accurate dialect of the early 19th century when slavery was still legal. Twain gives different dialects to different characters based off of their character and their role in the South. For example, Huck uses contractions and misplaced words when he says “what’s the use you learning to do right, when it’s troublesome to do right and ain’t no trouble to do wrong, and the wages is just the same?” (Huckleberry Finn, pg 91), and when Jim says “Goodness gracious, is dat you, Huck? En you ain’ dead-you ain’ drownded-you’s back ag’in?” (Huckleberry Finn, pg 83). Huck’s dialect falls along the typical dialect of the South while Jim’s...
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...Twain was a man who took a controversial approach to waking up his readers. Many school districts and libraries banned his classic novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, due to its nerve-striking content. Many people only see what is on the surface of Huck Finn and ignore the true message within the text. Some teachers whilst reading aloud to the class even refuse to openly say “nigger,” which is found two hundred and nineteen times in the novel. From all of this Twain and Huck Finn have gathered a bad reputation despite all the thought provoking and positive aspects of the novel. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should be kept in high school curriculum because it showcases a truthful side American history, teaches morals and values,...
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...Would you not go to school just because you hear one or two kids curse? No, since attending school allows you to achieve an education and if you did not become educated then you will not become successful or become the best of yourself you can be. Similarly, in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, students should read it whether there be offensive words in it, since there is such a prevalent theme that everyone should know and be able to learn from. Every year the English language is changed whether it be “twerking” or having “swag”; The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn features the n-word over two-hundred times. If every book that had derogatory terms was banned, there would be no books for students to learn from. Furthermore, almost every group of people have been stigmatized against and in order to prevent future...
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...Three works of literature, labeled immoral, unfit to read and even satanic, completely criticized for their use of vulgar language and “blasphemes” way of speaking their mind. What critics fail to see is the true creativity of the humor in Candide, the morality and kindness in Huckleberry Finn, and the passion of Don Juan. All three of these great works of literature have suffered the injustice of biased criticism and have been rejected from public schools, which wastes their educational potential. Candide has been place into the index of prohibited books, Huckleberry Finn has been banned almost every public school, and Don Juan has succumb to a similar fate. What people don’t understand is that these novels and works of poetry can show us more about how humans treat each other, how realistic some ridiculous things can be, and how we can understand ourselves. Candide is a novel written by the French writer Voltaire, it’s about a germen man by the name of Candide who goes on quite a journey meeting a variety of people, constantly running into political and religious figures with bad results. Meeting up with old friends and characters he believed dead, the novel consists of unrealistic situations in a comedic fashion but in the end, through all the hell he can say let’s just forget about it and move on in our life. This story can give you a real life perspective and show you that life shouldn’t be taken seriously, if a guy like Candide can go through what he did without a thought...
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...of literature about the american classic Huckleberry Finn. You are either on the side saying Huck Finn should be banned or that it should be praised for being a well written novel reflecting human weakness. While researching there was a considerable amount more of people who believe Huck Finn to be a great novel. But with great persistence I have came to believe that Huckleberry Finn should be not be taught in school due to having large amounts of the N-word, racial stereotypes, and religious disobedience. Throughout the novel Twain repeatedly uses the N word to such a degree that is intolerable. During the entirety of the novel “Twain uses the N-word a total of 219 times”(CBS 2). “NAACP...
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...Huckleberry Finn is a very contradicting novel. While it is considered to be one of the top ten books in American literature it is also one of the most banned books in public schools. Well why would such a great book be banned? Simply because of one word used multiple times throughout the book. I believe this isn’t a good enough reason Huckleberry Finn should be banned in public schools. One of the main reasons this book has the title of a great American novel is because of the author’s writing style. Before Twain, American authors still wrote in a more European style, like Edgar Allan Poe. Twain wasn’t interested in doing that. He wanted to portray the characters better and make you understand what was actually going on in America during...
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...Should the book, Huckleberry Finn,be taught in schools today? This question is very controversial across America. Because Mark Twain’s,Huckleberry Finnwasset before the Civil War, in the mid-1800s, Twain writes about slaves and blacks as they were saw in that era. Even though this was just a time in History that the whole world went through, people now want to try and erase that time in History. Huckleberry Finn was written during a time in America that should not be forgotten, but studied and used as a way to improve life today.Huckleberry Finn should be taught and read in schools. Huckleberry Finn is a book written by the famous author, Mark Twain. This book follows the adventures of a young boy named Huckleberry Finn. This book is...
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...of society. It is found in movies, television shows, books, magazines,or even on the street in everday occasions. But what exactly is racism and why does it continue to be a problem? Racism is defined as “the belief that members of different races possess specific qualities or abilities and that those qualities mark them as either inferior or superior to another” by Gale Student Resources and Context. Racism affects any individual of a certain race, however in America, this issue has mostly affected African Americans, who’s ancestors were once bound...
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...more than a hundred years and the controversy of the word’s use has been lingering in the minds of all those living in America. Through his book, Mark Twain pushes his readers into thinking about why slavery is wrong and how immoral slavery is. By forcing doubt into the reader’s minds, Twain successfully gets his message through. Although some readers do not get the reason behind Twain’s constant use of the “n-word”, Twain’s book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn remains as one of Twain’s best sellers. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn sends a subliminal message depicting slavery as an immoral occurrence in history, unfortunately for some, this book has been misinterpreted as racist. Mark Twain did not intend...
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...controversial and offensive word for many people, especially, African American. The word is still being used, is still used offensively, and why the word has to be talked about early enough so that people know the sheer amount of weight behind this word. But, the problem is that the n-word is not been substituted with an inoffensive word, instead the substitution is the word “slave” which is another offensive word. The word is obviously part of our history and that history shouldn’t be forgotten. It shouldn’t be used pejoratively, but some do and people always will. Now a publisher has attempted to whitewash Huck Finn by replacing the word “nigger” with “slave.” Why? "The n-word speaks to a society that casually dehumanized the black community. Slave was just a job description. In the debate of whether to replace the “N” word with slave, we must ask ourselves, “is that word any better?” Would we want to be called either word? It is a word created by man, and really was not originally created for its current use. But of course, now that it has been labeled a “bad word”, and has a condescending affect, its meaning is offensive. To edit the original version that changes the entire nature of the book is just wrong This may be risky because the new version of the text might replace all previous ones. In attempting to win new readers with a school friendly version all past and potential readers could be deprived of a piece of American literary history when the publishing company decides...
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...appreciated for being such incredible works of literature. Along with a loveable plot, they also have a deeper meaning that is portrayed through their word choice. Some people wish to have these and many other books “censored” or “sanitized.” Specific censorship should not take place because not only would it be taking away from the beauty of the books, but it would also be depriving its beauty from society and future readers. There are some people who argue that some books should no longer be in the school curriculum. A teacher named John Foley stated “The time has arrived to update the literature we use in high school classrooms.” For years, the same classic books have been taught to students, and some teachers believe that it is time for something fresh, and more relevant to today’s society. John Foley also says “Barrack Obama is president-elect of the United States, and novels that use the ‘N-word’ need to go.” John Foley, along with other parents and teachers believe that with our presidents race, books that use the word “nigger” or other racial slurs are inappropriate and disrespectful, and should be censored. Although there are people who believe that some books should be censored, they are also failing to see why it is so important to leave the books to how they were originally written. By censoring certain books we are basically going into denial, and closing the door onto darker times in history and human nature, trying to act as if they don’t exist. (denverpost.com...
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...4141- 4141--- Cherished and Cursed:Towarda Social History of The Catcher in the Rye STEPHEN J. WHITFIELD THE plot is brief:in 1949 or perhaps 1950, over the course of three days during the Christmas season, a sixteen-yearold takes a picaresque journey to his New YorkCity home from the third private school to expel him. The narratorrecounts his experiences and opinions from a sanitarium in California. A heavy smoker, Holden Caulfield claims to be already six feet, two inches tall and to have wisps of grey hair; and he wonders what happens to the ducks when the ponds freeze in winter. The novel was published on 16 July 1951, sold for $3.00, and was a Book-of-the-Month Club selection. Within two weeks, it had been reprinted five times, the next month three more times-though by the third edition the jacket photographof the author had quietly disappeared. His book stayed on the bestseller list for thirty weeks, though never above fourth place.' Costing 75?, the Bantam paperback edition appeared in 1964. By 1981, when the same edition went for $2.50, sales still held steady, between twenty and thirty thousand copies per month, about a quarter of a million copies annually. In paperback the novel sold over three million copies between 1953 and 1964, climbed even higher by the 1980s, and continues to attract about as many buyers as it did in 1951. The durabilityof The author appreciates the invitationof Professors Marc Lee Raphaeland Robert A. Gross to present an early version...
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...Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction ‘Jonathan Culler has always been about the best person around at explaining literary theory without oversimplifying it or treating it with polemical bias. Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction is an exemplary work in this genre.’ J. Hillis Miller, University of California, Irvine ‘An impressive and engaging feat of condensation . . . the avoidance of the usual plod through schools and approaches allows the reader to get straight to the heart of the crucial issue for many students, which is: why are they studying literary theory in the first place? . . . an engaging and lively book.’ Patricia Waugh, University of Durham Very Short Introductions are for anyone wanting a stimulating and accessible way in to a new subject. They are written by experts, and have been published in 15 languages worldwide. Very Short Introductions available from Oxford Paperbacks: ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY Julia Annas THE ANGLO-SAXON AGE John Blair ARCHAEOLOGY Paul Bahn ARISTOTLE Jonathan Barnes Augustine Henry Chadwick THE BIBLE John Riches Buddha Michael Carrithers BUDDHISM Damien Keown CLASSICS Mary Beard and John Henderson Continental Philosophy Simon Critchley Darwin Jonathan Howard DESCARTES Tom Sorell EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY BRITAIN Paul Langford The European Union John Pinder Freud Anthony Storr Galileo Stillman Drake Gandhi Bhikhu Parekh HEIDEGGER Michael Inwood HINDUISM Kim Knott HISTORY John H. Arnold HUME A. J...
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