Huckleberry Finn An Undeniable Required Reading
Huckleberry Finn: An Undeniable Required Reading Although there are many moral and racial controversies surrounding it, Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is an important novel for any required high school English curriculum. ... Huckleberry Finn does not argue immorality or racism, but in fact reflects the good over bad, the presence of conscience, the strength and endurance of friendship and loyalty, the need for simplicity, and the wrongs of Southern slavery and society. ... Early critics might have argued that Huck always lied to get his way and was thus a bad influence on children reading the book. ... In addition to the moral struggles of an individual, there are also struggles of society present in Huckleberry Finn. ... In Huckleberry Finn, active criticism of society through non-conformism is reflected in Sherburn’s speech to the lynch mob: “The pitifulest thing out is a mob; that’s what an army is – a mob; they don’t fight with courage that’s born in them, but with courage that’s borrowed from their mass”(162) Here the vulnerability and cowardice of the mob is revealed. ... Today, opposition to Huckleberry Finn comes in the charge of its potential racist content, especially in its derogatory portrayal of Jim. ... John Wallace, an avid opponent of Huckleberry Finn in the 80s, wrote, “The reading aloud of Huck Finn in our classrooms is humiliating and insulting to black students. ... Many opponents of the book advocate for a ban or at least that it be taken off the required reading lists. ... The way to prevent these uncomfortable and demeaning incidents is not by censorship, but rather education by reading in context. Although many African Americans feel this offense, Huckleberry Finn should still be required reading in high school. ... By reading in the historical context of the South at this crucial point before the Civil War, we will develop an understanding of the general opinions of black slaves at the time which were filled with unjust prejudices. We will also keep in mind that Twain wrote Huckleberry Finn in the vernacular, and thus the use of the word nigger did not have the hate implications that is does today. ... With these principle guidelines that a teacher needs present to an English class during the reading of the book, there will be a far more informed and enriched, and less hurtful learning experience of this American classic. Similarly with combating contemporary opposition of the book, it is important today to overlook smaller, less important details to understand the larger intent when reading for racism, or should I say, antiracism. It is interesting that throughout the life of Huckleberry Finn there has been such a wide range of racists and antiracist sentiments that came out from its text. ... These racial stereotypes cause many to believe the book is racist and offensive, therefore it should not be required for school. ... Huckleberry Finn is a reflection of moral and ethical values as it questions many societal norms such as slavery and blind conformism and traces the development of a young boy’s conscience and good character. As a book required for reading in high schools in America, it asks us to look at its events in a positive manner from which we may learn these lessons on morality and conscience as Twain intended. ... For those who are still skeptical of Huckleberry Finn as a reading requirement, we can accommodate them by setting up guidelines in the classroom that deal with the controversial issues in the context of the mid-19th century South and Twain’s use of satire and vernacular expression. Indeed some of these literary tools used by Twain have been called both immoral and racist, but they are not as important as the outstanding values in the book that are beneficial and provide the moral guidance required by students of all ages.