Ashley Judah
Mr. Loun PD. 1
Honors English 11
Do Not Ban a Classic
In the novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, a rebellious
miscreant named Huck escapes the oppressive grasp of his drunken father and flees down
the Mississippi river on a raft with a runaway slave named Jim. The two experience many
adversities and triumphs and run into some zany characters along the way. The story
takes place in the slaveholding antebellum South where Twain had spent his childhood
and some of his adult years. Hannibal, Missouri, the town on the Mississippi where a
young Twain lived with his family for several years, is considered to be the basis for his
infamous literary creation. The novel sparked many racial and moral debates as some saw
it as a staple in American literature, and others viewed its contents as inflammatory
words that should not be viewed. Those who questioned the morality of Huck Finn over a
century ago criticized the poor grammar and rough, overly humanistic demeanor of the
characters instead of focusing on the racial issues (Skube). Huckleberry Finn was
published in the United States 125 years ago, and despite the existence of ongoing
controversy and debate, over twenty million books have been sold (Bilyeu). Some wish
for the novel to be permanently removed from school reading lists, but one must not
ignore the fact that it has affected enough minds to remain so popular. Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn should not be banned in Montgomery County Public Schools. All
students should have the privilege of reading it.
When arguing against any form of censorship, one can always start with the issue
of the First Amendment. No educational administration should have the ability to keep
pieces of knowledge from American students. Those who support book banning in public
schools and libraries are encroaching on the basic rights granted by the Constitution that
give citizens the ability to expand their intellect freely (O’Neal). The beauty of living in
this great nation is that one can pursue knowledge at his or her own risk and can be free
to form individual views and beliefs based on what was learned or discovered. Students,
just like all Americans, have the right to be exposed to the good and bad aspects of
society. School officials surely worry that exposure to the bad may have a negative effect
on the innocent minds of teens and adolescents. Literature is supposed to have a profound
effect on the moral and emotional nature of individuals, and those who wish to ban books
are overlooking the essential idea that not being shielded or protected from the bad allows
one to be susceptible to good (O’Neal). Human experience allows a person to decide
what is right and wrong. Sometimes the best way to see what is right is to observe the
effects of something that is wrong.
The dialogue in Huck Finn may be disturbing and revealing of a mindset that truly
dehumanizes individuals, but it must be stressed that reading those words does not
ultimately lead to future usage of them by the reader. For many, seeing horrible speech
and treatment in an actual situation allows them to make that decision to never act or
speak in the same way. All people desperately need the right to read any text that they
choose, no matter how controversial, in order to see all sides of the playing field and
choose which one they wish to reside in.
In addition to the constitutional aspect of this debate, one must consider the
ultimate goals of students and teachers in any English course. Controversial works like
Huck Finn cannot be banned as students and teachers should be able to analyze these
pieces using the acquired skills that help them break down texts to the telling cores.
Censors must understand that it is important for children “to understand the complexity
of character and the shades of satirical meaning that can provide them the critical skills of
literary and cultural understanding” (Fields). Students should be able to evaluate
characters like Huck and Jim, so they can get a more defined view of the deep south
belief system that Twain was attempting to portray. One should not be limited to reading
about simple characters that merely take up space and offer no glimpse into a unfamiliar
way of thought or moment in time. Those who choose censorship see views that do not
act in accordance with prevailing standards and customs as hazardous to innocent, easily
affected minds, but these censors should believe in the competence of teachers and
students to seriously evaluate controversial written work (Simmons). One cannot be
expected to write an extensively thoughtful and analytical essay on a novel that lacks
anything that could possibly come close to stirring up opposing emotions or values.
Students’ minds can expand when they get to discuss the intentions of an author like
Twain who chose to write about themes that cause the most severe social debates.
If parents and administrators wish to shield young minds from certain harsh
realities such as racism, books should be the golden ticket. Literary pieces are excellent
opportunities for children to experiment with different views, find out about difficult
controversies, and broaden their world without the burden of physically experiencing
various acts (Fields). A student can read about angry men running through the woods to
capture a runaway enslaved black man and can look at the uttered epithets on a printed
page, but he or she does not have to stand there in that scene and experience the chaos.
There is no confidence in the development of the youth if one cannot believe that they
hold the capacity to understand varying moral beliefs (Fields). It may be hard to accept,
but teens do have the ability to read stories like Huck Finn and take in the thoughts of
Huckleberry, who was raised to look at African Americans as lesser human beings. While
processing the views that are most likely polar opposites to their own, they will not forget
why their own beliefs have shaped them to be the people that they are. The material that
students are instructed to read nowadays has been thoroughly wiped clean of any word,
phrase, statement, or thought that could possibly be construed as offensive to somebody
(Bowler). The youth cannot grow as intellectuals if they are never placed face to face
with books that make them really stop dead in their tracks and dive deep towards the
author’s purpose for including such controversial aspects. One cannot forget why
students sit in English classes everyday writing about and discussing literature that has
stayed with Americans as more time goes by.
One other argument for not banning Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in MCPS is
the fact that Mark Twain was only trying to convey the truth through his literary
creations. Twain was one of the newly emerging “realist” writers with the majority of his
characters residing in small towns, using the simple language of the average person, and
exhibiting normal human flaws like racism and greed (Bilyeu). The society that
surrounds Huck is not at all as fictional as one could assume. Twain incorporates a
historical foundation in the details included with the trials and tribulations of the
mischievous young boy’s life. People in this modernized society have a new
consciousness and refined sensitivity towards racism, so all of this must be forgotten
when looking at Mark Twain and his characters, who fit very much into the time period
that they portray (Person). One must realize that nobody can truly understand the angry
racial rants of a drunken man like Pap without stepping away from the core beliefs
Americans have gained over time. The reader must step into the shoes of an individual
living in the antebellum South among many slaveholders and accepted social prejudices.
Of course, there are always some people who cringe at the thought of certain
aspects of reality being incorporated in schools. Parents, citizens, and groups devoted to
keeping an eye on the contents of educational texts have been concerned by the amount
of literary realism young adult novelists of the past 25 years have decided to include in
their work (Simmons). These groups should not fear the truth. Teenagers and adolescents
should read about real life situations, so when they enter into them during their adult
years, there is not a culture shock. There cannot always be an umbrella of sensitivity
shielding the youth from accurate depictions of society. Twain attempts to make a
statement about the America that he knew. Huck’s ethical growth is used to symbolically
express the ethical growth of America post-Civil War, and his interactions with Jim are
used to represent the country’s interactions with the newly freed men during which
people were involved in oppressive acts of racism against blacks who did not hold an
appreciated role in society (Leider). When commenting on a period in history, an author
cannot face certain realities and obviously ignore others. Plain truth loses its validity if
key pieces are purposely left out. Twain’s use of the southern vocabulary was not
intended to insult black people, but rather to keep the most accurate depiction of that time
(Malkin). If one wants to expose the flaws of racism, he would be unwise to leave out the
various epithets that are used. Removing the word “nigger” from the dialogue would have
pleased those who choose to erase all the sensitive spots from the course of history rather
than confronting them head on (Malkin). Those who are offended by the loaded words
should be more angered by those who pretend that the words do not exist. Twain was not
afraid of confronting reality when he wrote his notorious novel, and his courage should
be greatly appreciated.
Those who strongly oppose Adventures of Huckleberry Finn find offense in the
portrayal of Jim, the runaway slave, and turn to racial arguments when fighting for the
novel’s banishment. In 1957, the N.A.A.C.P. called the book racist while labeling
Twain’s depiction of Jim as stereotypical and showing strong disapproval towards the
offensive terms (Bilyeu). One must have knowledge of Twain’s childhood to understand
that the man did not have hate-driven intentions while writing the story. Many believe
that the character of Jim is based on a slave named Dan who worked on the author’s
family farm and captivated a young Twain with stories during the boy’s many visits to
the slaves’ quarters. Twain’s father eventually freed Dan in 1855 (Bilyeu). Based on his
personal experiences, the driving force behind Twain’s work would most likely be
disapproval towards the ways of the society in which he lived. The existence of Huck’s
enslaved companion is not an attempt for insult, but rather a way to aide the unruly young
character’s development. Throughout the story, “Jim is clearly the teacher and guide,
leading Huck through a series of verbal battles to a fuller understanding of what the
measure of a man is, what it costs to be free, and the way in which true friendship lies”
(Person). Those who focus on Jim’s speech and demeanor fail to see the immensely
positive effect he has on the plot and theme of the book. If the driving force behind
Twain’s literature was bigotry, than the moral hero of his book would not be a poorly
educated black slave. If Twain was a racist himself, then Jim would just be there for
insulting comedic effect, but the character is written to be incredibly charming and
likeable. The N.A.A.C.P., as well as other opponents, should desire Huck Finn to be a
requisite piece of literature that all must read as the book demonstrates how Mark Twain,
a white author, was able to overcome the prejudices of his time by revealing acts of
racism that deprive individuals of human qualities (Fields). The piece would not have a
purpose if Twain did not include the treatment of Jim or the use of the n-word. It seems
likely that those against this novel would have complained even more if the story
involved a socially accepted slave who never had the burden of hearing racial epithets
uttered towards him. They would say that Twain was trying to hide the harsh treatment of
blacks in the antebellum South.
Whenever an author steps out of the constraining harness of political correctness,
sensitivity, and whatever seems acceptable to the masses, he evokes a series of nervous
gasps from those who want to censor every controversial piece of literature that will meet
students’ eyes. Book banning seems like an easy solution when pages begin to leak the
realities of society or dark spots in history. It must be stressed that intellectual freedom
should be treasured by all, but some choose to ignore that freedom when they fear that a
particular novel is too much for students to handle. These censors will come to realize
one day that their resistance is futile as the more they condemn books like Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn, the more people will be instinctively drawn to their contents. It is
human nature to be curious about something that others are frantically trying to keep
from you. Twain’s words should not be feared. His writing has a sense of honesty and
sincerity that is refreshing and informative. Students have the right to take advantage of
the wide opportunity to expand their literary intellect while embracing Twain’s satirical
language and finding underlying themes and meanings. Huckleberry’s adventures
constitute more than a chaotic rafting trip down the Mississippi with a sometimes
incoherent runaway slave, deceitful schemes, and improper southern slang. For Huck, an
effort to liberate himself from his constantly intoxicated, abusive father transforms into a
journey to discover a different way of viewing people of different colors (Person). These
heart-warming stories saturated with social morality are usually the ones that teachers and
administrators excessively commend. Twain’s creation should fit right in with the other
books on most school reading lists. MCPS would be imprudent to keep knowledge thirsty
students from a novel that triumphs over the crippling ideals of a past society and issues a
moral message that will remain in the hearts of readers forever.