Huck Finn Editorial
To teach or not to teach? This is the question that is presently on many administrators' minds about The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. For those who read the book without grasping the important concepts that Mark Twain gets across "in between the lines", many problems arise. A reader may come away with the impression that the novel is simply a negative view of the African-American race. If we believe that Huck Finn is used only as a unit of racism we sell the book short. I feel that there is much to be learned about Blacks from this book and it should not be banned from the classroom. This is only one of many themes and expressions that Mark Twain is describing in his work. I believe that in Huck Finn slavery is used as insight into the nature of blacks and whites as people in general. Overall, the most important thing to understand is that Mark Twain is illustrating his valuable ideas without pushing them upon the reader directly.I believe that "Huck Finn" teaches a reader two important lessons about the true nature of people. Throughout the book, one of these main lessons is that Blacks can be just as caring as whites. The white characters often view the blacks as property rather than as individuals with feel
The point where Huck completely changes his attitudes towards blacks comes when he is faced with the dilemma of turning Jim in. Huck fights with his conscience and also remembers the things that Jim has done for him. "I'd see him standing my watch on top of his'n, stead of calling me, so I could go on sleeping; and see him how glad he was when I come back out of the fog; and when I come to him again in the swamp, up there where the feud was; and such likes the times: and would always call me honey, and pet me and do everything he could think of for me, and how good he always was..." (Twain) These two key scenes are among many that illustrate the idea that Blacks can be as caring and emotional as Whites - one of the main lessons of the book. Another main reason about the recognition of slavery and racism then comes up. Racism is an ever-present idea in our society. To ban the book would be to deny students the insight that Twain brings to the subject. Mark Twain brings a unique perspective to the readers through the character of Jim and how he reacts to his white neighbors. Jim, although he is shown to be a rational and mature person, bows down to white authority when he says lines like, "Jim couldn't see no sense in the most of it but he allowed, we was white folks and knew better than him" The perspective that Twain gives through the character of Jim is important because it takes the concepts of slavery and racism and gives them life. By making the concepts more realistic to people, Twain shows the subject for what it really is. I believe the removal of such literary works from the classroom would be a defeat on the war against racism. Racism is built on ignorance; therefore banning
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Approximate Word count = 1145
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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