The first amendment right to free speech is one of the most important laws in the Constitution of the United States of America. The right to free speech has spurred ongoing debates over censorship of all kinds of expression, including books. Not many books, although banned in the schools, have been banned outright. Some books, banned because they criticize the government, or because they contain scenes of a graphic nature, do not belong in schools, but The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, does need to be taught. Huckleberry Finn comes across as a novel that shows different and interesting dialects of the English language, provides a view of life in the nineteenth century, and shows the importance of sacrificing yourself for friends. These make an argument for why The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should remain a part of the eleventh grade curriculum in our local public schools.

First, the dialects used by the characters in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, unique in the sense that students in high school today do not often hear or speak them, provide a bit of a tutorial into the language itself. By learning more about how the language has pr

"But Joi Cunningham, the only African-American student on the committee . . . defended the book: 'It reflected how it was in the 1880's, and I think everyone should know that'" (Becket A19). Even students themselves agree that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn teach what life was like in the nineteenth century for our nations. African-American students feel this is important because they are able to see how their ancestors were treated back then; white Americans they can also see how their ancestors acted during the nineteenth century.

"And it becomes an heroic character when, on the urging of affection, Huck discards the moral code he as always taken for granted and resolves to help Jim in his escape from slavery" (Trilling 323). The rules set forth by Huck's society for the treatment of slaves cannot compete with his friendship with Jim in his conscience. Huck shows the readers how much friendship matters in the overall scheme of things by going against an entire society of racism to help his "nigger" friend.

The novel provides an in-depth history lesson of nineteenth century American culture. The novel presents an accurate description of its time, and it reflects what actually happened in the eyes of a person who actually lived then. It does not water down the events that could have happened and it does not shy away from the harshness of the times.

"As Knapp points out, Twain was depicting his world and its flaws as he saw them, and, doing what great novelists do, he tried to make that world as real as possible. He used dialect . . . ." (Smith E1). Students reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn would read the dialects used, the racial slurs, and the repeated use of the word nigger; they would then be able to see how the common practices and customs of the times affected the language and dialects of the times.

Lastly, Huckleberry Finn shows the importance of sacrificing oneself for friends. The novel shows this with the immense dilemma Huck has in trying to decide whether to conform with society and turn Jim, an escaped slave, in, or help him strive for freedom and not betray their friendship.

"But many African-American parents in the city object to the extensive

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1491
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)