Huck Finn Argumentative Essay Draft

Taylor Rose

Mrs. Rogers

Honors English III

26 March 2011

Republishing History

Great writing does not censor its purpose and style to fit the needs or to meet the expectations of society; the author should make his point by demanding the attention of the audience and disregarding social disapproval. Although some argue that Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn needs republishing, the novel teaches universal truths in schools and in the world, the way that Twain had intended.  Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should not be republished because it is not a racist novel. In addition, its original style and content lend themselves to historical accuracy and legitimacy that would otherwise be lost if republished. Those who argue that the book is inappropriate for children fail to recognize that the book was meant for a more mature audience. It is unrealistic and incorrect to take historical events and classic writing and try to alter them to fit today’s societal demands, failing to extract the universal truths and lessons within the story. Overall, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is not racist, accurately depicts its time period, and relates a mature audience; therefore, should not be censored via republishing.

The most common critique of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is the overuse of the widely offensive n-word; however, the novel’s purpose is to illustrate the racism of the time period and to show the challenges of treating blacks as human, not to promote racism in general. Republishing The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to replace the n-word with “slave” is unnecessary censorship on a classic novel, and would deprive the book’s readers of learning how widespread racism was in that time period. Although the n-word is used 219 times throughout the novel, its purpose is not to encourage racism today, but instead to convey the racial tension that existed. "The word is there for a reason," says Jeff Nichols, the executive director of the Mark Twain House and Museum in Hartford, Connecticut. "The word is terrible, it's hurtful, but it's there for a reason," to convey the language and attitudes of Missouri in the 1840s, in a book written in the 1880s when Jim Crow laws were being passed in the South to deprive blacks of their civil rights. (“Huck”) Twain wanted readers to struggle with the term to make his point, showing that racial clashes between whites and blacks were so strong throughout the hearts and minds of Missourians, an idea that would be lost if republished. Not only does the frequent use of the n-word give realistic insight to the 1840’s, but Twain also incorporates the term to show the development of Jim and how he becomes humanized throughout the book, even though racial barriers still exist. At one point in the story, Huck talks about how he knows he has to “humble [him]self to a n-----, but [he] done it, and [he] warn’t sorry for it afterwards, neither,” (87). In addition to showing how white men feel superior to blacks, this is also an example of how Huck recognizes the mistreatment of Jim as a human, regardless of race, and that Jim is still a person who deserves respect. Not only does the inclusion of the word show the race struggle, but it also shows how Huck overcomes the race barrier to acknowledge Jim as an equal. In general, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is not a racist novel. Although frequent, the use of the n-word is solely included for historical purposes, as well as to depict the struggle of society to accept the humanization of blacks. If republished, readers would fail to learn these lessons, and ultimately censor classic literature.

In addition to the original style and wording of the book, republishing would cause a decrease in the legitimacy and accuracy of the time period that depicts the social attitudes of along the Mississippi River. Many people that support the republishing of the book argue that along with changing the n-word to “slave”, the racial slur, “engine” that refers to Indians, should be edited to “Indian”; however, these changes would give readers less insight on the language used, therefore, causing a decrease in the accuracy of the novel. Attaching the epithet "slave" to the character Jim--who has run away in a bid for freedom--effectively labels him as property, as the very thing he is trying to escape (“When”). The changes that would be made not only discredit the legitimacy and efficiency of the book to inform its readers, but it would also undermine Twain’s intentional view of Jim as a character. According to Sally Hansen, an educator who has taught the book for 35 years, “the solution is not to change the writer—it is to educate the reader by discussing the time period in which the book is set and its language and mores,” (“Huck”). The purpose of the racial slurs throughout the novel is to educate the readers about the time period and societal norms, an important aspect of the background of the novel that leads to better understanding of the characters and the plot. Republishing the book to exclude the slurs is historically inaccurate, and would unnecessarily censor classic literature.

Another main argument posed by opponents of the original text is that the book is inappropriate for children. While the racial slurs are too mature for young audiences, the book was not intended for kids because of its adult concepts, as well as its satire, both of which would not be fully understood by children. Also, the books should be taught to or read by a mature audience that can appreciate the writing and look past the slurs, especially in today’s society, where many of the older readers have already been exposed to racial slurs like the n-word in popular culture. First, the book is too conceptually advanced for a young audience. A book about an adult black man and an adolescent white boy on a raft is irrelevant to a child in today’s society where there is no slavery or racial segregation; however, Twain’s intention was to teach universal truths such as racial intolerance and struggle in society for the time, all of which would not be understood or appreciated by kids. With so many underlying lessons and truths about society and daily attitudes in the 1840’s, kids would only remember the literal plot of the story, failing to garner Twain’s human observations. In addition to mature concepts, Twain also includes an immense amount of satire to express his opinions of society and civilization, a literary technique that kids would be unable to grasp. For example, Twain includes the blind religious followers in the town to mock the mob mentality of people in society (133). Scenarios like this occur multiple times throughout the book where Twain satirizes human tendencies, which kids would not understand or appreciate. Another argument promoting the republishing of the novel is that some readers can’t get past the racial slurs to appreciate the writing, a reason why the book should be geared toward a more mature reader. "This is what's called a slippery slope," says Robert Hirst, editor of the Mark Twain Papers at the University of California-Berkeley. He says Huckleberry Finn is best taught in college, rather than high school (“Huck”). A mature reader is necessary to understand Twain’s purpose for using the racial slurs, not just the terms themselves. Unfortunately, in today’s popular culture--music, television, movies—many of the more mature readers have already been exposed to the same racial terms used in the book. For example, the word is hardly new to high school students, says English teacher Lindsey Franklin, who teaches Huckleberry Finn to a predominantly African-American class of 11th-graders at Eastside High School in East Gainesville, Florida. "They use it in the hallways. They hear it in music. They hear it all over the place," (“Huck”). Never mind that today "nigger" is used by many rappers, who have reclaimed the word from its ugly past (“When”). Because these readers are old enough and mature enough, they can handle the language that was not meant for younger, more vulnerable readers like children. Overall, although some argue that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn needs to be republished because it is inappropriate for younger children, it is ultimately not a children’s book, stylistically or conceptually, and should be taught to or read by an older and more mature audience that can understand why Twain included the language and satire throughout the book.

On the whole, a classic novel like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should not be republished and censored because it is not a racist novel. Also, republishing the book would lose accuracy of the time period, which Twain wanted to convey to his readers. Although many argue that the book is inappropriate for children, the book was not intended for kids, but for a more mature audience that can appreciate its deeper truths, satire, and the opinions of Mark Twain on society and America in the 1840’s. Readers should not insist that the book be republished, but rather understand Twain’s key concepts and benefit from the lessons that he includes behind the characters and plot.