The Controversy Surrounding the Classic

Evidence

1885 editorial from The Springfield Republican

1902 letter from Mark Twain on Omaha’s public library ban of Huck Finn

1957 editorial about the New York City Board of Education banning the book

2011 article about a new edition of Huck Finn with the “n” word replaced by “slave”

Modern Day Implication

Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is number fourteen on the American Library Association’s list of most frequently banned books.  Despite this, the book has also appeared on the AP Literature and Composition test fifteen times between 1980 and 2013. Despite the controversies, why has the novel remained a staple in high school literature study?

Rationale

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn represents some of the most profound insights into race relations in US history. It's important to understand the oppression of black Americans in our nation's past and see how the friendship that grows between Huck and Jim was revolutionary in that time and place.

Rationale

It has become a victim of modern cultural wars over political correctness.

"The word is nigger. It is spelled N-I-G-G-E-R. In these days, it can be a horrible fighting word in the wrong mouth and with the wrong inflection. It is important to recognize that in 1885, it did not mean the same thing. What was Twain supposed to do, call them African-Americans?” - David Bradley, black writer and English professor at Temple University

Rationale

While critics say the book promotes a negative image of black people, I believe it provides the first strong portrayal of a black hero.

It’s a pivotal book from which all black-and-white American literature followed. Huck matures and grows by the end of their adventures and learns to see Jim as a human being, overcoming the prejudiced values of his era. We all have something to learn from this text.

Chapters 1 – 4I. I DISCOVER MOSES AND THE

BULRUSHERS

II. OUR GANG’S DARK OATH

III. WE AMBUSCADE THE A-RABS

IV. THE HAIR-BALL ORACLE

Compare & Contrast Huck & Tom

HUCK TOM Evidence

Huck & Tom are both: adventurous, curious, rebellious orphans

HUCK, The Loner TOM, The Leader Evidence

Practical Realist•literal-minded•carries out sensible plans

Romantic Dreamer•imaginative•creates elaborate schemes and games

Thrives on freedom –wants to escape and be “free and satisfied.”

Conforms to society –driven by his conscience and expectations

Has authentic and serious experiences

Imitates fictional and fantastic adventures

MAJOR THEMEScivilization (on land) vs. natural life (on the

river) /conflict between society vs. the individual

rebirth

religion and superstition

slavery and racism

money

honor

Discussion- chapters 1-4:

Huck as narrator – why?

Being “sivilized” is “so lonesome” for Huck

Miss Watson “Miss Watson’s big nigger, named Jim” (13). “I offered them Miss Watson– they could kill her” (16).

Twain (gently) mocks religion and prayer “the good place” and “the bad place” (10-11) “By-and-by they fetched the niggers in and had prayers”

(11). “She told me to pray every day, and whatever I asked for I

would get it. But it warn’t so. I tried it” (19).

Discussion- chapters 1-4:

The river = “awful still and grand” (15)

SuperstitionHuck killing spider would “fetch some bad luck” (11) Jim and the “five-center piece” (15)Huck spilled the salt = bad luck (23) Jim’s hair-ball of magic & his monologue to Huck (25)

Intro to Pap (chap. 3) “I didn’t want to see him no more” (20) “He used to always whale me” (20)

Judge Thatcher’s character (chap. 4)

The Court System

“The judge and the widow went to law to get the court to take me away from [Pap] and let one of them be my guardian; but it was a new judge that had just come, and he didn’t know the old man; so he said courts musn’t interfere and separate families if they could help it; said he’d druther not take a child away from its father” (chap. 5).

“That law trial was a slow business; appeared like they warn’t ever going to get started on it” (chap. 6)

Twain’s Critique of the Courts

Huck’s experiences with Pap seem to show Huck’s need to escape from a society which forces a son to obey such a thoroughly corrupt and evil person as Pap.

The lack of understanding in the “new judge” when he refuses to “take a child away from its father” is another example of how society follows the old stereotyped concepts without considering the individual factors in a case. Only when the new judge personally experiences the hypocrisy of Pap does he realize his error.

Discussion- chapters 5-7:Pap

Why is Pap upset with Huck? (chap. 5)What seems to motivate Pap? Summarize and discuss his attempt to try and change.How would you characterize Pap?

HuckGive examples to show how Huck is adaptable. What

are possible reasons for his adaptability to different situations?

Summarize and discuss Huck’s escape and staged death. “I did wish Tom was there. Nobody could spread himself

like Tom Sawyer in such a thing as that” (chap. 7). What is Huck saying? How is this ironic?

Discussion- chapters 5-7:

delirium tremens (noun)a psychotic condition typical of withdrawal in chronic alcoholics, involving tremors, hallucinations, anxiety, and disorientation.