"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn"

Paper Summary:

Mark Twain's "Huckleberry Finn" is an American classic that has been controversial since its first publication and still remains a subject of debate in communities, schools and libraries across the country. This paper shows why the novel should not be removed from the reading list of America's high schools. It investigates the history of the book's controversy and explains that original opposition to the book was based on the fact that improper English was used, opposed to today's argument that the book is too racist in nature. The paper also looks at how Twain's work has been applauded by his own peers, including African-American author Toni Morrison.

From the Paper:

"Twain's tales are fashioned from the conflicts born from slavery and the denial of their freedom, and none pay more homage to him than African-American writers. Toni Morrison, a novelist and descendant of enslaved "niggers" of the American south, is a staunch defender of Twain's language, humor and morality (Glass 44). In her introduction to a new edition of "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," Morrison condemns those who censor and try to prevent children from reading Twain. Says Morrison, "It struck me as a purist yet elementary kind of censorship designed to appease adults rather than educate children" (Glass 44). Morrison recalls that when she first read "Huckleberry Finn" as a child, she suffered "muffled rage," but with each reading, from adolescence into adulthood, she came to view it as a masterpiece (Glass 44)."

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