“All modern literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn,” this is what fellow writer had to say about this classic novel. Still, this novel has been the object of controversy since it was published more than 150 years ago. Some people argue that Huckleberry Finn is a racist work, and that the novel has no place in a highschool classroom. This feeling is generated because a main character in the story, Jim, and other slaves are referred to many times as “niggers.” When Mark Twain wrote this book, he was striving to show the general public that society was wrong in the past, that the way white people thought black people were less than human was a wrong viewpoint. The book is also denounced because people feel that this book is anti-American. Russians have even taught this book to show that Americans are generally rotten people (Loeffler, class notes). But this novel is in no way anti-American, everything written about Americans is used as a satire, to make such a poignant book less serious, and to add some levity.Twain also has hidden morals in his messages. Huckleberry Finn should be taught in highschool classrooms because it is a very valuable and educational novel, with a moral and a theme that are needed to be learned by everyone. Racism is a racial preconceived judgement or notion (Mish 963). Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn does not contain this preconceived notion. While some people might argue that Huckleberry Finn is “The most grotesque piece of racist trash ever written,” (Wallace) it is actually the exact opposite. Huckleberry Finn is a fight against racism. “The novel is actually condemning the segregative system and unequal conditions in America” (Meyers 67). People believe that this book is a racist work because of the use of the word “nigger.” These people feel this word is offensive, and that it doesn’t belong in ...
