Mark Twain

A Huckleberry

Jim's Coat of Arms

Megan's Biography

Greetings. My name is Megan.  I am a Caucasian female residing in the underwhelming state of Indiana.  I attend Saint Joseph’s High School, an elite Catholic school, and I am a current junior at this fine institution.  However, I am not Catholic.  As a Christian, I do share many of the same beliefs as any Catholic such as equality and dignity before God.  I am rather indifferent on the necessity of, “Huck Finn,” being taught in schools.  I do not believe it should be required, yet at the same time I do not feel the need for it to be banned.  I am not sure that I agree with the novel being elevated to its masterpiece status.  However, I do feel strongly about the presence of the word “nigger” and believe that for educational purposes, it should remain uncensored. This epithet is a powerful word with strong connotations that can do one of two things: Offend those reading, or provide a deeper insight to the horrors of racism.  I side with the latter option.  Clearly that is my opinion.  Check out my blog whether you agree or disagree.  I am sure you will be persuaded to give your idea a second guess.

Sarah's Biography

Hello! My name is Sarah. I am sixteen years old and I attend a Catholic high school with my fellow bloggers. I am personally a Mark Twain fan--he is a clever man!--and I appreciate the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn for its humor and witty lashes at displays of human ignorance. I often have difficulty determining whether I believe that this novel is a "classic," but I do believe that there is much depth to it that people often overlook because they are so overwhelmed by the racist language, and are often sidetracked by the controversy over censorship. I find it to be a compelling book, and if anything, it definitely brings essential questions to attention. Please enjoy this blog, as we attempt to explore these topics more deeply!

Amy's Biography

Labdien! I am a sixteen year old Asian American student attending a Catholic private high school (however please do not assume that I am a Catholic). Most people call me Amy, and I don't really go by any other names. I enjoyed reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn for its satire however I do not think that it should be an American Classic because of the book's take on slavery. (However, I do accept that society has deemed it as an American Classic.) I do not believe it is Twain's fault but society's expectations. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn contains several other themes, which are not about slavery and I think society is attacking the book from an unfair racist perspective (ex. groups pushing for the censorship of the word "nigger" in The Adventures of Huckleberry FInn).

Tommy's Biography

What up guys, my name is T-Mayne Poppa Suave, or Tommy for short. I am a junior at a prestigious Catholic high school in the midwest. Although I am not personally Catholic, I share many of their religious beliefs including the idea that every person was created equal and has a great dignity within. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a serious work that allows for an educational exploration of the meaning behind the word nigger, a singular word that brings great power and depth to the novel. My favorite scene from the novel definitely has to be the dispute between Huck and Jim about King Solomon, which had me literally lol-ing. At this point I'm going to say bye, hoping you are sufficiently intrigued to give my blog a look!

Group Perspective

We believe that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should not be banned from the school curriculum, however we do not highly praise its presence in school settings. Growing up, all of us have experienced an over exposure to secondhand literature about racism, so we have sadly become accustomed to reading about about the horrors of slavery. We are not so offended by the word “nigger” to the point that we believe it should be eradicated from the text. However, we do acknowledge its power and for that reason; it should not be censored.

We believe that, along with the heavy topic of racism and slavery, the book also addresses multiple issues and values of the time period. Through satire, Twain brings other topics to the attention of the reader, such as over-emotionality of religion, as seen in the duke’s "sermon,"  and excessive southern chivalry, as seen in the feud between the Shepherdsons and Grangerfords. These aspects add to the richness of the novel and allow the reader to draw more from Twain’s views of different facets Southern culture.

Many readers of this novel believe that Mark Twain continues to skew the reality of the humanity of a black person of the time. The reader may argue that Twain unrightfully depicts Jim as a stereotypical, submissive “Uncle Tom.” But there are deeper levels to Jim’s behaviors; Jim is not simply being submissive because he feels he has no worth. There are many instances in the novel when Twain reveals Jim’s true intelligence, giving the reader insight into his humanity and consciousness of the danger of his situation. For instance, when Jim argues with Huck that French people should also speak English, one could call Jim as being stubborn for not respecting French culture. However, the underlying message in Jim’s argument suggests that all men are equal and thus they should all speak the same language.

(Work Cited for Our Individual Pages)

Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. N.P.: Project Gutenburg, 2006. Print.