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.