The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

This novel is very subjective and can been viewed in many ways as to whether this book should be accepted by the school board or not. Obviously looking directly at the content and to trying to determine whether this book caters to the students’ desire is absolutely futile. To determine whether the novel’s content is acceptable to the reading of teenage students is very much a controversial issue. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the writing style and the content play an extreme role in determining whether this book is acceptable.

The writing style in this novel is very creative and descriptive. Its vivid descriptions allow one to be able to completely visualize the situation. The author uses the language that the slaves in back in the 19th century had spoken, and through this he specifically shows how illiterate and inapt they were at speaking proper English. This type of style verily portrays the 19th century writing and allows students to view the different varieties of writing styles used through out time. This language used by the blacks and portrayed by Twain made the novel at times very difficult to read. On many occasions it was necessary to read and reread the text to understand what Jim (the slave) was saying. This style of writing does not aid in the English of the students who are reading the books. The slang and the use of the truncated words will in turn affect the reader subconsciously. The dearth of vocabulary in this book is not helping the students’ education. This absence of vocabulary can effect the students’ abilities writing abilities in their own work. Huckleberry Finn exhibits favorable and unfavorable ways of projecting its ideas through its use of words.

The content in a story is purely subjective. However, the content’s quality in the case of maturity of the students and the issues brought up in the writings can effect the students’ mentality. In Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain describes the issue of slavery indirectly through a story. He shows racism through Jim when the people called him a Nigger and when they are always referring to him as a Negro. This book shows the various racial problems that occurred in our history at the time Mark Twain wrote this novel. This content allows students to realize all the racial prejudice in the 19th century. Mark Twain also shows that in the 19th century not all the white males were racist and feral towards their slaves and that some had a good heart. Due to this explicit content this book can be very easily dropped by the school board for the assertions of racism and racial bigotry. Racism is a very sensitive subject and can cause great distress in many students’ minds. Racial disparages is very common in Huckleberry Finn. An example of this is when Jim is hiding in the boat with Huck and the slave catchers come up to their boat asking if they had seen a runaway “Nigger”. This can obviously cause affliction to a student’s mentally. Huckleberry Finn’s content can create many controversies, but it can also help a student realize the world in the 19th century.

The writing styles and the content of this novel have created controversies that have been debated for over a century. Many people feel that this novel posses too many assertions to racism. On the contrary, many feel like this book shows the history of this country, and how this novel posses another technique from the 19th century that students should be addressed to. Novels can create vivid images, but whether those images are acceptable or whether those images are objectionable leaves the school board exactly where the people were over a century ago.

Word Count: 627