Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Born to Trouble
Is Huck Finn a racist novel? Should the text be taught? Using Born to Trouble and Huck Finn as references, address the debate. Feel free to propose your own theories. Again, use support from your own reading along with the evidence/analysis provided in the video, and respond to each other's posts. (Respond as a comment.)
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22 comments:
The book "Huck Fin" is not a racist novel. As said in "Born to Trouble," The language used in the novel was used so long ago, that nobody should take offense to it because nobody says those kinds of words anymore. With the multitude of events occuring between life on the shore and life on the river in the novel, personally, I saw this novel as a modern-day "Odyssey," and should be treated as such.
"Huck Finn" should not be considered a racist novel and should not be banned in schools. In the movie, of the very few counter arguments that they mentioned, their main point was the excessive use of the word "nigger." Now, it is a very offensive word, but the reason it became an offensive word was because that's what white people called their slaves. At the time, it was degrading as well, but not nearly to the extreme as it is today. Even in the book, when Jim refers to other black people, he calls them "niggers" as well. In the movie they pointed out that when a black person calls another black person that today, it isn't as offensive. This may be true but this inter-racial name calling that is ok for some but not for others has just recently come about with the evolving trends, for example, people's attempt to look "gansta." Also as time has gone on, the music the teen generation listens to has gotten progressively more vulgar and includes every swear known to society. Twenty or so years ago you would not hear artists include such words into their works. The kid in the movie says that its okay for another black person to call him a nigger, but that's only because of the evolving trends in the younger generations. Back when the book was written a person wouldn't walk in and say "Yo! yo! yo! what's up my n----r?!" It was not the trend back then, and "nigger" wasn't as offensive, it was just a term used to depict what a black person was. Though there are harsh feelings to the word and how many times it is used in the book, banning it and not letting people experience these strong emotions towards the word silences the anti-racial message Twain tries to send in the book. By silencing opinions against racism, it is allowing the opinions that encourage racism to flow. Therefore, banning this book shows that Americans aren't able to handle the truth and don't want to prevent anything like this again. The best way to prevent an event from further occurance, is understanding it. Without this comprehension of what life was like back then that "Huck Finn" offers, we are leaving room for racism to exist in our communities.
"Huck Finn" is not a racist novel and therefore, this book should have no problems when used in schools. Many people say that the word "nigger" is offensive, demeaning, and painful. However, that word is of the past and no longer used in such a way today. It is not the book that causes these feelings but instead the lack of ability to forget what is of the past. In this book, Twain uses the dialect of that time period. During that time of slavery, the people used that word. Therefore, the word was not used to be offensive but rather to allow the readers to better understand the time period. In the book there is a growing friendship between an African American man and a younger Caucasian boy. As the bond between the two grow, Twain shows his beliefs as Huck comes to put Jim more and more on the same level as the people of Huck's race. Twain uses the word and other examples of the African Americans being looked down upon in order to criticize it more and show that what the white people were doing was cruel and inhumane. Twain wanted to show the ugly reality of that time, and he did this by certain techniques such as using the word "nigger." Twain through all this shows how stupid and unexcusable racism is. Throughout the story, Jim is also viewed as a very innocent and kind character. The people who really believe that this book is a racist novel after they have read and analyzed it, I cannot say much to. However to those who just say it is because they are offended by the word "nigger" are too quick to jump to conclusions because after thorough reading, a person can easily conclude that this book is after all an anti-racist novel.
I believe that I share the same opinion as everyone else in this class does: Huckleberry Finn is not a racist novel, and should not be banned in any capacity. The main issues that can be construed as racist in this book are the use of the "n-word" and the prevalence of slavery. It is clear, however, through Twain's tone towards Jim and his satirical comments on slavery that this book is not meant to be racist. Although Twain consistently uses the "n-word" throughout the book, it is used in a mostly historical context. I believe that Twain's purpose in writing this book, as well as describing slavery and using the "n-word" is to deliver a historically relevant and accurate description of antebellum life in the Southern United States. Though it may not have been polite to use the "n-word" during that time, it was the reality of the world. To ignore the realities of history would be far more damaging to high schoolers than requiring students to read books using racist slurs. It is my personal and slightly elitist opinon that anyone who read this book and interpreted Twain's writing as purposefully racist and ignorant, did not read correctly, and is no authority regardless of race.
"Huck Finn" is not a racist novel and should not be banned from schools. The book is really considered an anti-slavery novel and Mark Twain himself was against slavery. According to "Born to Trouble," Twain grew up in a town in the South and he was well aware of slave cruelty. In "Born to Trouble" there are very few arguements that state why the book is racist and should be banned. People that think the book is racist say that the use of the word "nigger" is offensive. That may be the case now but back when the book was written this wasn't the case. In Twain's time "nigger," was a commonly used name for African Americans and the word shows how long ago the novel was written. The word is more offensive today and people don't use these words anymore because of this.
A problem with the people who say that the book is racist and should be banned, is that they have not actually read the book. If they would read it, they would notice that the book is actually trying to get the audience to see that it is wrong to discriminate. Mark Twain himself was not racist and his book is a satire novel, which makes fun of something for the purpose of change and to critize. In this case Twain is trying to critize people for slavery and hypocrisy, along with many other things. This novel should not be considered racist toward African Americans as this was the opposite of Twain's purpose.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should not be banned from school reading lists. The primary concerns revolve around the numerous times the word “nigger,” is evident and the ways slavery is presented. Although the speakers in the film presented an adequate defense to this claim, I believe their worries are rash and narrow. They claim Mark Twain as a racist for using a demeaning word to address African Americans. Mark Twain’s novel is not racist; it is actually the complete opposite. Mark Twain was an anti-racist. According to the film, Twain was aware of the brutality of slaves. However, the idea of slavery as being unlawful was hard to express especially during Twain’s time. His only way of coming across his audience was by his use of satire and humor. He uses this technique to present his other beliefs along with slavery. Twain also depicts Jim, an African American runaway slave, as a complex character traveling with Huck. We are engaged deeper into his life and we see that Jim has become a father figure for Huck. He cares and worries for Huck. When Huck was in the middle of the Grangerford/Sheperdson mini war, Jim was extremely worried for Huck and his life. I don’t think the ones who contradict this book for being racist has really read any of it. I think they automatically see the word or the humiliating act towards slaves and recognize it as a signal that this is a racist book and then stop reading. This should not be the case because they loose Mark Twain’s purpose that slavery is unlawful. I think if they actually read the book and understand his points their thoughts would be different.
It is true the word “nigger,” is inappropriate and offensive to say but this was not an issue during the time of Mark Twain. The word was actually common for both white citizens and black slaves. Mark Twain merely uses the common language in his novel. Huck Finn was published in 1883. There was no way that Mark Twain would know his novel would later offend thousands of people. I believe that if an African American read Huck Finn in 1883, he would not be offended by the word “nigger”. Ones who criticize Twain for using this word should understand the differences between the two times, the two societies, and the two circumstances. Views would change and there would be no misunderstanding towards Twain and his purposes in one of the greatest American novels of all time.
Huck Finn should not be banned from schools. Those who believe it should cannot see past the word "nigger." However, if these people looked closer and read the text rather than the words alone, they would see the strong antiracist sentiment that is present throughout the novel. In fact, a school situation is the best place for this book to be read since teachers are there to guide students to find themes they might otherwise miss. Furthermore, banning Huck Finn would be banning a milestone in American literature. It is the closest work we have to a national epic. It would be like banning Beowulf in England--we read Beowulf here!. Many supporters for banning the book argue, "There must be another book that can do all the Huck Finn does without using the n-word. Isn't there?" The answer is no. That is why we read Huck Finn. It is an intricate, well-written view (and critique) of American life and society. Moreover, there wouldn't even be a discepancy if people could just take Huck Finn for the antiracist novel it is.
I do not believe "Huck Finn" is a racist text that should be banned. "Huck Finn" is an indispendable primary source on 1840's life, as well as the lies and racism of the Reconstruction Era.
On the topic of the n-word, Twain said himself that the book started out as just a boy's adventure novel, with not much meaning to it. Twain said he just wanted a sequel to "Tom Sawyer." Now, the people in the film said the the n-word was already inappropriate by the time Twain wrote it. But why would Twain include it in his children's novel if it was inappropriate? The n-word was a common word in Reconstruction, as common as "African american" is now.
I found it ridiculous that the people against "Huck Finn" assumed the American public was stuped enough to believe that because "Huck Finn" said the n-word, saying it was alright. They believed that the American people have just as much sense of right and wrong as the people Twain makes fun of.
In my opinion, Huckleberry Finn is a profoundly antiracist novel. Many high school teachers and students have argued that the language in the book is racist, and although that point may be true, Twain is merely trying to reconstruct an accurate picture of the slaveholding south during the prebellum era. The term "nigger" was the operant term for slave in the south, and Twain wanted to employ realistic dialects to enhance his satire and appeal to a wider audience. Many individuals also criticize the idea that Jim is an ignorant, stereotypical black slave. However, Huck changes his characterization of Jim throughout the course of the novel. He comes to realize Jim's humanity and finds in Jim a friend and fatherly figure rather than a slave. If anything, Twain attempts to attack the ineptitude and barbaric nature of the white middle class citizen with his portrayal of Pap, the Grangerfords and Shepherdsons, and the many crowds so easily tricked by the duke and the king. The themes of the novel do not call forth racist sentiments; they do precisely the
opposite. However, if students are offended by the language in the novel, I would not force them to read it. Still, if these students take the time to search for a deeper meaning in the book than just examining the surface, they should realize that it is a lively and creative attack on the institution of slavery. If the book is treated sensitively and the students are mature enough to form their own opinions (much like Huck is trying to do), the negative consequences the language may elicit can be avoided.
The book "Huck Fin" is not a racist novel. The reason they use the n word isnt because they are trying to throw racial slurs into the book, its because this is what they called African Americans at the time. If the mother in the "Born to Trouble" had actually read "Huck Fin" she would be able to see that Mark Twain is actually critiszing those who are racist and dont treat African Americans with respect. Through out the novel, we see Huck begins to look beyond skin color and roles in society, and begins to see Jim as a real person, which is much differnt than what society would do. Also, through out the novel Jim becomes more and more of a round character which also shows that "Huck Fin" isnt a racist novel because the shows that Mark Twain believes African Americans are equal to whites and can be complec characters in novels too. I believe that the reason behind people's beliefs that "Huck Fin" is purely on superfical means. They only read the beginning,which means they don't see Jim's and Huck's changing relationship, and they also refuse to look under the surface to see what things really mean, and not what they seem at first. "Huck Fin" is definitly not a racist novel, in fact its completely the opposite. The fact that people are accusing it of being racist is ridiculous because it goes against everything the book stans for.
Huck Finn is not a racist novel. Clearly, one of Twain's motives, even though I may be prosecuted for searching for it, was to show the injustice of racism. Even though the "n-word," used often in Huck Finn, is a very offensive racial slur to people of our time, Twain uses it for several reasons. Twain uses the word to show that it was the accepted term for black slaves which can be paralled to the theme of people's mob-like acceptance of societal values. Although I can empathize with the readers who may be offended by this word, I plead with them to see all the deliberate antiracist ideas and people in the book. For example, in the beginnning of the book Huck tends to view Jim as a stereotypical slave, however by the time they spend on the river the become conrades of sorts and Huck acknowledges Jim's determination and how he should not treat him lowly or do tricks to him. As the novel goes on, Huck goes further and further from the morals that were set up by his family and further towards what he believes is right in his heart. If anything this text shows the ridiculousness of racism and also the capability of a person to see past the flaws of a person or object.
I completely agree with everyone in the assesment that Huck Finn is not a racist novel. It should definitley not be banned in school because one of its messages is against racism. Though the language is offensive towards African Americans, the greater message is positive towards them, and its not always about the details, but instead the bigger picture. We know Huck is an unreliable narrator and at many points in the book reflects the views of society, so even though Huck uses the n word, that doesn't mean Twain thinks it's alright.As stated earlier, the n word is just a representation of what was common at the time. The use of the word is historically accurate. Also, the character Sherburn that we just read about also criticizes racists like the Klu Klux Klan. Additionally an argument was made that Jim is not displayed as smart or a dynamic character, which is racist. I would have to disagree with that point because we now have seen Jim's family life, and that Huck is considering him an eqaul. The people in the video who were complaining that Huck Finn is a racist novel, made an incorrect assesment. I do not think the novel should be banned in schools because it is not racist. If some students prefered not to read it, and asked if they could do another assignment while the class was reading Huck Finn, i could see that being a possible solution to their problem. However, banning the book altogether would be depriving students of important messages and brilliant writing.
I believe that Huck Finn is purely an anti-racist novel. Those who oppose this arguement will argue that the n word is used some 300 times. I will say that Mark Twain was trying to criticize the antebellum period when the slaves were being called that. Twain is not a racist. His whole point in mentioning them is to mock the people who use it. This argument creates the satirical tone for this novel because the racist comments are now thought of as bad and discriminating. And Twain portrays the time period very well with the dialects and the names. I would relate this novel to the documentary "Roots" because in that, the story is about slaves and how they faced discrimination and Alex Haley, the producer of the documentary, was trying to prove the same point by criticizing the racism. So that's why Huck Finn is not a racist novel, but a satirical novel.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is not a racist novel, it is actually anti-racist just like its author, Mark Twain. Twain's intention was to show slavery for how stupid it really was. He criticizes slaveholders and shows how the slaves are just as much a human as any white person. The main reason that people want the book to be banned is that is uses an offensive word, but this word was not nearly as offensive at the time the novel was written. The mother in "Born to Trouble" also said that Jim was obviously a foolish and humorous character, but if she had actually read the book, she would find that Jim is a very deep, very round character. The only reason that he says "foolish" things(for example when he doesn't understand the King Solomon story) it is because of his lack of education (due to being enslaved) and because he sees life through completely different eyes. Jim lives in a world where people do senslessly injure and kill slaves because they are treated like property, Jim saw that cutting the child in half (like property) was a more realistic decision than Huck could imagine. Huck Finn, himself, at times seems like he is a racist, but if one were to go back in time, they would see that it was not normal to society to stand out against what nearly EVERYONE accepted. Huck was trained by his society, and therefore the racist society that he has grown up in becomes the voice of his conscience. He simply doesn't know any better, but no matter what his society believes, Huck is still friends with Jim and cares about him, possibly more than anyone else in the entire novel.
I do not think that Huck Finn is a racist novel, and therefore should not be banned in schools. One point that the concerned mother made in regards to the character Jim, was that this black slave was portrayed as a comical character. Along with this statement illustrations of Jim were provided. I agree that the illustrations of Jim were more like characters, but the text in this book supports the opposing idea that in fact Jim is a very real, sensitive man. For example, in the book Jim almost acts a fatherly character to Huck and won’t let him see the man that was shot in the abandoned house. Also, the book describes how Jim missing his family and wants more than anything to be with them. This textual evidence shows how Jim was far from a “comic” in this book, but rather is a dynamic character with many layers to him. Also, the other problem the concerned parent had with the book was that it used the n-word over 200 times in the novel. She based her argument mostly off this fact, but she has not even read the book itself to discover the context in which it is used. If she were to read Huckleberry Finn, she would discover that this word was used simply because Twain was depicting the vernacular that was used at this time in history. This book is reflected the time period. To me the idea that this book is racist seems ridiculous, and for anyone who reads it and thinks otherwise has obviously missed many keys concepts. For instance, Jim and Huck become very good friends, to the point where Huck takes risks himself to help Jim avoid being caught. Lastly, throughout the book Twain uses humor to poke fun at people who think racism and slavery is okay. He even has a character that makes a speech to an angry mob telling what they are doing is wrong. All in all, from reading this book there are certain parts that out of context can be misconstrued to seem racist, but in actuality this book is actually advocating equality and therefore should not be banned in schools.
Despite the fact that the novel Huck Finn contains the word "nigger" 231 times, I believe it is not a racist novel and should continued to be taught at schools. The purpose of the usage of this word is to reflect the time period Twain wrote the novel rather than to offend the Blacks. Many people during Twain's time used this term to indicate a slave and Twain included it in his novel because it was the dialect of the people during that time; therefore this word does no't have the same offensive meaning toward the readers as it does today. Other than the usage of this term, Huck Finn is a great classic novel that teaches a valuable lesson. Huck Finn sends the readers the message that slavery is immoral. Twain also satirizes the deception, hypocrisy, injustices and other immoral acts played out by the society in the novel. Twain portrays Jim, a slave, positively, revealing his humane side throughout the novel. Jim plays a father figure/buddy to Huck and he is apositive influence on the young Huck. This proves that Twain is encouraging the readers to embrace the idea of "equality" and to abandon the idea of "discrimination" and "injustice" against minorities. The positive aspects of the novel far outweigh its usage of an outmoded word; therefore should it should not banned.
Like absolutely everyone else, I think, I believe Huckleberry Finn is not a racist novel and should not be banned. However, to a slight (very slight) extent, I can understand the frustration of some of the dissenters in the video. They did not take the effort to understand the book, so they just see a young white boy calling blacks in the book n-s. But even with a marginal understanding of the plot and characters (which students will have at the junior level for sure, if not teachers would talk about it), readers can notice that Twain in fact specifically shows Jim to be a a really good person. Personally, I think the fact that Twain shows Jim to be such an admirable character despite his circumstances (which include the n-word) makes Huck Finn even more anti-racist. It presents the idea that the n-word is just a word, and does not define a person. In fact, I think Twain's work essentially undermines and trivializes the negative connotations n-word. Jim's characterization is meant to make readers go beyond the word and look at the person. People who fail to look beyond the word really demonstrate a lack of any understanding of Twain's whole purpose.
Also, "n-" was the term everyone called blacks in the antebellum period and Twain's, and Twain was a realist. Calling the blacks any other term would have destroyed that realism.
With any level of direction or self understanding, any student can see Huck Finn's lack of racism.
Huck Finn is not a racist text. To say that it is racist is to merely skim the surface of Twain's words. In any situation, people will see (or read) what they want. People will believe what they choose and people will pick out and focus on things that agree with their own personal opinions and values. If one were to read Huck Finn, already biased, assuming its a racist text, they will interpret Twain's words as such. The girl in the video was probably used to people being racist and demeaning her, so she saw Huck Finn as more of the same. This notion is even more probable when it is considered that she was growing up in a predominantly white area, with a growing minority population. The problem with this logic is that using the word "nigger" does not constitute being racist. Twain uses this word because it was part of the vernacular at the time. Though I recognize that this is a word that carries many negative and hurtful connotations, and that everyone is entitled to their own opinion; the use of offensive language is not grounds for the banning of books. It must first be considered that the narrator of the book is a fifteen year old white boy who is uneducated and lives in a racist society. Second, Twain uses the word "nigger" and Jim's initial buffoonery to appeal to a postbellum, racist audience. Third, Through Jim's characterization, and through his developing roundness, it is made apparent as the text goes on that Jim is just as good as anyone else, and should be treated as thus.
Frankly, referring to Twain's Huck Finn as racist is foolish, ignorant and close minded. I would advise those people to read a book, actually read one; not judge one. Most importantly, attempting to ban Huck Finn is selfish and dangerous. Whole student populations shouldn't be restrained from a classic piece of literature solely on the grounds that a group of ignorant parents that never read, but most likely simply skimmed the book to count how many times the word "nigger" was used, got together and decided to be close-minded.
(I realized I didn't tie in my earlier quote enough to the movie, so I'll do that now.)
I meant to say:
Shelley Fisher Fishkin attests to Huck Finn's being America's closest thing to a national epic. Also, the mother, Kathy Monteiro, insists that Twain portrays Jim whimsically, but even James Miller, another African-American, admits that Jim is not a static character. We've seen this thus far in the scene where Jim expresses remorse for hitting his daughter. There is nothing whimsical about this scene. All in all, I feel like champions for the book's banning are missing its point, frankly (which is ironic because Twain includes a scene about "missing the point" in Huck Finn). Whether or not the character Huck is racist is really irrelevant. The book is antiracist and should be received as such.
The book "Huck Finn" does have content related to racism, though I wouldn't go so far as to accuse it of being a racist novel. Yes, some of the diction could be considered offensive, but a look closer into the meaning for Twains decision to include some powerful words reveals that diction was not used to offend, but to promote a genuine portayal of the time period. The transformation of the character Huck Finn throughout his experiences with Jim gives more value to the readers perception of the dark skinned characters. Also it is important to observe that those who treat slaves the worst are often the most dispicable characters of the novel. While there is racist content in this book, there is in no way the intention to create superiority of one race over another but rather the indirect promotion of equality.
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