Do you think that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is an offensive or racist book? Is it both? Respond below by offering your opinion of the book. Then, define whether or not you think that this book should be taught in school.
I think this book could be seen as offensive in some peoples eyes, but for me I think of it as an educational book. In the video we watched people had good points.The example where they said it would make people think using that word was okay. I think the book should be taught in school because we are reading it for educational purposes. Using that word is to show how people talked and to go with the time period. So yes I think its a good book for us to read.
I could see how the book could be offensive or racist to a person who didn't know anything about the book beforehand or didn't know anything about Mark Twain. That is why i think Teschner educated us about Mark Twain and made us research the book before we even started reading it. For we could learn the purpose of the book. That is why I don't find the book offensive or racist at all. It is a good idea to read Huck Finn in school because the outlook that Huck had and those type of events actually happened during that time period and we can't just pretend that it didn't happen. We must educate the youth about this so that it will not happen in the future. That is why Twain made the book so harsh and unfiltered so that it would stick in our minds and we wouldn't forget it.
I understand why this book would be considered offensive, but that isn't the point of this story. Twain wanted to show us how the south was in the 1870s, and the way to show that is through language used back then. That does include the bad and ugly parts of our country's history, but we shouldn't shy away from it. Everyone needs to take responsibility for their actions, and slavery and the n-word was a mistake the country made. Huckleberry Finn should be taught at school because it's like a window to the past for us. We get a first-hand account of the country after the Civil War, and we see how everyone was affected during that time.
Much like everyone else has previously stated, I do not find this book offensive at all. The dialect used is a learning opportunity, not something that should be ignored. However, the book is racist at some points because that's what America was like back then. Refusing to teach Huck Finn does the opposite of what many parents' testimonials says. Parents thing the word-choice is offensive and shouldn't be taught, however by refusing to teach it the words and especially ideas about race within the book are kept taboo and not able to be learned from. This book chronicles an important, often looked-over (for fear of being racist) part of American history that needs to continue to be taught in schools today.
I do not think Huck Finn is offensive mainly because the book is not entirely about racism. The most we encounter racism in this book is when Jim talks. The way he talks characterizes him and portrays exactly the type of person he is. Without his dialect, we would miss details about how things were, verses how they are now. This book gives meaning tohow things have changed and i believe it hopes to do it in a positive way rather than hurt people reading it today. Times have changed, and the n word has been motified in how we use it in daily life. I think that is one of the main reasons its so shocking to see on paper and more so read in school.
I don't believe huckleberry Finn is racist. It was from a different time period and that type of language was acceptable. Now a days were not use to hearing the phrases used but I believe they should still teach the books in school because it teaches a great message to kids and even though some believe mark twain and the book is racist I don't believe it is, it's a classic book that we should keep reading!
I can see how some people may view Huck Finn as something that is offensive or racist but i dont feel like it is. This book was written to show how things were back in that time period. That is the way they talked back then and the author was just trying to get that point across and displaying the talk and views on african americans back then. I definitely think this book should be taught in schools because I think its important to see the way people acted and treated other people in history and this book is a great way to show it.
I think that this book does have to do with racism. It shows defense towards racism and opposition towards racism. I do think it should taught in school because it shows what Mark Twain wanted to show the people about the topic of racism. I mean, I don't think that the intention of the book was to intentionally hurt people's feelings. He just wrote things the way he saw it around him and the way it actually was.
My opinion on this is that the book is not racist. It is simply a reflection of the times he lived in. But we all understand how it hurts a lot of people, which Im pretty sure that it was not Twain's intention. He was just trying to point out the way that people used to talk back then. And I do agree that this book should be taught in schools because the new generation needs to know more about the history not only the dates, events but also how a typical group of people in 1870's used to communicate, what language did they use and how did they treat each other.
I don't see this book as offensive or racist. This book was written back in the times when using this offensive language was acceptable. Times have changed and some people still see the language as offensive. I see where people are coming from when they think its wrong but personally it doesn't affect me. I think that just so everyone is comfortable that schools should change and buy the new re-written books.
Huck Finn wasn't written to deliver a racist message that everyone looks at so ignorantly. People assume that when a demeaning word is used, it's racist. They don't look at the context or reason but jump to conclusions. The characters and dialogue is racist but the message of the book is not. The whole point is to show how bad racism was during that time period. The fact that it causes so much controversy shows how far we have come as a society. Huck Finn should be taught in every school with prior knowledge of the intent of the author writing the book.
I do not see Huck Finn as an offensive or racist book. The book is essential to education because it portrays what society was like back then. Not teaching Huck Finn would be like not teaching the Holocaust or any other discriminating events that occurred in history, which are important for students to at least be aware of. Although a word is used that is offensive in our time period, Twain was just using what was normal back then and we should use the book as a document for racism back in the nineteenth century. I believe this book has every right to be taught in schools, but teachers should give the students a choice of which version to read in case they truly are offended by the book by itself.
This might come off as a little radical or ignorant by others, but I think african americans kind of make fools of themselves when they say this book is offensive and that they shouldnt have to read it. Quentin Tarantino, the director of Django Unchained was critisized for his use of the word "nigger" in his movie. He went on to say that not using the word, and putting in a substitute, would take away from the movies messgae. Thats how people spoke in that time, and same with Huck Finn, thats how people spoke in that time in American history. Also, african amercians shouldnt be offended by the use of the word because its not even directed towards them specifically. I can see why it might bother them to see blacks in the book get called that, but thats how it was in that time. To my knowledge, Ive never seen Jews get offended or try to get rid of books about the Holocaust. They dont get offended because it was a time in their culture's history where they over came persecution togther. Thats how blacks nowadays should look at the use of "nigger" in Hick Finn. So yes, i think it should still be taught in high schools today. Shirmer
As most people said, I think that it can be seen as offensive depending on how a person takes the story in. To me, I don't find it offensive because it was the actual dialect and word that they used. This book shows the realism through words like the n-word to really make us pay attention and become aware that it was a common word used in that time and place. It should definitely be taught in school because it is a classic and shows how far we came in this country. Also, this is reality and you can't run away from it.
No, I do not think this book is offensive. That was the vernacular that Twain was influenced by and it was a common term. It also adds to the atmosphere of the book. People should not be offended by something that WAS a part of history. So far I do like the book. It's just a good old fashioned adventure so far. And yes I do think it should still be taught it schools everywhere.
I think that Huck Finn could easily be viewed as a racist or offensive book if you choose to see it that way, but I think that the overuse of inappropriate words is purely based on Mark Twain trying to show readers what it was like back then. I think that it should continue to be taught in schools because it is a great educational opportunity to see how life was in those times.
Huckleberry Finn is NOT a racist book!!!!!! It should be taught at school. By not teaching this book, you are labeling it a problem. You're making it racist.It's like highlighting every single time the word nigger comes out. You're making it a big deal. Twain is an awsome example of realists and teach us how real realists wrote their stories. It's important to realize the real purpose of why and how Twin wrote this book, or else you don't get whats important.
I do not believe that Huck Finn is not racist but can be percieved as offensive. If people dislike reading the n word then they may be offended by this book but I dont believe that was Twains goal. He was an abolitionist and I think he was just trying to write a novel that summed up the time period that he was living in. I do believ Huck should be taught.
I don't think Huck Finn is racist because its how times were back then and it should be told how it was. However, some people may be offended by the N word. I still think it should be taught in schools because its a good story and shows how times were.
This book is not offensive to me, for a while I thought I can understand why some people think it's racist but then as I got further in the book my opinion changed. Twain isn't trying to be nor is a racist, he simply is telling a story. He is going inside the partnership of a runaway boy and slave and how the boy battles between what he's be taught and what he's learning himself. Huck acknowledges he realized Jim is much more human than he previously thought. Huck looked up to Jim as a father figure and in no means was racist. Absolutely it should be taught in schools, Rachel is 100% right. This did happen in our history we can't just forget it and that's not even what the books about!!!
Obviously some people view this book as racist but I think that it is not racist, it merely tells us of what the 1800's were like in American history. I think that anyone who does not want the book to be tought in schools is just embarrassed of our ancestors past mistakes. The only way to stop making mistake is to learn from them.
Personally i dont think this book is racist at all. The way the book is written is just how people talked back then. I can see how someone may think the book is rcist because people today use that word in a bad way but it isnt used that way in the book
I personally dont view the book as racist. I believe that mark twain was simy trying to capture the, the dialogue, and the way things were back then. I think the language used in the book is necessary to show how life was back then. With saying that I think this book is perfectly acceptable to teach in school.
i dont think that this book is racist. as a lot of people said its only viewed racist because of the way they talk. that is how people really talked back then so i think its a good thing that the author used that way of talking instead of hiding the fact of racism back then. racism and slaves is a way of our past and in huckleberry finn i think the author did the right thing to use the language back then. and i also believe that this book should not be banned from schools.
I think this book could be seen as offensive in some peoples eyes, but for me I think of it as an educational book. In the video we watched people had good points.The example where they said it would make people think using that word was okay. I think the book should be taught in school because we are reading it for educational purposes. Using that word is to show how people talked and to go with the time period. So yes I think its a good book for us to read.
ReplyDeleteI could see how the book could be offensive or racist to a person who didn't know anything about the book beforehand or didn't know anything about Mark Twain. That is why i think Teschner educated us about Mark Twain and made us research the book before we even started reading it. For we could learn the purpose of the book. That is why I don't find the book offensive or racist at all. It is a good idea to read Huck Finn in school because the outlook that Huck had and those type of events actually happened during that time period and we can't just pretend that it didn't happen. We must educate the youth about this so that it will not happen in the future. That is why Twain made the book so harsh and unfiltered so that it would stick in our minds and we wouldn't forget it.
ReplyDeleteI understand why this book would be considered offensive, but that isn't the point of this story. Twain wanted to show us how the south was in the 1870s, and the way to show that is through language used back then. That does include the bad and ugly parts of our country's history, but we shouldn't shy away from it. Everyone needs to take responsibility for their actions, and slavery and the n-word was a mistake the country made. Huckleberry Finn should be taught at school because it's like a window to the past for us. We get a first-hand account of the country after the Civil War, and we see how everyone was affected during that time.
ReplyDeleteMuch like everyone else has previously stated, I do not find this book offensive at all. The dialect used is a learning opportunity, not something that should be ignored. However, the book is racist at some points because that's what America was like back then. Refusing to teach Huck Finn does the opposite of what many parents' testimonials says. Parents thing the word-choice is offensive and shouldn't be taught, however by refusing to teach it the words and especially ideas about race within the book are kept taboo and not able to be learned from. This book chronicles an important, often looked-over (for fear of being racist) part of American history that needs to continue to be taught in schools today.
ReplyDeleteI do not think Huck Finn is offensive mainly because the book is not entirely about racism. The most we encounter racism in this book is when Jim talks. The way he talks characterizes him and portrays exactly the type of person he is. Without his dialect, we would miss details about how things were, verses how they are now. This book gives meaning tohow things have changed and i believe it hopes to do it in a positive way rather than hurt people reading it today. Times have changed, and the n word has been motified in how we use it in daily life. I think that is one of the main reasons its so shocking to see on paper and more so read in school.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe huckleberry Finn is racist. It was from a different time period and that type of language was acceptable. Now a days were not use to hearing the phrases used but I believe they should still teach the books in school because it teaches a great message to kids and even though some believe mark twain and the book is racist I don't believe it is, it's a classic book that we should keep reading!
ReplyDeleteI can see how some people may view Huck Finn as something that is offensive or racist but i dont feel like it is. This book was written to show how things were back in that time period. That is the way they talked back then and the author was just trying to get that point across and displaying the talk and views on african americans back then. I definitely think this book should be taught in schools because I think its important to see the way people acted and treated other people in history and this book is a great way to show it.
ReplyDeleteI think that this book does have to do with racism. It shows defense towards racism and opposition towards racism. I do think it should taught in school because it shows what Mark Twain wanted to show the people about the topic of racism. I mean, I don't think that the intention of the book was to intentionally hurt people's feelings. He just wrote things the way he saw it around him and the way it actually was.
ReplyDeleteMy opinion on this is that the book is not racist. It is simply a reflection of the times he lived in. But we all understand how it hurts a lot of people, which Im pretty sure that it was not Twain's intention. He was just trying to point out the way that people used to talk back then. And I do agree that this book should be taught in schools because the new generation needs to know more about the history not only the dates, events but also how a typical group of people in 1870's used to communicate, what language did they use and how did they treat each other.
ReplyDeleteI don't see this book as offensive or racist. This book was written back in the times when using this offensive language was acceptable. Times have changed and some people still see the language as offensive. I see where people are coming from when they think its wrong but personally it doesn't affect me. I think that just so everyone is comfortable that schools should change and buy the new re-written books.
ReplyDeleteHuck Finn wasn't written to deliver a racist message that everyone looks at so ignorantly. People assume that when a demeaning word is used, it's racist. They don't look at the context or reason but jump to conclusions. The characters and dialogue is racist but the message of the book is not. The whole point is to show how bad racism was during that time period. The fact that it causes so much controversy shows how far we have come as a society. Huck Finn should be taught in every school with prior knowledge of the intent of the author writing the book.
ReplyDeleteI do not see Huck Finn as an offensive or racist book. The book is essential to education because it portrays what society was like back then. Not teaching Huck Finn would be like not teaching the Holocaust or any other discriminating events that occurred in history, which are important for students to at least be aware of. Although a word is used that is offensive in our time period, Twain was just using what was normal back then and we should use the book as a document for racism back in the nineteenth century. I believe this book has every right to be taught in schools, but teachers should give the students a choice of which version to read in case they truly are offended by the book by itself.
ReplyDeleteThis might come off as a little radical or ignorant by others, but I think african americans kind of make fools of themselves when they say this book is offensive and that they shouldnt have to read it. Quentin Tarantino, the director of Django Unchained was critisized for his use of the word "nigger" in his movie. He went on to say that not using the word, and putting in a substitute, would take away from the movies messgae. Thats how people spoke in that time, and same with Huck Finn, thats how people spoke in that time in American history. Also, african amercians shouldnt be offended by the use of the word because its not even directed towards them specifically. I can see why it might bother them to see blacks in the book get called that, but thats how it was in that time. To my knowledge, Ive never seen Jews get offended or try to get rid of books about the Holocaust. They dont get offended because it was a time in their culture's history where they over came persecution togther. Thats how blacks nowadays should look at the use of "nigger" in Hick Finn. So yes, i think it should still be taught in high schools today.
ReplyDeleteShirmer
As most people said, I think that it can be seen as offensive depending on how a person takes the story in. To me, I don't find it offensive because it was the actual dialect and word that they used. This book shows the realism through words like the n-word to really make us pay attention and become aware that it was a common word used in that time and place. It should definitely be taught in school because it is a classic and shows how far we came in this country. Also, this is reality and you can't run away from it.
ReplyDeleteNo, I do not think this book is offensive. That was the vernacular that Twain was influenced by and it was a common term. It also adds to the atmosphere of the book. People should not be offended by something that WAS a part of history. So far I do like the book. It's just a good old fashioned adventure so far. And yes I do think it should still be taught it schools everywhere.
ReplyDeleteI think that Huck Finn could easily be viewed as a racist or offensive book if you choose to see it that way, but I think that the overuse of inappropriate words is purely based on Mark Twain trying to show readers what it was like back then. I think that it should continue to be taught in schools because it is a great educational opportunity to see how life was in those times.
ReplyDeleteHuckleberry Finn is NOT a racist book!!!!!! It should be taught at school. By not teaching this book, you are labeling it a problem. You're making it racist.It's like highlighting every single time the word nigger comes out. You're making it a big deal. Twain is an awsome example of realists and teach us how real realists wrote their stories. It's important to realize the real purpose of why and how Twin wrote this book, or else you don't get whats important.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe that Huck Finn is not racist but can be percieved as offensive. If people dislike reading the n word then they may be offended by this book but I dont believe that was Twains goal. He was an abolitionist and I think he was just trying to write a novel that summed up the time period that he was living in. I do believ Huck should be taught.
ReplyDeleteI don't think Huck Finn is racist because its how times were back then and it should be told how it was. However, some people may be offended by the N word. I still think it should be taught in schools because its a good story and shows how times were.
ReplyDeleteThis book is not offensive to me, for a while I thought I can understand why some people think it's racist but then as I got further in the book my opinion changed. Twain isn't trying to be nor is a racist, he simply is telling a story. He is going inside the partnership of a runaway boy and slave and how the boy battles between what he's be taught and what he's learning himself. Huck acknowledges he realized Jim is much more human than he previously thought. Huck looked up to Jim as a father figure and in no means was racist. Absolutely it should be taught in schools, Rachel is 100% right. This did happen in our history we can't just forget it and that's not even what the books about!!!
ReplyDeleteObviously some people view this book as racist but I think that it is not racist, it merely tells us of what the 1800's were like in American history. I think that anyone who does not want the book to be tought in schools is just embarrassed of our ancestors past mistakes. The only way to stop making mistake is to learn from them.
ReplyDeletePersonally i dont think this book is racist at all. The way the book is written is just how people talked back then. I can see how someone may think the book is rcist because people today use that word in a bad way but it isnt used that way in the book
ReplyDeleteI personally dont view the book as racist. I believe that mark twain was simy trying to capture the, the dialogue, and the way things were back then. I think the language used in the book is necessary to show how life was back then. With saying that I think this book is perfectly acceptable to teach in school.
ReplyDeletei dont think that this book is racist. as a lot of people said its only viewed racist because of the way they talk. that is how people really talked back then so i think its a good thing that the author used that way of talking instead of hiding the fact of racism back then. racism and slaves is a way of our past and in huckleberry finn i think the author did the right thing to use the language back then. and i also believe that this book should not be banned from schools.
ReplyDelete