Hentoff Summary
The classic novel written by Mark Twain, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn", has caused great controversy over whether or not it should be removed from public schools in the United States. The National Advancement Association for Colored People (NAACP) supported banning the book from all public schools by filing grievances with the state's Human Rights Commission. Nat Hentoff, a nationally renowned authority on First Amendment rights as well as being a Mark Twain scholar, opposed the NAACP in favor of teaching from the book to students across the nation. Huck Finn has been a topic of considerable dilemma over whether or not it is, in fact, a racist or an anti-racist novel.In a Tribune article dated November 27, 1999 titled "NAACP wants Huck Finn expelled" Mr. Hentoff quotes the NAACP stating, "tax dollars should not be used to perpetuate a stereotype that has psychologically damaging effects on the se
Chadwich-Joshua because she is an African-American, a scholar of Mark Twain, and she agrees with Mr. However, the NAACP may be overlooking a thirteen year olds ability to comprehend satire and irony. Huck is very unsure what to do at this point and struggles between a "sound heart" and a "deformed conscience. There is much support regarding Nat Hentoff's defense for "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" against the NAACP, and it is clear to see why. Hentoff refers to an eighth graders capability to comprehend satire and irony. ------------------------------------------------------------------------**Bibliography**. Above all, however, is the important concept of learning to think critically and this is a necessary component in our relationship to others. Hentoff's stand against the NAACP when he wrote, "Words can hurt, particularly racist epithets, but a necessary component of any education is learning to think critically about offensive ideas. psychologically damaging effects on the self esteem of African-American children" worth the price of learning to think critically? Or is it a necessary lesson to be learned regardless? "Without the memory of what a word once meant and what it can continue to mean, we as a society are doomed to repeat earlier mistakes about ourselves, each other, and serious issues involving us all," said Jocelyn Chadwich-Joshua. Without that ability, one can do little to respond to them.
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