Why Huck Finn Belongs in the Classroom
             Here is why Huckleberry Finn belongs in classrooms. It is a novel about loyalty. You can use the book to show this typical American experience and this is the white and black American getting along well and the high school kids need to have that presented too. The other defense is that it is a challenging book, it is a difficult book, and students will not learn unless they are challenged. And even with all the problems people find with the book, this is the defense of it.
             If it is taught, teachers need to be mindful of prejudices and be sure that the students don't adopt them. If you are already racist, the book can justify and send those feelings deeper. It should be taught to an age group which can understand Twain's views. He does make some great points about mankind. It actually felt good to hear his racist perspective and to talk about it. We don't get many chances to do that, but I don't really find the book racist. I look at it in the context of the time it was written. Nigger comes up often, but at the time, it was a frequently used word. Although we want to read books with happy endings, life isn't that way. Maturity of the reader matters. It is controversial which makes it worth reading. It directs you towards self-discovery. Any book that makes you think outside of your own perspective belongs in the classroom. Twain's Huck Finn, should be taught and required at LCC because they bring up themes most people want to stay away from.
             Twain's stereotypical depiction of Jim originates from traditions of his time. Twain completed Huckleberry Finn in 1884, at a time when black identity in American society was still not clear. Although Twain may have used a negative stereotype in his creation of Jim, throughout the novel he provides a clear view of Jim's humanity. This contradiction reflects the confused view that many held of African Americans in T
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