Huck Finn Essay

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Ever since it was first published in 1885, Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been controversial. This book challenged society head on and was quite offensive to many Americans at that time. Today, this book still kindles a fire in everyone, some believe Huck Finn should be mandatory while other believe it should be optional reading. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should remain as required reading in Junior English classes across country because it is a true masterpiece. Teacher-student collaboration is a fundamental one should have before reading Huck Finn. In the Seattle Post “Huck Finn’ a masterpiece – or an insult” Gregory Roberts states that, “Before the language-arts students turned to chapter 1 of “Huckleberry Finn”, their teacher, Hilari Anderson, led the class in two weeks of discussion about the controversy surrounding the book and its terminology. The class viewed videotapes addressing the issue, researched the definition of the n-word and hashed out ground rules for its inclusion in the classroom.” (Roberts) Hilari Anderson explains the controversy of Huck Finn, and asks her class whether they feel comfortable using the n-word, and depending on how her class reacts, she teaches accordingly. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should remain mandatory because teachers can prepare their students for the book and read the book according to how the class feels. The majority of High School Juniors want to read Huck Finn, it the parent who thinks they should not. In the Seattle Post Gregory Roberts says, “At the end of each unit on “Huckleberry Finn,” Anderson ask her students to write an essay arguing for or against the banning of the book from schools. In six years, she said, not one student has written an essay calling for expelling the book from the curriculum.” (Roberts) Juniors enjoy reading Huck Finn, they particularly enjoy this book because it defies society and amends what is