Why Huckleberry Finn Should Not Be Banned Essay

An example of this is Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, which has been banned in multiple high school libraries for the use of the word “nigger,” which is considered both offensive language and racist (PBS). However, some people do not understand that racism was a normal part of life during the time period in which this novel was written. Twain published Huckleberry Finn in 1885, only twenty years after the end of the civil war. This means that this novel was written during a time when African Americans were severely discriminated against. Furthermore, many people argue that in this novel, Huck was actually showing affection for Jim when he used the word “nigger.” If one reads the novel, he or she would see that the relationship between Huck and Jim speaks louder than an inappropriate word. Therefore, by banning this novel and countless others like it, schools are depriving students of learning about history, and reading about what life, and literature, was like in times before their own. This shows that novels shouldn’t be banned from public high schools because some novels that are considered unsuitable for teenagers to read contain information about
After all, most high school students are underage. This means that their parents are still their guardians, and therefore should be able to protect their child from whatever they see fit. However, many students often show more maturity than adults expect of them. The average high school student gets his or her driver's’ license at some point during his or her sophomore year. The ability to drive is an immense, and dangerous, responsibility, as countless potentially fatal mistakes can be made while driving, yet teenagers are trusted with this responsibility. Therefore, if students are trusted with driving, then they should be trusted to be able to choose what to