Banned essays

Banned essays One of the most controversial books that frequent the nations Banned Book list is The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain. The novels history outlines years of being criticized, censored and banished from several public bookshelves. Recent challengers target the use of racial epithets and the manner African-American characters in the book are treated. First we must understand the time and place that the author tells the tail. The story takes place in the mid 19th century, in the south, twenty years before the Civil War. At the time the novel originated, it illustrated the society in which Twain lived. Whether correct or incorrect, Twain's language and content mirrored societys treatment towards Africans at the time. The book exposes American history torn by prejudice, violence, and ignorance. The plot revolves around a young boy named Huck, who is the outcast son of the town drunkard, and the adventures he shares with his "colored" friend, Jim. It portrays an adolescent struggle through life and quest for freedom. Jim is a slave who risks his life, breaking the law, to win his freedom and be reunited with his family. Huck is a white boy who befriends a colored boy, and helps him escape. Because of his cultural upbringing, the boy starts out believing that slavery is part of the natural order. Through time, the story unfolds to reveal that Huck too, seeks freedom from the social standard and approval of slavery (#1). The book's us of "objectionable" language and "racist" terms have caused it to be challenged in school districts nationwide. In 1995 the South Bay School Board, in San Jose, CA questioned if the book should remain on required reading lists. School officials selected Huckleberry Finn'' for required reading because it was an American literary tradition. Faculty also agreed that the content was a potential starting po ...