Peer review

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been a controversial since it was written. Ongoing debate about Huckleberry Finn asks many questions about the book’s meaning, it language, and is the book right to be taught in schools. Many people find that the book is offensive because of the numerous times the N-word is used. They find the book racist and degrading to the African Americans. Others view the book as the completely opposite to a racist degrading text. They find the book is a story about equality and the book shows that slavery is bad. In the essay by Jonathan Arac, he makes the argument it doesn’t matter what the meaning of the book is. The book should not be read because it continues the use of a word that is degrading and hurtful towards African Americans. The book still brings up feeling to its readers that should not be there and it is hurt to many African Americans who read it. I agree with Arac points, the book should not be read in schools because it perpetuates the use of a derogatory word which is still hurtful to many people. Students at a young age are not developed enough to understand the word and its context in the book. A book with hurtful language but with good intentions is still a hurtful book.

Arac goes over the pain that the N-word still makes many people feel. He uses evidence to show that the N-word is one of worst words in the English language and the simple use of the word has the power to bring about violent, aggression, and hate. The N-word was used by white people to refer to African Americans who were slave, people who where not treated as human beings but as property. It was used as a term for a black person, to point out that African Americans were different, were lower. The word was used to point out how many white people thought they were superior to African Americans. The N-word was used in a time where hate and violence was common practice against African Americans, a time Every time someone says the N-word it brings people back to that time when African Americans had no rights and no say in anything. Arac uses an example from the O.J. Simpson trial, stating that the prosecuting attorney in the case tried to use the N-word to get a new location for the trial. The prosecutor tried to make the claim the N-word was the vilest, crudest, most malicious word in the English language. Any jury member who is African American on the jury would be blinded by the arresting officer’s use of the word when referring to O.J. Simpson. Arac also asserted many news giants like CNN and USA Today censored the word because it was too obscene. If the word can’t be shown to a national audience of adults, why should it be shown to kids in schools who can’t fully understand the word’s meaning. The book, even though its intentions may be good, has a negative effect on students. It is seen everywhere the N-word used in the same context as in the book, has the potential to bring about violence, hate, and hurt.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has become so popular and idolized; it has been placed on a pedestal and can never be taken off. Arac says the book was introduced into schools, shortly after the decision in Brown vs. Board of education, as a symbol of integration and cooperation. In reality the book just gave more chances for the white students to say the word without repercussions. Hearing the word in schools, read out of a book made Africans feel the same way any other time they heard the N-word. The pain this book causes should not be allowed in school, but there are always people defending it. Every time the debate starts up again about how the book is offensive it is stopped by experts on the book who say it is not offensive. They ignore the feeling of the people who are actually hurt by the book. They don’t look at why people are hurt by the book’s language and context. A book should not be kept being read in schools just because scholars find it a good story. The fact is the N-word is a derogatory word used to degrade African Americans and since the word is used so much there is no doubt the book will hurt almost all African Americans who read it.

Blog 10

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been a controversial since it was written. Ongoing debate about Huckleberry Finn asks many questions about the book’s meaning, it language, and is the book right to be taught in schools. Many people find that the book is offensive because of the numerous times the N word is used. They find the book racist and degrading to the African Americans. Others view the book as the completely opposite to a racist degrading text. They find the book is a story about equality and the book shows that slavery is bad. In the essay by Jonathan Arac, he makes the argument it doesn’t matter what the meaning of the book is. The book should not be read because it continues the use of a word that is degrading and hurtful towards African Americans. The book still brings up feeling to its readers that should not be their and it is hurt to many African Americans who read it. I agree with Arac points, the book should not be read in schools because it perpetuates the use of a derogatory word which is still hurtful to many people. A hurtful book with good intentions is still a hurtful book.

Arac goes over the pain that the N-word still makes many people feel. He uses evidence to show that the N-word is one of the vilest words and the simple use of the word has the power to bring about violent, aggression, and hate. The pain this book causes should not be allowed in school, but there are always people defending it. “When a school board or library attempts to act in response to this pain, out come the authorities to defend the book. The standard pattern is for journalists to draw authority from scholars to dump on parents and children” (Arac 440). Every time the debate starts up again about how the book is offensive it is stopped by experts on the book who say it is not offensive. They ignore the feeling of the people who are actually hurt by the book. They don’t look at why people are hurt by the book’s language and context. A book should not be kept being read in schools just because scholars find it a good story. The fact is the N-word is a derogatory word used to degrade African Americans and since the word is used so much there is no doubt the book will hurt almost all African Americans who read it.