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The N word

            
             I personally believe the racial controversy surrounding The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and the use of the term "nigger" is ridiculous. People need to remember that this book reflects a time period in which the work "nigger" was commonly used. I don't believe that just because some people are ashamed of this part of our nation's history that we should be made to take the book out of our libraries or schools. .
             The most controversial theme that I think is being displayed by this book is the superiority of white to black people. It is shown numerous times in the beginning of the book for example when he says, "I see it warn't no use you can't learn a nigger to argue." But later on in Chapter 31, Huck decides "All right then, I"ll go to hell," after deciding he was too good of friends with Jim to turn him in and was willing to except the consequences of jail or death for his friend. .
             Throughout the book, Huck and Jim become very close friends as they travel along the Mississippi River and although Jim is considered "Miss Watson's nigger," Huck acts as if him and Jim were close relatives. This relationship between Jim and Huck would have probably been seen as unusual during the time the story takes place because blacks and whites didn't behave that way towards each other around the time Twain wrote this book.
             After reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, I in no way feel that this book is racist or written in any way to offend African Americans. Any uneducated reader might stumble onto the word "nigger" and be offended by the use of the word, but an educated reader would notice that word is always used in context with the characters and theme. I believe that the call for political correctness in literature such as this as in censorship or even restricting it to some people, when it was written during a time when being politically correct by today's standards didn't exist, then we are losing pure common sense.


Essays Related to The N word

1. Eradication of the word

Nigga comes from the word niggardly, which means "insufficient to task," that is how the word developed. ... The word "niggardly" was used first by Thomas J. ... "N-i-g-g-a is a term coined by white supremacists and slave masters who intended to harm the psychology and the social standing of black slaves," says Michael Eric Dyson, who teaches African-American studies at DePaul University. ... The word was spoken to you to hurt you. ... The bottom line is that unless we stop using the N-word as a term of endearment among other ourselves, we are creating a vicious cycle for its usage. ...

  • Word Count: 1650
  • Approx Pages: 7
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

2. Banning The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Since the, "n-word," is an inappropriate term to use today, the classroom views it critically and academically. ... Teachers guide students as they are reading the novel, and are continuously exposed to the, "n-word.... This could leave room for misinterpretation of Twain's choice to use the, "n-word," in his novel. ... Keeping this book in the curriculum gives students to address all the problems that the, "n-word," comes with. ... The grandmother has protested against the novel due to its use of the, "n-word," over 200 times. ...

  • Word Count: 837
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

3. Censoring Huckleberry Finn

So, the problem is that taking away the n-word defeats a lot of the purpose for the anti-racist book. ... Further, the people that want Huck Finn censored do not seem to realize that Huck Finn is not about the n-word. ... The book is historically accurate, whereas if the n-word was replaced with the word slave, it would not be because slaves were not called slaves. ... Even if it is censored from Huck Finn, no one can keep students from hearing the n-word. ... If the n-word is replaced with the word slave in the entire book, it still does not erase the racist situation. ...

  • Word Count: 1309
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: High School

4. Inappropriate Content in Huckleberry Finn

Huck Finn's biggest controversy comes within high school classrooms and its use of the "n-word". The book's use of the "n-word" leaves many people wondering exactly what Twain's intentions were for writing such a popular novel. ... " (Maseda) Many people say that Twain's use of the "n-word" can influence our students today to think that it is okay to use. ... Twain purposefully used the "n-word" not as a put-down on the black race, but to show the realist aspect because it was an appropriate word for the time. Nobody would unders...

  • Word Count: 920
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Grade Level: High School

5. Huckleberry Finn

The controversies surrounding this novel include the common us of the "N" word and the way African Americans are treated. ... (Chapter 16 pg. 103) Another example of the novel not being racist is the use of the "N" word; a misconception comes to mind whenever this word is used, when this novel was written the "N" word was just another way to say slave a sort of slang, but now it is an extremely racist work. ... Twain did not use the "N" word in its derogatory meaning, but as in meaning slave. ...

  • Word Count: 444
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

6. Free Speech and Pornography

Nina George Hacker and Brock N. ... To support Hacker's beliefs with historical evidence, Hacker cites that in Roth vs. the United States n 1957, the Supreme Court declared that obscenity has never been constitutionally protected speech (1). ... On the other side of the argument is Brock N. ... The CDA would have forced a writer like Meeks to write as if being watched constantly by an uptight conservative who would complain every time a four-letter word is used. ...

  • Word Count: 816
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

7. How Rap has Influenced Youth Culture

Though usually used as a hate word or as a means of insult the "Rap" community has changed the word "n*gger" from a derogatory term to a term of endearment. In Drakes song 'the motto' "My N*ggers" is consistently used to describe his friends or one's that he is close with. " N*gga we don't really play, every day, every day, f*ck what anybody say, can't see 'em 'cause the money in the way real n*gga what's up, what's up what's up" How Drake has chosen to use the word, like many other rappers, is as a wor...

  • Word Count: 1000
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Grade Level: High School

8. A Discussion of Slayer Slang

If there is a way to describe this word transformation process, it would have to be massive suffix and prefix annexation. ... Another prefix, uber-, is not used quite as much, but can produce similar results: uberachiever (n), ubernerd (adj), and ubersuck (n). ... The show's use of suffixes far exceeds that of the prefixes, however, producing even funnier word combinations. ... Like the prefixes, the suffixes do not always transfer their basic meaning along to the root word. ... Afterness (n) ends up meaning residual effects, as in a hangover; bad guyness (n) is the state of b...

  • Word Count: 1617
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

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