Banned books selected for removal from schools and libraries do to their social content as part of the Banned Books week digital presentation from Christina Van Amerogen's LIT2000 Class

1. “The Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn,”
By Mark Twain
Social Conents; Fall2020

2. Introduction
What is, The Adventures of Huckleberry
Finn about?
 The book, in a nutshell, is about a young
white boy who fakes his own death to run
away from his alcoholic father and sails
the Mississippi river along with an
escaped slave.
Why was it banned ?
 Banned immediately after publication,
according to Purdy Elizabeth, Adventures
of Huckleberry Finn, www.mtsu.edu , The
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was
described as racist, homosexual,
inappropriate, used fouled language and
mentioned alcohol.

3. Racism and Slavery
The context and viewpoint on the practice of slavery in “The Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn” can be extremely offensive towards many people. Especially those
of African American descent. This novel twists the racial hierarchy into such a
despicable way that it is not socially acceptable.

4. Racism and Slavery Pt. I
 Twain projects slave owners in the South as “decent, churchgoing slaveholding white
Southerners” the author’s outlook at the setting [Mississippi River] makes the readers believe
that Twain is for the use of slavery or at least trying to beautify the practice of it.
 The setting took place in Missouri, which was at the time, a state within the Union which
were slave-owning states.
 According to Valkeakari, this novel has been so racially strewed and offensive that it has
been previously enforced to be abolished in all American high schools and college
curriculum.
 Though Huck owns up to his part in slavery, he never truly accepts African Americans as
equals to whites.
 Up until two white characters, Duke and the Dauphin, arrive, Huck is displayed as having
power over Jim, even though there is a big difference in their age.

5. Racism and Slavery Pt. II
 There are multiple times throughout the novel where the slang word “ni**er” and
“negro” were used
 Twain portrays Jim as cunning in some aspects of the novel. When Huck asks Jim for
advice on his father, Jim says, “sometimes it (Pap) wouldn’t talk without money
 A line in the novel says, “a ni**er like that (Jim) is worth a thousand dollars.”
 Huck’s Pap (dad) explains a freedman as “well-educated, well-spoken, and well-
dressed.” While black people were considered the complete opposite of that because
they are owned property.

6. Homosexuality
During this time period it was frowned upon to call your friends of the same
sex names of endearment such as “Honey”. Because Jim and Huck often
traveled on the raft naked, this was not unacceptable as well.

7. Homosexuality Pt. I
 Since Jim and Huck spend much of their time together, many readers have thought that Jim and
Huck grow feelings for each other and have a romantic relationship together.
 The raft is a place that is deemed “safe” to Huck and Jim, it’s a place where they are equal. But
it was very controversial as Jim and Huck were often naked while on the raft.
 This caused great backlash because a naked (and black) man and naked young boy alone was
outrageous during the time the book was released, 1884. Which left critics to accuse Twain of
his characters being enamored with the same sex.

8. Homosexuality Pt. II
 According to Betina Entzminger, Jim does call Huck “honey”. Jim said, “Come back to
the raft Ag’in, Huck, Honey!”
 As these two friends spend most their time traveling, their friendship is strong. Jim’s
affectionate towards Huck and calls him honey
 Because Jim is an older man and Huck is a 13-year-old boy, there is an age difference
that is rightfully so alarming.

9. Abuse and Alcohol
Abuse of any sort will never be socially acceptable, whether it be back when
the book was published in 1884 or now.

10. Abuse & Alcohol Pt. I
 Huck’s father, Pap Finn, was a raging alcoholic that took to violence towards his son. Pap’s alcohol
problem and harsh treatment to Huck contributes to the many reasons why “The Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain is still banned to this day.
 Pap states “…and if I catch you about that school I’ll tan you good” (Twain). He feels threatened by
Huck’s education and he beats him to regain authority. Instead of support from his father, he ends up
being reprimanded for bettering himself.
 Pap’s bitter attitude towards his son caused a great deal of controversy to the public due to the socially
unacceptable aspects of his abusive behavior.

11. Abuse & Alcohol Pt. II
 Another example of Pap’s abuse toward Huck is when he kidnaps him because he learns of Huck’s recent
wealth. “He kidnaps Huck and holds him hostage… his father repeatedly beats him, leaving him convinced that
escape is the only feasible solution” (Karolides et al. 442). Pap resorted to unimaginable levels to get what he
wanted, no matter the physical or mental distress put on his very own son.
 A 12-year-old boy should never have to “escape” from his own father or live in fear of the next time he’ll be
tormented.
 These two quotes show how brutal Huck had it at such a young age. Pap’s actions in the story definitely made
the audience question the book’s morality and is one of the leading factors in the book’s banning back in 1885
just a year after its release.

12. Vulgar language
During this time, it wasn’t a big controversy for a person to call a person
of color any type of racist word. However, after the book was published it
was challenged for racist remarks and being invective.

13. Vulgar language Pt. I
 In 1885 Concord Public Library banned the book because of its “coarse language”.
 Twain’s constant use of “n” word, negro, and “injun” was viewed as demeaning and
damaging.
 Twain debates saying, “Censorship is telling a man he can’t eat steak because a baby
can’t chew it.”
 The “n” word appears in the book 200+ times but there wasn’t any controversy until 2
years later for the racial slurs stated above.

14. Vulgar language Pt. II
 Mark Twain’s presentation of characteristics of the time portrayed the effect of racially
charged language that contributed to racial stereotypes.
 A percentage of women have disliked the book because of Twain’s negative and sexiest
portrayals of females in the book.
 The use of the “n” word is the biggest reason why it’s banned, being used 213 times
throughout the book.

15. Works cited (in order)
Racism and slavery-
Smith, Cassander L. "'Nigger' or 'slave': why labels matter for Jim (and Twain) in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." Papers on Language & Literature, vol. 50, no. 2, 2014, p.
182. Gale Literature Resource Center, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A373887360/GLS?u=lincclin_lscc&sid=GLS&xid=5691a3e7. Accessed 8 Sept. 2020.
Valkeakari, Tuire. "Huck, Twain, and the Freedman's Shackles: Struggling with Huckleberry Finn Today." Atlantis, revista de la Asociación Española de Estudios Anglo-
Norteamericanos, vol. 28, no. 2, 2006, p. 29+. Gale Literature Resource Center, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A165578072/GLS?u=lincclin_lscc&sid=GLS&xid=6c8a4738.
Accessed 8 Sept. 2020.
Homosexuality - Entzminger, Betina. “Come Back to the Raft Ag'in, Ed Gentry.” The Southern Literary Journal, vol. 40, no. 1, 2007, p. 98. Gale Literature Resource Center,
link.gale.com/apps/doc/A174061998/GLS?u=lincclin_lscc&sid=GLS&xid=c7b49afe. Accessed 8 Sept. 2020.
Abuse – Karolides, Nicholas et al. 120 Banned Books. Censorship Histories of World Literature- Second Edition. Check Mark Books, 2011.
Vulgar language - “HUCK FINN & THE N-WORD.” Davenport.libguides.com, Davenport University, 22 Sept. 2019, davenport.libguides.com/banned
books/Finn.
Purdy, Elizabeth R. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Middle Tennessee University, 2009, www.mtsu.edu/first-amendment/article/789/adventures-of-huckleberry-
Finn#:~:text=Huckleberry Finn banned immediately after publication, Immediately after, book, obsolete, inaccurate, and mindless.