High School Topic: Huck Finn

10-second review: “We think that Huck Finn is an important work of art that should be available in every library in the world, but we don’t think that it should be required reading in any predominantly white high school where African American students are in a small minority.”

Source: M Franck and N Nilampti. English Journal (July 2005), 20. A publication of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).

Comment: I think this is an issue which the students should decide. The problem of language in Huck Finn is well known to the majority of students. Whether it should be read in class and why should be openly discussed. Beyond the language, why is Huck Finn a novel that most American students should read?

If the students are mature enough to see beyond the language, to recognize that the language speaks vividly of the times in which Huck Finn takes place, then the students should read and understand Twain’s re-creation of the South during the time of slavery and Huck’s struggle with public and personal values.

If students will be offended by its language, then don’t read it. However, the teacher could discuss the novel without reading it, in hopes that the students will read it on their own. Better yet, read excerpts from it aloud. Some of the scenes are downright hilarious and others, as in Jim’s stories about his family, are moving and unforgettable. RayS.