Should Huck Finn Be Taught in Schools Essay

There is a great call of controversy over whether or not The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by signalize gallus should be taught in schools. It has been argued that betray Twain depicts Jim as Hucks impotent and submissive sidekick. Anformer(a) argument made is that Jim isnt portrayed as much of an actual human being nor is he treated equivalent genius throughout the novel. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should be taught in schools so that students and teachers are able to think slightly and discuss their opinions on what Mark Twains purpose was in depicting Jim the way he does.Many critics claim that Mark Twain saw Jim as no more than some type of loyal sidekick who was depicted as a simple-minded constitution who showed few humanistic characteristics throughout the book. This is not the case, Mark Twain had a purpose in creating a character like Jim, to reinforce yet challenge stereotypical racism back in that time period. Mark Twain did in fact make Jim a simple-mind ed character lacking intellectual abilities exclusively he besides humanized Jim by giving him traits like feelings and also by giving him somewhat of a paternal role to Huck. Doan know, yit, what hes a-gywne to do (85). I went in en unkivered him and didnt let you come in? Well den, you kn git yo money when you wants it kase dat wuz him (320). These two quotes from the beginning and end of the novel show that Jim had no unfeigned intellectual growth throughout the novel. Mark Twain continues to have Jim speak in poor (poorer than the the other characters) English to reinforce the stereotypical racism of uneducated African Americans in the South.However, Mark Twain also gives Jim somewhat of a paternal role towards Huck which makes Jim out to be more humane. Come in Huck, but doan look at his face its to gashly. I didnt look at him at all. Jim throwed some old rags over him (50). This passage from the book shows the paternal instinct Twain gave to Jims character in which he und ermines anti-Semite(a) stereotypes like Tom Sawyers Aunt Sally who claims that mysterious slaves were not people (221). My heart wuz mos broke bekase you was los, en I didn kyer no mo what wrench er me en de raf..It was fifteen minutes before I could go and humble myself to a nigger, but I done it, and I warnt ever sorry for it, neither. I didnt do him no more mean tricks and I wouldnt done that one if Id a known it would make him feel that way (86). In this passage Mark Twain allows Jim to voice his emotions and by doing so Jim is able to not only make Huck listen but think about the way he treated Jim. Mark Twain not only breaks racist stereotypes through Jim in this passage but breaks them through Huck.Huck acknowledges that Jim is capable of having feelings and allows his own mood to be influenced by the fact that he hurt Jims feelings by doing so Huck has made himself equal to Jim thus giving other example of humanizing Jim. Said the witches bewitched him and put him in a t rance, and rode him all over the State, and then countersink him under the trees again and huge his hat on a limb to show who done it (6). Jims story about the witches shows his childlike, naive way of thinking developed from a life in thraldom in which he was sheltered from knowledge.Jims lack of gumption allows Twain to fortify the patronizing racist stereotypes that had developed in the South at this time. How Mark Twain depicts Jim in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as healthful as Twains reasoning for doing so is a reason in and of itself why Huck Finn should be taught in schools. Huck Finn is more than just an adventure novel it is a book that encourages and requires students as well as teachers to think about the deeper meanings, such as Mark Twains purpose in creating a character like Jim.