Should Huckleberry Finn be taught in today's classrooms? That is a question that Alvin Powell looked to solve when writing this article, Fight over Huck Finn continues: Ed School professor wages battle for Twain classic. Due to the repeated use of the 'N' word several teachers have pushed for the book to be removed from the curriculum and replaced by a more modern novel. Huckleberry Finn is an American icon of a novel, Mark Twain is regarded as one of the greatest writers of all times. One key individual is Jocelyn Chadwick, a professor at Harvard University, she is for keeping Huckleberry Finn in the classroom. She pushes that the only reason teachers or parents want the book removed from schools is, "is that parents and teachers who object to its inclusion in the curriculum sometimes view the text through a lens colored by their own experiences, or by their community's experiences, or by the strained present of race relations."

            This idea that the people objecting to the book are not thinking what is best for the children, but rather what would make them more comfortable. This article explains more into the debate, but in the end it comes down to the children. Should children be taught from the best possible source? or should we cater to what makes us comfortable and let the education fall to the wayside. Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn is one of the greatest novels in history. Students should not be prevented from learning from such a great piece, instead they should be striving to push the boundaries in search of an even greater novel.

 

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