Bridgewater Review

Volume 19 | Issue 1 Article 7

Jun-2000 Masterpiece or Racist Trash? Bridgewater Students Enter the Debate over Huckleberry Finn Barbara Apstein Bridgewater State College

Recommended Citation Apstein, Barbara (2000). Masterpiece or Racist Trash? Bridgewater Students Enter the Debate over Huckleberry Finn. Bridgewater Review, 19(1), 12-14. Available at: http://vc.bridgew.edu/br_rev/vol19/iss1/7

This item is available as part of Virtual Commons, the open-access institutional repository of Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, Massachusetts. MASTERPIECE OR RACIST TRASH? BRIDGEWATER STUDENTS ENTER THE DEBATE OVER Huckleberry Finn BY BARBARA ApSTEIN

espite its status as one ofthe classic In fact, the portrayal of]im was to American novels, Huckleberry Finn has become a subject ofintense controversy always been a controversial book. a century later. Not one ofthe late nine­ Shortly after it was published in 1885, teenth century critics mentions the the Concord, Massachusetts, Public issue that has become most bitterly Library Committee decided to exclude debated in our own time - the issue Twain's novel from its shelves, dismiss­ ofwhether or not Huckleberry Finn is ing it as "trash... more suited to the a racist book. slums than to intelligent, respectable Although Twain had prefaced his people." Warmly approving the library's novel with a directive that it not be decision, contemporary newspapers taken seriously, threatening to banish denounced Huck Finn as a "trashy and anyone finding a moral in Huckleberry vicious" novel, whose characters and Finn, readers continued to analyze it. action were ofa low moral level. Yet In the late 1940's and 1950's two highly some early readers had words ofpraise: influential literary critics, T. S. Eliot and Willian1 Ernest Henley was delighted Lionel Trilling, pronounced Huckle­ with the story, with its "adventures of berry Finn a masterpiece. For Trilling, it the most surprising and delightful kind was "one ofthe world's great books imaginable."Another early reviewer, and one ofthe central documents of Brander Matthews, admired Twain's American culture." A major compo­ scene, Huck decides to "do the right technique, especially the "marvelous nent ofthis greatness, for Trilling, is the thing" and write to Jim's owner, Miss skill with which the character ofHuck moral testing and development Huck Watson, telling her where she can is maintained" throughout the novel; undergoes. As they float down the reclaim her missing slave. Then, remi­ we see all the action through the eyes Mississippi River on their raft, sharing niscing about their companionship on ofa 14-year old country boy. Matthews adventures and narrow escapes, a bond the raft, remembering Jim's generosity, also found Huckleberry Finn "fresh and develops between Huck and Jim. Yet "how good he always was," Huck original" and praised Twain's fertility while Huck comes to love and respect changes his mind. Following his ofinvention, humor and vividness. Jim, he is occasionally nagged by his "heart;' he tears up the letter, implicitly He also praised the depiction ofJim, "conscience;' which tells him that he rejecting the moral code he has grown declaring that"the essential simplicity ought to turn Jim in. As a slave in the up with. Convinced that he is a hope­ and kindliness and generosity of pre Civil War south, Jim is someone's less sinner, Huck concludes,"All right, the Southern negro have never been property, and Huck firmly believes that better shown." he is morally obligated to report him. In the famous "crisis ofconscience"

BRIDGEWATER R.EVIEW 12 then, I'll go to hell." This is a wonder­ removed Huckleberry Finn from enemies as possible. Thoughtful exami­ fully ironic scene: at the very moment required reading lists. nation ofTwain's use ofthe word when Huck is fully convinced ofhis The protests have continued for "nigger" can help teach students the wickedness, the reader knows that his halfa century, and the controversy importance ofunderstanding the con­ good impulses have prevailed. From shows no signs ofabating. Last year text in which a word is used. They will this climactic episode, as Trilling the NationalAssociation for the discover that, although clearly a deroga­ observes, the reader takes away a pow­ Advancement ofColored People again tory term,"nigger" was not in Twain's erfullesson: that what appear to be"the filed grievances to remove Twain's time the powerful taboo word that it is clear dictates ofmoral reason" may in novel from mandatory reading lists in today. Judge Stephen Reinhardt, reject­ fact be"merely the engrained custom­ public schools, arguing that"tax dollars ing a lawsuit byan African-American ary beliefs of [one's] time and place." should not be used to perpetuate a parent, addressed this issue, writing Neither Trilling nor Eliot objected to stereotype that has psychologically that"Words can hurt, particularly racist the portrayal ofJim or to the use ofthe damaging effects on the self-esteem epithets, but a necessary component word "nigger." In fact, Eliot found Huck ofAfrican-American children." ofany education is learning to think and Jim to be"equal in dignity" and Supporters ofHuckleberry Finn critically about offensive ideas." observed thatJim is "almost as notable argue that anyone who reads the book Where do Bridgewater students a creation as Huck himself." carefully can see thatTwain is in fact stand in this debate? My"Writing Having been anointed as a master­ anti-slavery and anti-racist. Jim is, About Literature" class read Huckle­ piece, Huckleberry Finn soon made its in fact, the best person in the novel: berry Finn and examined the contro­ way into the classroom. Unlike more honest, perceptive and fair-minded, a versy surrounding it. The class of20 linguistically formidable American loving father and loyal friend. In con­ included only one black student, classics like The Scarlet Letter and trast, the white characters include, Colleen Roberts, who was placed in Moby-Dick, Twain's novel proved among others, Huck's father, a chjJd­ the potentially uncomfortable position accessible to students at all levels. abusing drunkard; the Duke and King, ofbeing spokesperson for her race. They responded to its humor and to its who are frauds and swindlers, and the The issue surfaced early in our discus­ appeal as an adventure story. Teachers Grangerfords and Shepherdsons, two sions; as the class considered the found that they could build on this feuding clans whose main purpose in impact ofthe word"nigger," a student positive response to draw attention life is the murder ofas many oftheir posed the obvious question: "Shouldn't to Twain's social satire and Huck's moral development. Entertaining and instructive, Huck Finn appeared to be an eminently"teachable" novel. By the late 1950's, however, a new kind ofcriticism began to surface. Black parents and public school offi­ cials objected to classroom use of Huckleberry Finn on the grounds that the book was insulting and even humil­ iating to black students. Specifically, they objected to the inflammatory word "nigger," which appears on almost every page, and to the portrayal of Jim and other black characters. They argued that Jim embodies the stereo­ type ofthe"darky": he is superstitious ',... 1'1" and gullible, and often appears more chjJdlike than Huck himself. As a result ofthese protests, some school districts 'I... / ,

Jim, believing thatHuck is dead, thinks he is seeing aghost. These illustrations by E. W Kemble appeared in the first edition ofHuckleberry Finn.

BRIDGEWATER REVIEW 13 One thing all the members ofthe class could agree on: Huckleberry Finn could be a difficult text to teach. As future teachers themselves, they weren't sure they could pull it off. Learning to think critically about offensive ideas, they agreed, is a noble goal, but teachers need to make careful judgments about which offensive ideas should be pre­ sented to classes ofteen-agers. They could imagine a tense and emotionally volatile classroom, one that might be difficult to control. The consensus was that it might be wise to reserve Huckleberry Finn for mature high school seniors or college students. In fact, some teachers appear to have reached the same conclusion. Shawn Oakley, a member ofour class who had been working with a sixth Huck and Jim find shelter in acave. f grade teacher, reported that he had come across 30 copies ofHuckleberry Finn in a closet at the back ofthe we ask Colleen what she thinks?" Colleen, however, decided otherwise. classroom. The books were covered Fortunately, Colleen poised and She enjoyed and appreciated the novel; with dust. articulate, gracefully accepted the role she saw that Jim was the book's most which had been thrust upon her. She admirable character. She considered all expressed her own bewilderment at the arguments. What it finally came Barbara Apstein is Associate Editor ofthe hearing rap musicians and black down to, however, was that she found Bridgewater Review. teenagers use "nigger" among them­ the book painful to read. She was selves as a synonym for "friend." Was angered by the fact that Jim was a mere this an effort to take away the power sidekick to Huck and that"he didn't ofthis historically degrading word? seem to mind having no vote, no say, Clearly, although "nigger" may be during their adventures, in what to do acceptable for at least some blacks next." She resented his being reduced to to use among themselves, the word a clown, and, in the final chapters, a becomes deeply offensive when plaything for the amusement ofHuck uttered by a white person. and Tom Sawyer. She felt disappointed In their papers about the controversy, that the relationship between Jim and the white students in the class con­ Huck cannot continue. In addition to cluded that Huckleberry Finn does not reaching a different conclusion from encourage racist attitudes. "We have the white students', Colleen's paper was to look beyond the word 'nigger," they different in tone. For her, this essay was wrote. "This is a literary masterpiece." not an academic exercise; it was the "In Twain's time, 'nigger' was a syn­ outcome ofan intellectual quest. onym for 'slave'." "The language "While I cherish my friends who is appropriate to the setting and time." happen to be white:' she wrote in her "The portrayal ofJinl proves that conclusion, "I realize the burning race the racial stereotype ofTwain's day issues ofHuck's day have not gone was wrong." away; they are just dressed in different clothes. Facing them and not lighting out to another territory is what I must do without bitterness."

BRIDGEWATER REVIEW 14