Controversy filled the AP English 3 classroom as students fired questions at each other about whether or not Mark Twain’s “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” should be taught in school.
By encouraging controversial views on Christian scripture, alternative family structures, and because of the frequent use of the “n-word,” Twain’s novel has a long been at the center of debate.
New extensions to the exam curriculum have brought doubt as to the book’s place in RHS classrooms. AP English 3 students who read the book over the summer and completed discussions and timed writings on the topic were asked to complete presentations on whether or not Twain’s novel should be kept in the curriculum.
Differing viewpoints in presentations brought new opinions to the table and opened the doors for discussion.
“I hardly had to ask questions about the presentations,” AP English 3 teacher Cameron Yarborough said. “I just sat back and let other students ask these deep, insightful questions. It was pretty cool.”
While most students believed that Huck Finn should be kept in the curriculum, others made several suggestions as to when it should be taught.
Several groups argued that the book should be read during the school year, when teachers could explain key elements such as satire, juxtaposition and irony, pointing out small details and deciphering the various dialects.
One group argued that Huck Finn no longer belongs in schools because English classes explore racist topics every year. Books such as Roll Of Thunder Hear My Cry, To Kill a Mockingbird and Letters From A Birmingham Jail all deal with white-black racism in American history.
The group claimed that students should focus more on equally important literary works like Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” or Hemingway’s “A Farewell to Arms.” Other groups disagreed, saying that students need frequent discussions about race issues.
“We need to remember our past,” junior Emily White said. “It’s not the best view into real life, but it’s what we’ve got.”
The board of directors has yet to come to a decision regarding Huck Finn’s fate.