#VelshiBannedBookClub: ‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’

The #VelshiBannedBookClub is back, and taking on an American classic – Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” The novel follows Huck’s internal struggle between his conscience and his acceptance of slavery as taught by adults, society, and even religion. Since its publication 137 years ago, Finn has faced equal parts celebration and ardent calls for a ban. It’s been condemned for its excessive use of the N-word, and also lauded by literary figures like Toni Morrison and Ernest Hemingway for its deliberate use of “dehumanizing” language in order to show perspective and signal racism. “Huckleberry Finn’s not a hero. There are no heroes,” Mark Twain scholar-in-residence at Elmira College and host of the ‘American Vandal’ podcast Matthew Seybold reminds us. Twain believed individuals were products of their environment,” and he used language to transport us into that environment, whether derogatory or satirical.