In the book “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain the reasons why it should not be banned stack up. The book shows how humans grow through time, personality wise. Three examples have been selected from the text to demonstrate how society starts to realize that they are treating African-Americans wrong. Many people think that this book should be banned for the discrimination. People also think it should be banned for the usage of the “n”-word.

Near the beginning of the book it displays Huckleberry Finn being polite to Jim, an old African- American man, and how people in the South started to change. Huck talked to Jim as if it was normal for the time. For instance Huck says, “ I bet I was glad to see him. I says: Hello, Jim!” (Twain 41). This is also an example of why it would be banned in the late 1800s to mid-1900s. This also illustrates hoe humans have evolved over time. The process was slow, but the change was drastic.

Farther into the book Hack saves Jim from getting captured by a white man. This again explains how people in the South were changing their views. A line that Huck says is, “ Git up and hump yourself, Jim! There ain’t a minute to lose. They’re after us!” (Twain 62). This is, again, an instance of why it would be banned in the late 1800s to mid-1900s. Citizens of the South were afraid that it would give activists ideas. They were also afraid it would give the educated, but discriminated, hope.

This book exhibits individuals growing, and seeing how they are wrong in their actions. For case in point, the doctor says, “Don’t be no rougher on him that you’re obleeged to, because he ain’t a bad n*****… so I says, I got to have help somehow, and the minute I says it out crawls this n***** from somewhere and says he’ll help, and he done it, too, and done it very well.” (Twain 284 285). In this scene the doctor was telling everyone not to hurt Jim anymore because he helped the doctor out by getting a bullet out of Tom Sawyer’s leg. The doctor informed everyone that Jim was a good person. The townspeople did not listen to him and Jim was still beaten, chained to his cabin, and only given bread and water for food and drink. Then at the end of the book Tom let his Aunt Sally know that Miss Watson died, and set Jim free in her will. This is the third illustration of how people mature in life.

This book was banned in the 1800s to mid-1900s for giving the scholarly, victimized, people hope. The book’s ban was taken off, but now people want it banned because of all of the unfairness. People want it banned for the usage of the “n”-word as well, but that was to show that it was normal speech for 1884. This book may not be forbidden now, but in years to come it may be controlled for a completely different reason then intolerance. It maybe restricted for religious reasons. The answer to whether or not it will be prohibited in the future can only be answered as time goes by.