Why it is so important to ban Huck Finn

[JWBooth]

Pretty much as soon as Mark Twain first published it, folks have wanted to burn the thing.

Right now, the controversy is over the use of the word "******." As noted in the other thread, Mark was very careful about his language. He used the only correct word for the story. ****** has the meaning of stupid, violent, cowardly, craven, undignified. It is an interesting contrast that Jim, the only person of any real intellegence and courage and dignity in the whole book (A couple of female exceptions also, but they are only bit players) is consistently labeled with this insult. Mark was very much aware of the contrast and worked it hard. Compare Jim to the Duke and the Dauphine, Old Man Finn, the Shepardsons, the folks in those two Arkansaws towns where they did the "Royal Nonesuch...." And Jim is the one called "******."


But it has always been a controversial book.

The real reason is not the given reasons. When folks want to ban books, why is this one consistently at the top of the woodpile as the most important one to burn? Mostly because of the message that a mans worth is not in cash, but in himself, and the other message is that morals exist outside of societal norms, and a moral man is often in opposition to the morality of the society he lives in. Mark makes both these points early on. The first one is first enunciated when Huck and Jim are on the island in the river, and they are talking about finance. Jim has had small bits of cash, but to paraphrase his remarks, "Now I own myself, and I have never owned anything as valuable ever before." This is a conclusion that Huck makes for himself as well. One should own oneself, and not be owned by things, fears or desires.

The second point is also important. Huck knows he has obligations to society to turn Jim into the authorities. He even has obligations to the widow Douglas, who has done her best for him. He was taught in church that it was important to turn Jim in. Huck decides he would rather roast in hell than do such a cowardly and disgraceful thing. His obligation to Jim and to himself is more important than his obligation to the social order.


If you are the kind of person who wants to regulate what people read, think and do, this book is highly volatile explosive. The idea that morals exist outside of what you are told, the idea that one can own oneself and be true to oneself, rather than be owned by the social order makes this a very dangerous book.

The answer to your question was given to us in the 1950's by Ray Bradbury.

Remember the firemen are rarely necessary. The public stopped reading of its own accord. You firemen provide a circus now and then at which buildings are set off and crowds gather for the pretty blaze, but its a small sideshow indeed, and hardly necessary to keep things in line. So few want to be rebels anymore. And out of those few, most, like myself, scare easily. Can you dance faster than the White Clown, shout louder than 'Mr. Gimmick' and the parlor 'families'? If you can, you'll win your way, Montag. In any event, you’re a fool. People are having fun.

“Speed up the film, Montag, quick… Uh! Bang! Smack! Wallop, Bing, Bong, Boom! Digest-digests, digest-digest-digests. Politics? One column, two sentences, a headline!... Whirl man’s mind around about so fast under the pumping hands of publishers, exploiters, broadcasters that the centrifuge flings off all unnecessary, time-wasting thought!”

“Bigger the population, the more minorities. Don’t step on the toes of the dog lovers, the cat lovers, doctors, lawyers, merchants, chiefs, Mormons, Baptists, Unitarians, second-generation Chinese, Swedes, Italians, Germans, Texans, Brooklynites, Irishmen, people from Oregon or Mexico. The people in this book, this play, this TV serial are not meant to represent any actual painters, cartographers, mechanics anywhere. The bigger your market, Montag, the less you handle controversy, remember that!… Authors, full of evil thoughts, lock up your typewriters. They did.”

"Surely you remember the boy in your own school class who was exceptionally ‘bright,’ did most of the reciting and answering while the others sat like so many leaden idols, hating him. And wasn't it this bright boy you selected for beatings and tortures after hours? Of course it was. We must all be alike. Not everyone born free and equal, as the Constitution says, but everyone made equal. Each man the image of every other; then all are happy, for there are no mountains to make them cower, to judge themselves against. So! A book is a loaded gun in the house next door. Burn it. Take the shot from the weapon. Breach man's mind. Who knows who might be the target of the well-read man? Me? I won't stomach them for a minute."

Farenheit 451

 

[boedicca]

Why ban Huck finn? Cause we have too many stupid people in America?

It is not a matter of stupid. It is a matter of controlling thought. People who think they should do your thinking for you, that believe independent thought is dangerous are the ones who fear this book.

Bingo.

It's all of a piece with wanting certain news media to lose their licenses, shouting down those who hold different points of view, the lack of ideological diversity on university campuses, etc.