Insights

Justin Kaplan, an expert on Twain’s literary works, presented a lecture in the Broward County Library in 1984 as apart of a Banned Book Week exhibit. Kaplan states in one of his booklets that “Many early readers found Mark Twain's great novel objectionable because it violated genteel standards of social and literary decorum. Instead of refined language, an exemplary hero, and an elevating moral they encountered a narrative written in the idiom of a shiftless, unlettered boy from the lowest class of Southern white society” (Kaplan 16). One could argue that the early opponents of Huckleberry Finn were faced with a new encounter; in that many people had not yet faced a tell tale story that honestly depicted the American south. The eye-opening literary usage of racial slurs gave context to a time many people hope and aim to forget. The context and conditions in which Twain wrote the book (i.e., social norms that differ from today) have very much affected and endangered its afterlife. On one hand, Huckleberry Finn, due to the derogatory language and stereotypes, has brought on controversy and many critics. On the other, Twain’s work continues to be of interest for analysis from others more than a century later. Therefore, although some people aim to shy away from socio-cultural conditions which the book was produced, others (such as scholars) evidently gravitate towards it. 

There have been instances of new media encounters that have arisen from the story of Huckleberry Finn. There are a variety of revised editions, ranging from movies to books that have provided a new experience to the readers by dispelling the racial vulgarity. However, I believe that we may have moved into a time when Adventures of Huckleberry Finn does not need to be banned and may return to be used for educational purposes to provide historical insight and context on the 1800s.  Students are constantly looking at “reality” as a staple of videos, movies and TV shows. Perhaps the story of Huckleberry Finn can now more easily be appreciated, enjoyed and studied for the complex and real story it tells. If this continues to be the case, future literary scholars may develop a even deeper understanding of Huckleberry Finn through techniques of deformance. Deformance is the intersection of performance and interpretation, used to develop a deeper understand of a literary text (Samuels and McGann 26). This sort of analysis may bring attention to areas of the poem that would generally not be regarded in a scholars usual manner of analysis. For example, by dissembling a chapter to focus on Huck’s view on religion, scholars may be able to gain insight into religion and society in the south in the 1800s.