Britt Counard
Ms. McCarty
IHS Literature
18 Dec, 2008
Word Count:
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is, not and should not, be considered a child's story. A story like this may corrupt a young child's mind. It deals with adult themes and concepts that are generally not suitable for young children. Als o, if used as a child's story it may confuse them or give them the wrong idea about slavery and the terminology of the time.
First of all, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is extremely inappropriate for children because it may put bad ideas into a young impressionable mind. At the young age of about twelve, Huck is roaming around the woods all by him and later on is floating aimlessly down the Mississippi River with a bunch of criminals. Huck is living what may appear to the children to be a very exciting and glamorous life. Most parents would never steer their children the wrong way in life, don't want to tell children about a kid around their age or little older than they are that is homeless and basically cheating and stealing to survive. This novel explains in depth about various scams such as the Wilks brothers’ scam, and the teaching schools like the dancing school or "yellow caution". In addition to the royal nonesuch plays which teach children that all you need to do is take the money and run like the King and the Duke did. After reading this novel the majority of children won't go out and try to scam their neighbors. However, it may seem like an appealing lifestyle for them. It may also give them the impression that being a con man for a living, or being homeless and wandering is a wonderful and glorious carefree lifestyle, and because you’re Mommy or Daddy tells it to you, it must not be the wrong thing to do.
In addition to giving the wrong idea about life, it is a brutal and vulgar book that children should not be exposed to. There are a couple of deaths like when Colonel Sherborn kills a harmless town drunk named Boggs....