Philadelphia school bans Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in latest case of censorship

The principle said: 'I really do believe that this is an opportunity for the school to step forward and listen to the students'

In yet another case of ridiculous censorship, a school in Philadelphia has removed Mark Twain’s classic novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the curriculum. Administration at the school ruled that “the community costs of reading this book in 11th grade outweigh the literary benefits”, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. The principle of the school, Art Hall, added that the "book’s use of the N-word" was challenging for students “who felt the school was not being inclusive”. Friends' Central School is guided by Quaker philosophy and "peaceful resolution of conflicts, seeking truth, and collaboration”, as written on the website.


http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/philadelphia-school-bans-mark-twains-the-adventures-of-huckleberry-finn-in-latest-case-of-ridiculous-a6775151.html

Totally absurd....

I read a couple of chapters of this book and I can't see why people call it a masterpiece, to be honest I thought it boring.

Absolutely brilliant book that I loved as a child.  Huck's adventures show an America that isn't there today and his discoveries about himself and his surroundings along the way are a joy to read.

I've never read it.

If you read it as a youngster you would find it exciting, but read it as an adult-------I don't know

It's not exciting Nicko, it's evocative, beautiful and takes you into another world and the mind of a young man fending for himself.

sassy wrote:It's not exciting Nicko, it's evocative, beautiful and takes you into another world and the mind of a young man fending for himself.

Xactly. It's a masterpiece. It gets into the mind of America and explains so much of the 'cause and effect' of American ideology.

Twain's Life and Times on the Mississippi, is great to read as a companion to Huck Finn. It goes into the nuances of riverboat life in the 1880's...written when Twain (Samuel Clemens) was a riverboat master.

Original Quill wrote:

sassy wrote:It's not exciting Nicko, it's evocative, beautiful and takes you into another world and the mind of a young man fending for himself.

Xactly.  It's a masterpiece.  It gets into the mind of America and explains so much of the 'cause and effect' of American ideology.  

Twain's Life and Times on the Mississippi, is great to read as a companion to Huck Finn.  It goes into the nuances of riverboat life in the 1880's...written when Twain (Samuel Clemens) was a riverboat master.

Agreed.  The fact that he knew the area so well is one of the things that makes Huck so good.

nicko wrote:I read a couple of chapters of this book and I can't see why people call it a masterpiece,   to be honest I thought it boring.

I think a lot of classic books are quite boring really.

Why doesn't that surprise me.

sassy wrote:Why doesn't that surprise me.

Are you trying to claim some kind of intellectual superiority?

Charles Dickens, for example. I find his books boring.

I like Thomas Hardy novels, but I have some problems with some of the characters, especially in Tess of the D'Urbervilles.

Raggamuffin wrote:

sassy wrote:Why doesn't that surprise me.

Are you trying to claim some kind of intellectual superiority?

Charles Dickens, for example. I find his books boring.

Dickens boring HAHAHahahahahahaahahahahahhaha

no i am not surprised ether

korban dallas wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

Are you trying to claim some kind of intellectual superiority?

Charles Dickens, for example. I find his books boring.

Dickens boring HAHAHahahahahahaahahahahahhaha

no i a, not surprised ether

Oh here he is, back to do some more trolling.

Yes, I find Dickens' novels boring. Each to their own. Do you think it makes you a better person if you like them?

Raggamuffin wrote:

korban dallas wrote:
Dickens boring HAHAHahahahahahaahahahahahhaha

no i a, not surprised ether

Oh here he is, back to do some more trolling.

Yes, I find Dickens' novels boring. Each to their own. Do you think it makes you a better person if you like them?

A Christmas Carol‎ boring
David Copperfield‎
Great Expectations‎
Oliver Twist‎
A Tale of Two Cities‎

yes sure each to there own but boring ???

And commenting on your inane argumentative seeking posts isn`t trolling

There seems to be some snobbery going on in this thread from Korben and Sassy. They're not very good lefties.

Raggamuffin wrote:

korban dallas wrote:
Dickens boring HAHAHahahahahahaahahahahahhaha

no i a, not surprised ether

Oh here he is, back to do some more trolling.

Yes, I find Dickens' novels boring. Each to their own. Do you think it makes you a better person if you like them?

its worth giving it a shot wouldn't be the first time a book changed a person view on the world would it

Raggamuffin wrote:There seems to be some snobbery going on in this thread from Korben and Sassy. They're not very good lefties.

snobbery ??? why do you always go down the combative root

korban dallas wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

Oh here he is, back to do some more trolling.

Yes, I find Dickens' novels boring. Each to their own. Do you think it makes you a better person if you like them?

its worth giving it a shot wouldn't be the first time a book changed a person view on the world would it

Clearly, I did give them a shot - otherwise how I know that I found them boring?

So you do think that liking Dickens' novels makes you a better person. That's just weird.

korban dallas wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:There seems to be some snobbery going on in this thread from Korben and Sassy. They're not very good lefties.

snobbery ??? why do you always go down the combative root

How else can you explain Sassy's comment and then your comment about not being surprised?

Raggamuffin wrote:

korban dallas wrote:
its worth giving it a shot wouldn't be the first time a book changed a person view on the world would it

Clearly, I did give them a shot - otherwise how I know that I found them boring?

So you do think that liking Dickens' novels makes you a better person. That's just weird.

Clearly in your case obviously not ,but it certainly could yes ,thats what books do ?

korban dallas wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

Clearly, I did give them a shot - otherwise how I know that I found them boring?

So you do think that liking Dickens' novels makes you a better person. That's just weird.

Clearly in your case obviously not ,but it certainly could yes ,thats what books do ?

Perhaps you should read some books on self-improvement then. They might help you.

Raggamuffin wrote:

korban dallas wrote:
snobbery ??? why do you always go down the combative root

How else can you explain Sassy's comment and then your comment about not being surprised?

you said
I think a lot of classic books are quite boring really.
she replied
why does that not surprise me
i replied me nether

obviously because of your lack of empathy for anything
we have all seen it
so its no wonder you find classic story`s as i listed boring

You remind me of Vic Brown in A Kind of Loving - a young man who is rather up himself and who looks down on someone for not liking classical music.

korban dallas wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

How else can you explain Sassy's comment and then your comment about not being surprised?

you said
I think a lot of classic books are quite boring really.
she replied
why does that not surprise me
i replied me nether

obviously because of your lack of empathy for anything
we have all seen it
so its no wonder you find classic story`s as i listed boring

How does a liking for all classic books show empathy?

Raggamuffin wrote:

korban dallas wrote:
Clearly in your case obviously not ,but it certainly could yes ,thats what books do ?

Perhaps you should read some books on self-improvement then. They might help you.

i have deary i am just trying my hardest to drag you UP to my level so i can get some actual sense out of you instead of the default argumentative mode you see stuck in

Raggamuffin wrote:

korban dallas wrote:

you said
I think a lot of classic books are quite boring really.
she replied
why does that not surprise me
i replied me nether

obviously because of your lack of empathy for anything
we have all seen it
so its no wonder you find classic story`s as i listed boring

How does a liking for all classic books show empathy?

because of your lack of empathy it would be like explaining quantum physics to a monkey the expecting him to build a time machine

korban dallas wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

Perhaps you should read some books on self-improvement then. They might help you.

i have deary i am just trying my hardest to drag you UP to my level so i can get some actual sense out of you instead of the default argumentative mode you see stuck in

Up to your level? You mean I should stop using any kind of punctuation?

korban dallas wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

How does a liking for all classic books show empathy?

because of your lack of empathy it would be like explaining quantum physics to a monkey the expecting him to build a time machine

Try.

Raggamuffin wrote:

korban dallas wrote:
i have deary i am just trying my hardest to drag you UP to my level so i can get some actual sense out of you instead of the default argumentative mode you see stuck in

Up to your level? You mean I should stop using any kind of punctuation?

OH dear ......the lack of punctuation and indeed the spelling at times is the result of a disability but hey thanks for sticking a Post it note on it .

korban dallas wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

Up to your level? You mean I should stop using any kind of punctuation?

OH dear ......the lack of punctuation and indeed the spelling at times is the result of a disability but hey thanks for sticking a Post it note on it .  

It was a pleasure.

Raggamuffin wrote:You remind me of Vic Brown in A Kind of Loving - a young man who is rather up himself and who looks down on someone for not liking classical music.

Odd you remind me of a woman any old spinster woman really looking for love and adventure in romance novels
so lacking in empathy that your dreams and desires and opinions are a reflection of that need within the pages you read

ps i love classical music

korban dallas wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:You remind me of Vic Brown in A Kind of Loving - a young man who is rather up himself and who looks down on someone for not liking classical music.

Odd you remind me of a woman any old spinster woman really looking for love and adventure in romance novels
so lacking in empathy that your dreams and desires and opinions are a reflection of that need within the pages you read

ps i love classical music

Ditto

It can be so powerful you can be swept up by it all.
Mind you I love so many different types of music

Raggamuffin wrote:

korban dallas wrote:
because of your lack of empathy it would be like explaining quantum physics to a monkey the expecting him to build a time machine

Try.

as much as i would like to ...that seems to me, practicing psychiatric medicine
some thing i have no qualifications in

Richard The Lionheart wrote:

korban dallas wrote:
Odd you remind me of a woman any old spinster woman really looking for love and adventure in romance novels
so lacking in empathy that your dreams and desires and opinions are a reflection of that need within the pages you read

ps i love classical music

Ditto

It can be so powerful you can be swept up by it all.
Mind you I love so many different types of music

Classic FM rocks

korban dallas wrote:

Richard The Lionheart wrote:


Ditto

It can be so powerful you can be swept up by it all.
Mind you I love so many different types of music

Classic FM rocks

Completely agree and it can be some of the best calming music I have to say after a long day.

korban dallas wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:You remind me of Vic Brown in A Kind of Loving - a young man who is rather up himself and who looks down on someone for not liking classical music.

Odd you remind me of a woman any old spinster woman really looking for love and adventure in romance novels
so lacking in empathy that your dreams and desires and opinions are a reflection of that need within the pages you read

ps i love classical music

Romance novels? Are you a fan of Mills & Boon then?

korban dallas wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

Try.

as much as i would like to ...that seems to me, practicing psychiatric medicine
some thing i have no qualifications in

 

You mean you can't explain. In other words, you're talking bullshit - as usual.

Raggamuffin wrote:

korban dallas wrote:
as much as i would like to ...that seems to me, practicing psychiatric medicine
some thing i have no qualifications in

 

You mean you can't explain. In other words, you're talking bullshit - as usual.

oh dear did i strike a nerve ?

Raggamuffin wrote:

korban dallas wrote:
Odd you remind me of a woman any old spinster woman really looking for love and adventure in romance novels
so lacking in empathy that your dreams and desires and opinions are a reflection of that need within the pages you read

ps i love classical music

Romance novels? Are you a fan of Mills & Boon then?

even your attempted retort references romance novels ...the die is cast

korban dallas wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

You mean you can't explain. In other words, you're talking bullshit - as usual.

oh dear did i strike a nerve ?

Only the ones in your own head.

korban dallas wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

Romance novels? Are you a fan of Mills & Boon then?

even your attempted retort references romance novels ...the die is cast

Did you forget that you mentioned them first?

Raggamuffin wrote:

korban dallas wrote:
even your attempted retort references romance novels ...the die is cast

Did you forget that you mentioned them first?

Actually you did . Tess of the d'Urbervilles and T.Hardy

korban dallas wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

Did you forget that you mentioned them first?

Actually you did . Tess of the d'Urbervilles and T.Hardy

I wouldn't call that a romance novel.

I like the Dandy @ the beano, the Eagle was not very good though, I thought the Mekon and Dan Dare were a bit far fetched.

nicko wrote:I like the Dandy @ the beano,   the Eagle was not very good though,  I thought the Mekon and Dan Dare were a bit far fetched.

I used to pinch my brother's Eagle, I though Girl was soppy

Raggamuffin wrote:

korban dallas wrote:
Actually you did . Tess of the d'Urbervilles and T.Hardy

I wouldn't call that a romance novel.

Of course it's a romance novel.   So is Far from the Madding Crowd.  He excels at love triangles.

sassy wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

I wouldn't call that a romance novel.

Of course it's a romance novel.   So is Far from the Madding Crowd.  He excels at love triangles.

It's not a "romance" novel though - you wouldn't find it in the "romance" section of a library or a bookshop.

No, you'd find it in the Classics because it's a classic, it's still a romance.

sassy wrote:No, you'd find it in the Classics because it's a classic, it's still a romance.

It's not really - it's much more than that.