The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, also known as the “Great American Novel,” has sold over 20 million copies, has been translated into over 53 languages, and is not out of print since 1885, when it was first published. Huck Finn is known to almost everyone. It is one of the most popular novels in the world. So how can it be the sixth most frequently banned book in the United States? Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Although Huck Finn is known as a literary classic, it has been considered offensive by many people. Mark Twain is known for speaking about society's problems through his writing art. The book is known for depicting the times of slavery and racism before the Civil War in America. Throughout the novel Mark Twain uses racial slurs 219 times. While many say the word is offensive - and it is, many say the word is what helps people understand what the times were like before the Civil War and racism in America. Many schools, including some school districts in Virginia recently, have banned the novel along with another classic that also deals with racism in America – To Kill a Mockingbird. The schools said the book's use of the derogatory word so often made some students, including parents, uncomfortable. While the book makes some uncomfortable, as it should, these books are about unjust racism in America, the novels are history, and while it may be uncomfortable to talk about, it doesn't mean it should be avoided, which is what gets the book banned. Huck Finn along with other controversial banned books like To Kill A Mockingbird help portray the unwritten truth of the time period. In 2011, a new version of Huck Finn was released that censored the use of racial slurs and replaced them with the word “slave.” Censorship in the new version aimed to bring the book back into schools as it had been widely banned from school libraries and classrooms for using racial slurs. “The difference between the almost right word and the right word is a really important question. This is the difference between firefly and lightning. -Mark Twain. Although the book is set in the pre-Civil War era, where slavery had not yet been abolished, the use of slurs was understood. Although we are now well past the era of slavery, racism exists very well in America. While you can find this book in bookstores and online, you cannot find it in many classrooms or school libraries. While the topic of racism can be uncomfortable, it is necessary to talk about it, and these books hit the topic head on. It is important to have these discussions about history to ensure that history does not repeat itself. While in some cases the use of racial slurs is not the problem, it is rather the use of Twain's satire that is offensive in some African American institutions. Some think that Mark Twain and his use of satire are poking fun and in a sense mocking a very serious topic. Twain was always prominent in his use of satire to poke fun at people and their thinking during this time. Throughout the book Twain uses satire to mock the thinking of society at this time and to show how cruel man can be to man. In conclusion Huck Finn is a piece of history written to make sure history doesn't repeat itself. The only way we can be sure is to properly educate people about history. The use of offensive racial slurs is to try to teach people that these derogatory words are not condoned and should not be used.