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Should The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Be Taught To High School Students Around The World? The novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is a masterpiece of American literature and should be taught to high school students around the world. However, schools should be conscientious of the racial controversies surrounding this book. Teachers should make sure that they approach these sensitive issues by providing their students with sufficient background to understand and appreciate this novel. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has always received strong criticism from a variety of people. When it was first published, many denounced Twain’s portrayal of Huck as a “lying, thieving, urchin who makes a smelly hash out of god and religion” (Bucci 1). Currently, the book is the center of a heated debate concerning racism in the novel. As described by Schulten, “the book has been called ‘racist’ for both the pervasive use of the word ‘nigger’ and its portrayal of blacks that is considered stereotypical and demeaning” (Schulten 57). Although these complaints are justifiable, they are often a result of an incomplete understanding of the book. One of the most common arguments for banning The Ad