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University puts 'TRIGGER WARNING' for Mark Twain classic over character's use of N-word

The staff at the university believes the book is 'problematic in a number of ways, not least because of Huck's use of the N-word throughout the novel'
PUBLISHED AUG 25, 2022
Mark Twain's 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn' was given a 'trigger warning' by the University of Exeter for the use of the N-word by a character (Topical Press Agency and Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Mark Twain's 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn' was given a 'trigger warning' by the University of Exeter for the use of the N-word by a character (Topical Press Agency and Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

EXETER, ENGLAND: Mark Twain's classic 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn' was recently put under fire by a top university for several reasons, and the character's use of the N-word is one of them. The university put a 'trigger warning' on the classic that tells the story of a boy on a river journey and a Black man escaping slavery. The book has long been used as an example of anti-racist literature for generations by academics, up until now. The book is considered as a benchmark in American literature as novelists like Ernest Hemingway have claimed that all great American literature can be traced back to this masterpiece. 

'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn', Mark Twain's sequel to 'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer', follows young Huck Finn, on a river journey, and his friend Jim, a Black man escaping slavery. But according to the Exeter University staff, the representation of a slave is "problematic in a number of ways" which has prompted them to put a trigger warning on the same. The Times reported that the staff at the University believes it is "problematic in a number of ways, not least because of Huck's use of the N-word throughout the novel." The course directors on an American literature module at Exeter believe it to be "classic but contentious" and highlights the fact that it has "scenes of murder, violence and child abuse." They also said that the book can represent children in racist ideologies. 

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Cover of the book 'Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Tom Sawyer's Comrade)' by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens), 1884. The illustration, by E. M. Kimble, shows a young boy who stands in front of a picket fence while wearing a straw hat. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Tom Sawyer's Comrade)' by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens), 1884. The illustration by EM Kimble shows a young boy who stands in front of a picket fence while wearing a straw hat (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Exeter University puts content warning o Mark Twain's classic 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn' for the character's use of N-word. (University of Exeter)
Exeter University (YouTube/University of Exeter)

Mark Twain's classic is under fire

The report claims that the book "can be read as an ingenious way of representing the indoctrination of children into racist ideologies." "You may wish to refer again to our policy on the use of the n-word in this module," the university stated. "Set in the pre-abolition south, it tells the story of a river journey undertaken by a White boy fleeing an abusive father and a Black man escaping slavery. Please be aware that this novel also features scenes of murder, violence, and child abuse."

A portrait of American writer Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens, 1835 - 1910), circa 1900. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens, 1835–1910), circa 1900 (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The university further said that it would "discuss and debate the value of Twain’s novel" with the students in the module which would also include responses from audiences and critics.

The official synopsis of the book reads, "A nineteenth-century boy from a Mississippi River town recounts his adventures as he travels down the river with a runaway slave, encountering a family involved in a feud, two scoundrels pretending to be royalty, and Tom Sawyer’s aunt who mistakes him for Tom."

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