Why has Adventures of Huckleberry Finn been controversial in some American schools?

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a classic of American literature by Mark Twain, has frequently been challenged in American schools primarily due to its use of racially offensive language and profanity common to its historical setting.123

While the novel is celebrated for its portrayal of a boy who overcomes conventional racial prejudices to befriend a runaway slave named Jim, the book has generated significant controversy. Critics have argued that the text is racist and that its language is offensive. Some readers find the novel patronizing toward African Americans, and the work has been criticized for its use of pejoratives.143

These concerns have led to routine attempts to ban or restrict the book in educational settings. Efforts to address this controversy, such as the publication of a bowdlerized version of the novel in 2011, have also sparked debate, with many viewing such alterations as unacceptable as the original text. Ultimately, the book remains a subject of intense discussion because it continues to touch upon raw and troubling aspects of the American national consciousness.2134