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It's Lit!

Why Do People Think Huck Finn Is Racist?

Season 2 Episode 24 | 13m 34s

Is Huckleberry Finn an anti-racist work? Or is it just plain ol’ racist? The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by American author Mark Twain is both considered one of the great American novels and one of the most frequently banned and contested novels due to its use of the N-word and racial stereotypes. This has launched many debates as to if the work should even be taught in schools.

Aired: 09/22/21
Made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Extras
Watch • 9:41
It's Lit!
Toni Morrison’s Opus About Confronting a Terrible Past
To understand Beloved, we must first look at the author: Nobel Prize Winner Toni Morrison.
Episode: S2 E31 | 9:41
Watch • 10:03
It's Lit!
Why Magical Realism is a Global Phenomenon
We explore the roots, tenets of the genre, and its rise in Latin American Literature.
Episode: S2 E30 | 10:03
Watch • 11:03
It's Lit!
Why Edgar Allan Poe Isn't Just a Sad Boy
His legacy is more complicated than school books may have lead us to believe.
Episode: S2 E29 | 11:03
Watch • 15:11
It's Lit!
Inside the Absurdist Mind of Kurt Vonnegut
We explore the life and work of Kurt Vonnegut.
Episode: S2 E28 | 15:11
Watch • 18:33
It's Lit!
The Women of Jane Austen
The women in her work reveal to us her growth, her politics and ambition.
Episode: S2 E27 | 18:33
Watch • 12:30
It's Lit!
Why We Keep Retelling the Classics
Sometimes a story is just so dang good, it bears repeating.
Episode: S2 E26 | 12:30
Watch • 17:12
It's Lit!
What We Don’t Know About The Father of Sci-Fi
There's more to H.G. Wells than we know or think.
Episode: S2 E25 | 17:12
Watch • 12:56
It's Lit!
Don’t Know Much About BEOWULF? Nobody Does!
We take a look at this Epic Poem and follow its long, winding journey.
Episode: S2 E22 | 12:56
Watch • 12:31
It's Lit!
The Life behind To Kill a Mockingbird
it is one of the trademark texts of the American school system by Harper Lee.
Episode: S2 E23 | 12:31
Watch • 11:52
It's Lit!
The Female Writers Who Dominated Amatory Fiction
Amatory fiction was a genre of fiction was created by…women.
Episode: S2 E21 | 11:52
Latest Episodes
All
  • All
  • It's Lit! Season 2
  • It's Lit! Season 1
Watch • 9:41
It's Lit!
Toni Morrison’s Opus About Confronting a Terrible Past
To understand Beloved, we must first look at the author: Nobel Prize Winner Toni Morrison.
Episode: S2 E31 | 9:41
Watch • 10:03
It's Lit!
Why Magical Realism is a Global Phenomenon
We explore the roots, tenets of the genre, and its rise in Latin American Literature.
Episode: S2 E30 | 10:03
Watch • 11:03
It's Lit!
Why Edgar Allan Poe Isn't Just a Sad Boy
His legacy is more complicated than school books may have lead us to believe.
Episode: S2 E29 | 11:03
Watch • 15:11
It's Lit!
Inside the Absurdist Mind of Kurt Vonnegut
We explore the life and work of Kurt Vonnegut.
Episode: S2 E28 | 15:11
Watch • 18:33
It's Lit!
The Women of Jane Austen
The women in her work reveal to us her growth, her politics and ambition.
Episode: S2 E27 | 18:33
Watch • 12:30
It's Lit!
Why We Keep Retelling the Classics
Sometimes a story is just so dang good, it bears repeating.
Episode: S2 E26 | 12:30
Watch • 17:12
It's Lit!
What We Don’t Know About The Father of Sci-Fi
There's more to H.G. Wells than we know or think.
Episode: S2 E25 | 17:12
Watch • 12:56
It's Lit!
Don’t Know Much About BEOWULF? Nobody Does!
We take a look at this Epic Poem and follow its long, winding journey.
Episode: S2 E22 | 12:56
Watch • 12:31
It's Lit!
The Life behind To Kill a Mockingbird
it is one of the trademark texts of the American school system by Harper Lee.
Episode: S2 E23 | 12:31
Watch • 11:52
It's Lit!
The Female Writers Who Dominated Amatory Fiction
Amatory fiction was a genre of fiction was created by…women.
Episode: S2 E21 | 11:52