Staten Island Community Charter School, 309 St Paul’s Ave (at Beach St), SINY 10304

A community dialogue on language & dialect in Tom Sawyer & Huck Finn.
Since their publications, Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn have been controversial books.
Over the past 150 years, they’ve been banned, they’ve been condemned, and sometimes they’ve been yanked from library shelves.

Originally, the books were criticized for presenting rebellious role models to youngsters.
Among some modern readers, the books have been condemned for their use of racial slurs in some characters’ narratives and dialogues.

Indeed, that language is very hard for contemporary readers to stomach.But is it fair to assert that these books condone racist language or behavior?

Huckleberry Finn is a seminal American classic that confronted the race issue head-on. Twain himself was an Abolitionist, and he married into an active Abolitionist family. But how can we reconcile the impact of the books’ racist slurs, the history behind those words and the pain they can still inflict.

How should contemporary readers approach these issues?

How should the books be taught to our children?

We’ll read excerpts from Tom Sawyer as our dialogue continues.

What chapters do you think are most important for our conversation? Email us and cast your vote!

OutLOUD invites neighbors to engage in thoughtful conversation on these difficult questions.We welcome educators, parents, students, writers, and anyone in our community who’s interested in creative dialogue.You’ll also have an opportunity to tour Staten Island Community Charter School, one of the Island’s newest learning centers.

This event will engage adults, but young readers (ages 12 & up) are welcome!

For directions via public transportation, visit www.hopstop.com