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Juniors ~ Response Paper

Most tend to agree that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a product of its time, and that the racism in the book simply reflects attitudes of the period. In fact, it can be argued that the use of the N-word adds to the realism (or authenticity?) of the book. However, as I've stated, many schools have banned this book for its racist content, saying that it could serve to reinforce stereotypes and encourage use of the "N" word.

We all know that racism (and racist images) exist in our society still. The goal of your assignment for this long weekend is to confront some of those images and attitudes head-on. The Authentic History Center's Teaching Diversity website offers insight into the problem of the 19th century (and beyond) through images, mostly advertising, from our culture.

Prepare to be offended.

According to the site, "these items reflect the history and societal values of the time period in which they were produced." However, it is hard to look at some of these images objectively, through modern eyes. If you think the images are offensive, or if you think the images are funny (or a mixture of both), I want you to think about why. The images certainly don't represent reality, but they are very real. Certainly, the stereotypes are very real.

Your Assignment:
I would like you to form your own opinion. Please respond to the images in a 250-word typed response. First, pick one image that stands out. Then, describe the image. Finally, comment on the image using the following questions to guide you:

What is your initial reaction to seeing this image (or the collection)? Can you connect the image to Huck Finn? Is your overall impression of the image "good" or "bad" (by whose definition)? What do you believe the intended purpose for the image is? Overall, do you believe images like this still exist in our culture? Why or why not?

Feel free to add any further comments or insight. In your response please cite specific examples from the site.

DUE TUESDAY

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