To introduce my argument I will first do background on the time period. I will discuss the attitude of many people towards African Americans in this time period. I will hope this will support my argument that the book is not racist and simply a product of its times. People in this period were brought up to think of African Americans as inferior people without the mental capabilities of white people. The book uses the word "nigger" because it was a common word in the time period. While it is natural for some people to become offended by the use of the word, reading this novel shows a window into a different time, a time when the attitude towards minorities was different than it is today. By keeping this thought in mind, you can simply view the book as a piece of history, a tale from a different age where the ideals and ideas where much different than now. I argue that America during this time was extremely racist, so should all the books and ideas that came out of it. In today's society equality is the popular movement, so modern people should be able to read this book, knowing the ideas are wrong and simply reading it for what it is, a tale from another time.
As for whether it should be taught in schools, honestly beyond the fact that it is racist, i don't think the book is simply good enough to be taught in schools. Did I enjoy the read, of course. I feel like all you get is simply a fun tale from a different time, with the only discussion to go over is whether it is racist or not. I have enjoyed our class discussion, I just don't believe the quality of the book overshadows its massive controversy. Even if i don't agree with them, people are offended by this book and causing a major uproar about it being put on a required reading list, and honestly i dont think it is good enough to stand against the massive opposition.