Banned Kids: Huck and Scout

This course will explore why Huckleberry Finn and To Kill A Mockingbird come under threat of being banned or have actually been banned in American schools and libraries, practically from the first dates of their publications. Why is each book, centered on the development of a particular child, so threatening to certain parts of the American body politic?  What do these works and reactions to them teach us about American illusions, American ideals, and American realities? We will do a close reading of both novels as well as consider the historical context of their publications.

Required reading: Mark Twain, Huckleberry Finn; Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird (any editions).

Leona Dufour holds a master’s degree in English, taught Advanced Placement literature classes at the secondary level, and has offered numerous literature courses at Midcoast Senior College.