To Teach, or Not to Teach...That is the question...

Arguments Against Teaching:

It can come across racist.
It USUALLY comes across as racist.
It can be emotionally damaging or difficult for certain students.
It may not be age appropriate.

Arguments For Teaching:

It satirizes society, slavery, and racism.
It is a hugely successful and influential piece of literature.
It can cause discussion and growth within students who read it.
It can help people understand the ridiculousness of slavery.

Personally, I think that the book has a lot of power to teach and to persuade through it's satirical nature. The racism of the book is appropriate because it is realistic, and it's implications about slavery are so clear that the supposedly racist situations really become anti-racist. The book may not be appropriate for certain age groups, but it should certainly be taught at one of the upper levels in school so that it's genius is not overlooked in ignorance.