Huck Finn and the Challenges of the N-word

If I were a high school American Literature teacher, we would read Huck Finn. With the n-word being a part of the novel consistently, I would discuss the way the word is used in the novel, especially in relation to pre Civil War times. I think I would have the students say the word. It captures the mindset of the characters and allows the students to feel the weight of the separation between whites and blacks back then. The word is not being directed at a literal person (yes I know the book refers to characters that way but I'm talking about real life people) and when the book was written, it was not a "bad word".