the "N" word to be removed from Huck Finn

Two scholars are appearantly editing the book and removing all instances of the "n" word from Huckleberry Finn in order to get the book placed back on the curriculum in schools where it has been banned. The word will be replaced with the word "slave."

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way...nn-will-eliminate-offensive-words?sc=fb&cc=fp

 

yay let's lie about the way people spoke during the time period because it offends them somehow even though it isn't used toward them...that's so much bullshit people need to be realistic about that era most teenagers are mature enough to handle it

Oh an btw I'm black and read it in hs

 

They could go in the bible next and remove the violence. Reminds me of Ted Turner colorizing old black and white movies. Wrong.

 

I have read ton of books using words of that nature in school. People need to begin to realize that it's just a word and if it's not being used directly towards them I don't see how anyone can be offended.

 

Really? Really.

You know what was a really great book. 1984. I loved how they rewrote history.

Yes. Yes. I know that Huck Finn is not "history" but it is history.

 

I think political correctness has been taken way too far. Like Besogone pointed out, black people do not get offended when reading the n word in Huck Finn because it was clearly not used to be hateful, but rather to illustrate the thoughtless racism of the time.

My english teacher in high school used Twain's use of this word to start an honest discussion about race and I feel that every student in the class got a lot out of that discussion.

I was surprised to read that schools have banned Huck Finn in the first place. Censorship is clearly still alive and well.

 

glad to see everyone against this

something about forgetting history and its repetition comes to mind . . .

 

If it gets the book back into school curriculums where it had been banned, I'm okay with it.

It's one edition. There will still be dozens available containing the original text.

I don't see it as much different than the editing that routinely goes into many movies before being shown on prime-time network television. Or the editing that's often required to get an R-rating changed to a PG so it can be shown in more theaters.

It's not a biggie.

 

That's bullshit. People tried doing that before, even blacking out the word with a marker for school kids. If anything it only draws attention to it. People also tried banning the book.

It's just a book, and it's just a word.

 

This kind of editing always starts from the parents complaining. I guarantee they have little, or no knowledge themselves and want to throw something out they don't agree with before they give there children a chance to do there own learning.

Forcing what to learn is wrong, we need to teach how to learn.

 

Jonestown

 

Yeah right! Let's use the word "slave" because that isn't offensive towards black people at all, whereas a word that is a slight variation of the African location, the Niger Delta clearly is.

These two scholars are obviously a pair of complete and utter morons.

 

This is horrible idea and I hope it gets killed quickly.

To the sentiment that if it gets it back into schools its been banned from.... How about you take the fucking morons out of those boards that banned it?

This is stupid people who are ashamed of their own past who are trying to hide it by making like it didn't exist.

You leave it as it was written, and take advantage of the fact that it presents an opportunity for an open conversation in regards to the way people have treated each other on the flimsiest of excuses and why it isn't right.

 

actually, it is

to borrow a bit from tom sawyer, you might want to call it whitewashing

maybe some day on the slippery slopes they'll even change 'slave' to 'employee'

[watch your step]

 

Actually, it's not.

I've been a published writer since the early 70s. The written word and freedom of expression is very important to me. I've gone to the mat many times in order to defend it. But more important, is to get books like Huck Finn back in the classroom where some jurisdictions in the States have banned it for decades. Kids need to read it and changing one word isn't going to change the reading experience.

The change itself provides a springboard for classroom discussion that will broaden the dialogue well past the parameters of literature.

It's easy to sit in the peanut gallery and toss out gems like "take the fucking morons out of those boards that banned it" and then go back to watching Scoobie Doo reruns.

What this scholar decided, after much heartfelt consideration, is a practical solution that gets the book back where it belongs -- in front of kids who have been denied the right to read it.

Save your manufactured outrage for something that really matters, like getting rid of blue M&Ms.

 

Well, speaking from the peanut gallery, I can only assume from this that you are okay with the idea of banning books, and support it being banned.

Rather then dealing with the issue, which is one of people in positions of power over the education of our children feeling that it is okay to ban books, you feel the need to make this into something about me.

Of course, I guess there is the possibility that you are one of the people who have voted to ban the book in the first place, and as such took my comments to be personally directed at you. If so, perhaps you should re-consider banning books in the first place.

Either way, your points, such as the one I already countered, and the one of The change will spark those conversations... Just how will it do that... Is the original word being left in there just with strike-through font and the replacement? If not, then the ONLY way it would spark a conversation about it is if the teacher pointed it out to the kids reading it.

Seems these are the same teachers that have no problem going along with the book being banned in the first place, I don't see that happening.

And as for it being allowed to be read by children who can't now... They will not be reading the books... one word, one paragraph or an entire re-write... it isn't what was written...

You say you are a writer? Do you mind if I go through your works and substitute words that I want to? Will you feel the same afterwards?

And remember, every single argument that you make against that, is one that the original writer of these works CAN'T make for himself in this case.

 

What kind of message does that send people though. It says that words can hurt. Instead kids should be taught the word "******", the history of the word, how it was used and how it was and is wrong for people to use it.

This is no different than Christian and Catholic institutions that avoid teaching kids about sex and safe sex practices by denying them sex ed. and free condoms. They think that by ignoring it will hopefully go away, but it doesn't. What it does is leave hundreds of kids in the dark about how to take care of themselves. It certainly doesn't stop them from having sex.

Removing the word from the text will not affect its use. Look at the media, rappers and whatnot who use the word so frequently. We should BAN them from using the word no? Why not? Oh yea, because we still have freedom of speech.

Teach kids why Mark Twain used the word and the context in which he used it. What do you have then? A bunch of kids who understand an aspect of literary devices, who understand the word and why we try to no longer use it, and kids who understand right from wrong and are able to make up their own minds.

Tell kids not to do something and what's the first thing most of them do? Use it. If it's a bad word, they're going to want to use it.

 

Sorry, but your arguments are pedestrian and sophmoric. Sure, in a perfect world the book would never be banned.

Wake up. The world's not perfect and censorship happens every day in every media, including Hip Forums. Every newspaper, every magazine, every television show, every movie is censored in some way by someone.

Where's all your hollering about that?

Teachers don't want the book banned for cripes' sake. They're in the forefront of trying to keep literature alive.

What this one scholar is trying to do with one edition of the book (and there are hundreds of editions with the original text) is get the book back into schools where it has been banned.

I say more power to him. His cause is righteous.

 

So, thats a yes then? You are okay if I edit your work?

 

Let's see if I got this right then...

You said.

Still seem right to you?