Would you rewrite Shakespeare? 
How about T.S. Eliot?
Would you change the words of Maya Angelou?
If you didn’t like what Malcom X had to say would you attempt to rewrite what was said in new textbooks?
Then why change the words of Mark Twain?
Many of us have read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer books. Needless to say that was a far different time. There was a completely different vernacular; but it’s still part of our history. Times have changed and there are people who find the frequent use of the word “nigger” in the books offensive.
So what are they doing?
Some idiot is rewriting the greatest known works of Mark Twain so that the word “nigger” is replaced with “slave”. Apparently people find it less offensive.
You know what? I find it offensive that people would try to rewrite history. People in that time period (or location) didn’t really use the phrase “African-American”. It’s a part of history. It’s just as much a part of the history of blacks as it is whites.It shows us that in many ways we are better than we once were.
What happens when a group of people get upset over the word “slave”?
Do we re-write history and all books that mention that word so that that word is never used?
I don’t see a big uproar over “black literature” using words like “honkey”, “cracker” , “whitebread” or hundreds of other phrases used to depict whites. I don’t see the works of famous African-American authors being altered to reflect what is considered “politically correct”. This is complete and utter bull. I will be buying a copy of the book as it was written. It’s not that I’m racist-it’s that I’m choosing to show my children history as it was originally written.
We can’t learn from history if we keep re-writing and editing out the parts we’re not proud of.
What do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts-whether you agree with me or not. Maybe I’m just not seeing it from another point of view.
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{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
I have always enjoyed Mark Twain’s books. You know what? Even as a kid, reading Huckleberry Finn never once made me think, “Oh, the ‘n word’ MUST be perfectly acceptable since it’s in this book.” Why can’t this be used as an educational moment to teach our kids how times and perceptions of others have changed?
Plus, this is a slippery slope to be on. Are we going to start removing EVERY offensive word from EVERY book?
Twitter: mamabytes
January 5, 2011
Exactly! I also read that another version is coming out later this year (by another “Mark Twain Scholar”) that leaves the words in but has notes, etc. to put things into a more “historical” point of view and teach them.
It’s a fine line. I’m definitely not for rewriting literature, but it is hard from a teaching aspect. In college we were reading a passage from Faulkner and rather than discussing the literature, we spent a fifty minute class period discussing whether or not our professor should have skipped over or read the word “nigger”. I don’t know how well I could handle it if I were teaching and the kids got out of hand, or worse, the parents got incensed.
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Twitter: mamabytes
January 5, 2011
I can definitely understand that. That would definitely be a difficult situation to be in (if the students/parents became outraged) but I guess I also come from thinking that it’s in a book. It’s not as though the teacher is calling the students that word…and I would try to instill that in my kids. It is a big part of history whether you’re reading a fictional or non-fictional book. We can’t just pretend it didn’t happen or was never there. There would have to be a collaborative effort between parents, students and educators to ensure that the book was being read in its entirety just for studying literary works/historical value. My suggestion would be to survey parents or send permission slips home. Those that found the term offensive could study the book without the word-and those who didn’t mind (or tried not to) could study the original form. I just don’t believe in taking the choice away altogether.
On another note-I bet that was an interesting discussion! I love a good debate as long as people are truly talking their thoughts out-not just having a shouting match!
Twitter: ChristiDarty
January 5, 2011
Very interesting! In one of my Lit classes in college the professor quoted one of Mark Twain’s books. Of course it offended someone, the guy went straight to the Dean…and it was a night class, I saw him walk in the door. Later on a book that we were assigned to read had a few things in it that were sexual in nature, and some profanity. More people went to the dean…now this book was not chosen by the professor but by the school. The professor lost his job in the end. Needless to say it was a very interesting class! A room full of adults (the guy that complained was in his 50′s) that couldn’t be objective, even when things were explained about the time period, why profanity was used and everything.
Now that being said, my husband is currently working in the area where Mark Twain grew up, I’m going to relay this story to him and see if he can get some opinions from that area.
I personally do not think that you should change any literature to suit your own needs. If the author has something to say, there is a reason. We can either read it as is or not read it at all. Time changes a lot of things, but with a good book you can understand why.
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Twitter: householdsix
January 5, 2011
Literature is a form of art. We don’t go around altering the works of Monet or Picasso either. People need to grow a thicker skin and realize that it’s a part of history and can be used as a teaching point. If we don’t learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it. Would people rather we leave our kids ignorant to what has happened in the past so maybe one of them can grow up to repeat what has been done?
Just as another talking point, I was a kid who grew up watching TV. I watched Bugs Bunny and Tom and Jerry so many times I have most of them memorized even still. When they show the old ones now, they are edited for content. They’ve taken out all racial slurs (WWII era and any character in blackface) and violence. There are several scenes where anvils are dropped or characters are hit with a frying pan, and you don’t see it anymore.
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Twitter: RebeccaJoKnits
January 5, 2011
I think its just sad… there are so many things in books that can offend SO MANY people, but they dont change every word of every book to make the world a PC place… And when you are talking about books that are CLASSICS – how do you change that? It’d be like changing Wizard of Oz for PETA because we shouldnt see a lion that isnt brave…
in my opinion – there are bigger things in the world to be worried about
Offensive or not, I’m not into book banning. We don’t have to read that which we don’t want to read. Right?
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I think there is no need to edit HuckleyBerry Fin. They just can’t change a good story because a word. What would think Mark Twain of this? It is like if some one would change some notes of 9th symphony of Beethoven because they do not sound quite good.
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It is quite amazing, all the blacks in America want to change history so it portrays something different for them. they weren’t happy getting free money because it wasn’t enough. they are constantly trying to rewrite American history. Many of the slaves that were brought to America, were sold by there own people. so if we have to rewrite history to suit the black population and they cant get past the N word then no rap album should contain those words nor the words, whitey, cracker, white hoe, hoe, bitch, or any other derogatory lyrics. because it is offensive to me and the white population. so if they must change our history we should change theirs and their future in music and movies and in life in general. so if you hear a black person utter those words they should be reminded that Malcolm X’s statements should be band from history because he was apart of the black panthers. also the black miss American pageant should be stopped because it is racist towards white people, and if that will not be removed then the miss American pageant should be changed to the white miss American agent. that would piss a lot of people off, als0 while you are at it they need to take the word black completely out of the English language and any other language. everything is always being handed out to the blacks and the whites suffer. where is the fair play? it doesn’t exist. welcome to America. by the way you are black Americans not African Americans and if you wish to be considered African Americans. then get out of my country because i am considered an American not a white American, Asian American, Samoan American, or any other type of American. if we need to rewrite American history for them well that isn’t write because they consider them selves African Americans and not from America they have no rite to change our history. yes whits owned blacks but not any more. and there isn’t any slave alive today. bite me. blacks need to clean up their neighbor hoods and schools and stop with the violence and maybe they would be thought different of. did anyone ever go to a black neighbor hood in a city and see how they keep it? well i have and it is deplorable.I have seen where they have moved into nice neighbor hoods and destroyed them. so if they think its worth changing history then they need to prove there is a reason to and stop acting like what the N word refers to.
Thank you for praying for my sister in law and her baby. Here is the latest update:
http://ordinaryinspirations.blogspot.com/2010/09/will-you-join-me-in-prayer-for-my.html
When you hear blacks using the word “nigger” in every other word in their conversations, rap music, and comedy routines, I wonder , “Who is it that’s offended, the blacks or the guilt ridden whites?”
It is truly amazing how people think. It seems that the idiots of our world have the most power. A black friend of mine once told me that there is a difference between “nigger” and “nigga.” He said that one of the words is part of our history that made us who we are today while the other is a completely twisted and backward state of mind, a gangster type of attitude.
There are some profane or obscene words in our language, words which I really don’t appreciate, okay I practically hate the use of in conversation even worse when parents have their kids use them. Granted nigger isn’t a word to be used in normal conversation but it isn’t on my list of bad words. Words that should be edited from children or student’s books include f*ck, cu*t, s*it, f*rt(which is being used in children’s books now, totally disgusting writers), p*ss, a*se and so on. Let us face it these words and there derivatives do nothing for us as humans. There is a reason why these words are obscene. If you haven’t figured it out I’ll tell you they tend to refer to sexual functions, functions of parts which are normally covered up or parts which are normally covered up. Other words which aren’t obscene in nature tend to become so when used in similar situations for eg. c*ck and p*ssy.
The truth is no one seems to know what is right anymore and as a result obscenity has replaced common sense and true logic. Books like “Alice in Wonderland,” Huckleberry Finn,” “Tom Sawyer,” and even “Sleeping Beauty” Should never have been banned or even edited. Those people responsible for removing decent books tend to lack real morals. These same people would recommend a book like “Walter the f**ting dog” for kids yet object to “Alice in Wonderland.” The world has truly gone mad.
Kristen, You’ll have to check out my post on prejudice. It’s going up on Wednesday.
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