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Censored Huck Finn - Good or Bad?
I'm mentioning this in passing on my blog's morning reads roundup tomorrow, but I thought it would be interesting to get the 20SB opinions on this:
NewSouth Books is releasing a new edition of Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn with the "N-Word" taken out. Is this a good or bad move? Are the editors erasing history or simply blurring out a dirty word?
Personally, I think there's a place for this version amongst extremely young readers who aren't ready to discuss the complex history of racial slurs, but I think high school students should still be taught the original version since it shows a time period and characters with all of their flaws. Sanitizing old texts, to me, is a way of ignoring historical problems instead of acknowledging and discussing them.
Any thoughts?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by cooper on -
They are replacing it with the word "slave" are the not? The will divert from the original intent of the author, and meaning of this piece of literature, and it isn't the greatest idea I've heard lately. Twain was anti slavery and a huge humanist and he used the term deliberately. If the person reading the book can't understand Twain's intent then that person is too young to be reading him - I vote no for any replacement.
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Permalink Reply by Talia M on -
Well said. I didn't realize they were replacing it with the word "slave."
In general I'm against changing books for censorship reasons. I'll be interested in anyone who might have a different opinion, though. Especially parents.
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Permalink Reply by Mollie Marissa on -
Censorship = not such a good thing. Seriously. If the public decides they don't want to read something, they can just not read it. I don't personally approve of all literature out there, but I believe it should be preserved as writ and we in the future should not tinker around with it until we like it. The authors wanted to say something, let them speak! The magic of books is that their message is forever. Unlike spoken words, literature can remain untouched for as long as we are willing to allow it.
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Permalink Reply by Talia M on
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I think that's what bothers me most about this. It tries to revise history rather than looking at it face-on. The truth is, Twain was simultaneously backwards and forwards with his views on race. His a staunch abolitionist, yet still resorted to stereotypes for humor. To ignore this complexity ignores an important part of post-Civil War history.
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Permalink Reply by Allison on -
I read the original version when I was 12 or 13. I knew it was a bad word, but was also aware that it took place in the past and that times were different then. Children are taught history and aren't stupid. Reading the word doesn't give us permission to use it against anyone, and I feel like most of us know the difference.I feel the original text should stand. It's a classic that shouldn't be messed with.
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Permalink Reply by Phil Schwarz on -
If you are too young to read huck finn because of a word, you shouldn't be reading it in the first place. And what's next taking all curses out of books? this is the first step towards Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 society.
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Permalink Reply by Talia M on
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But are they really too young or are we not teaching children how to read challenging material? There are lots of subjects that make people uncomfortable in the history of literature. I would argue more of the English canon reinforces sexism and racism than fights it. Charles Dickens wrote some of the most anti-semitic portrayals of Jewish characters in the history of literature, much of which he himself revised after befriending a Jewish couple. Yet we don't ban Oliver Twist from the middle and high school curriculums.
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Permalink Reply by Ginny on -
I do not like the idea of censoring the book. If children are going to read it they need to understand the context it was written in and if they can't understand that then they are too young to be reading the book. Yes it is a horrible word, but rather than changing it, talk about it.
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Permalink Reply by Allison on
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I think you're right. It would give teachers and parents the perfect opportunity to have an open dialogue with young people about this subject. We shouldn't bury our history. The things described in the book more or less happened (I know it's fiction, but you know what I mean) and it's important to respect that and understand how society has grown and changed.
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Permalink Reply by Talia M on
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I think it's also important to recognize how the word has changed in cultural perceptions of it. Mark Twain was an abolitionist who was using the book to satirize racism and create a sympathetic black character. While he uses terms that are offensive today, it's important to look at the difference between intention and performance with his use of those words.
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Permalink Reply by John Reckzeny on -
What a condescending move. Things were a certain way back in the day and taking out the "n-word" would un-authenticate (de-authenticate?) the book. It's a publishing company trying to "make their mark" by re-writing history. Petty self-promotion.
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