I read the article: Upcoming NewSouth ‘Huck Finn’ Replaces N-Word
This article is
about Twain scholar Alan Gribben with publishing company New-South Books publishing a different version of Huckleberry
Finn. In this version, the n-word that is said so often in the original is
replaced with the word ‘slave.’ The article gets into the reasoning as to why
Gribben deemed this a good idea, but the main point is for appropriateness for
teaching younger kids.
According to the
article, Gribben is a teacher and whenever he would read the book out loud, he
would replace the n-word with ‘slave’ instead. He became aware of how
uncomfortable people can feel about it when Gribben moved south. His daughter
became friends with an African-American girl. Apparently “she loathed the book,
could barely read it” (Schultz). Gribben was also told by teachers that they
wanted to teach Huck Finn, but felt they couldn’t do it anymore. “In the new
classroom, it’s really not acceptable” (Schultz).
The article ends
with a quote from one of the cofounders of NewSouth, Suzanne La Rosa.
“I almost don’t
want to acknowledge this, but it feels like he’s saving the books. His
willingness to take this chance—I was very touched.”
Nice grammar, La
Rosa.
Here is the article
link if anyone is interested: http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=c71813e3-00e9-4a0e-9889-540824cc83dc%40sessionmgr12&vid=4&hid=28
Schultz, Marc. “Upcoming
Newsouth ‘Huck Finn Eliminates the ‘N’ Word.” Publishers Weekly 258.1 (2011): 6. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 10 Oct. 2013.
After reading this, I suppose I got a better idea
of the current state of opinions of teaching Huckleberry Finn. Because the book was taught at my school, I haven’t
thought too much into people not teaching it. I’ve always seen it as being more
of an eye-opener for America’s past. The fact of that overrides the excessive
usage of the n-word. My teachers wouldn’t bleep it out for using ‘slave’
instead either. We’re reading a book, we’re not trying to insult the people
reading it now. One just has to remember to read it in context with the times.
The article points out that the book has been
banned from many schools. People want to teach it, but they say it’s inappropriate
for our classrooms today. Gribben also says that race is important in Huck Finn,
but it’s important how it is expressed in the 21st century (Schultz).
This is why he wanted to rewrite the book with ‘slave’ used instead, for it is “something
less hurtful, less controversial” and is an alternative to “insisting students
read a text that was so incredibly hurtful” (Schultz).
However, I feel that a different approach should
be taken than just banning Huck Finn. I feel that the book should be saved for
high school and intentionally not for younger ages (middle school and lower) simply
because their minds are less likely to be greatly affected by the book.
One of the big parts of the book is the
understanding of the context, the time and place in which these things were
being said. When the n-word is written in there, it doesn't mean what it does
today. This is one of the more mature parts of reading the book. And because the n-word
doesn’t mean what it does today, using it as it was in the book helps show
the culture of the time. Without it, I feel like Huck Finn would lose part of
why it is such a classic. It is supposed to depict the era, and it’s not
totally accurate if you change one of the ‘key’ words throughout the entirety
of the book.
If you’re worried about the kids feeling bad when
reading Huck Finn, just remind them that this is the past. The book isn’t
trying to insult you or anyone you know. It is more trying to show how things
used to be.
I also feel
that replacing the n-word is pushing aside something that would be better to
not push aside. People still struggle with racism and if it’s more hushed up,
then it’s acknowledging the problem less. If anything, we should acknowledge
the problem more! This is how people get more comfortable with expressing the
issues that surround such things.
I understand what this article is getting at because in the book Huckleberry Finn uses the word slave a lot. If they had replaced the word slave with the N-Word, we would have a problem especially at home and in the classrooms. People especially students would take the meaning wrongful especially with non white students. We would see that young students would deem the N-Word appropriate in society when it is not just because the book said it. I am glad the teacher replaced the N-Word with slave otherwise we could see a big dilemma.
ReplyDeleteInteresting post and comments, 19cMonsters. One of the things we may need to look at on Thursday is when & where Huck uses the offensive n-word--and why.
ReplyDeleteOne might consider the ethnicity of the author, Gribben, and the cultural context of the school that this book is being taught in. Several factors are at play when reading a book with such loaded terms as Huck Finn, and in many ways I think that white privilege prevents whites from being able to fully understand the term's meaning, implications, and if we should use it or censor it or not. Maybe this issue should be completely put into African-Americans, and the less frequently mentioned, Native American's hands to decide. I think that your stance on the replacement of the word being a negative thing is good, but let's not forget the other point brought up in class in the video with Jay-z and Oprah. Maybe the conversation about censorship shouldn't be about whether or not to teach this book because it contains offensive language, maybe it needs to be about the power of words: who controls meaning? Can we/have we already changed the meaning of the word?
ReplyDelete