We all had to read Mark Twain’s “Huckleberry Finn” in high school, it has been part of the curriculum for decades now even after many movements to get it banned. But now NewSouth Books is producing an edition that takes out the “N” word and replacing it with “slave” in a move that changes the entire tone of the book and takes away from the affect it has. The move is to encourage younger children to read the book and to promote the book without having to deal with the issues the word brings up. This is a horrible move that censors a masterful piece of literature that is meant to raise awareness in race and the word in the context of the times.
Most kids read this book late in high school, at a time when they’ve already learned about slavery and should know enough that things haven’t always been this way and society’s views change. By that time most of them have seen many rated R films anyways and this would not nearly be the first time they have heard this word. What it probably would be the first time they hear the word used back when it was a part of everyday speech and accepted by everyone. They should notice the difference in how the word is treated in the book and how it is treated in their lives. That’s part of the reason I felt we read the book; to see how society changes by seeing how Huck’s relationship with Jim changes throughout. We need to see that the word has no real meaning in the end.
Let’s stop trying to erase the horrible things we’ve done as a society and pretend they never existed. These things need to be discussed and need to be in our education to show that we made mistakes in the past and have since move on. The word is tossed around in that book because it was based on a time when it was a part of everyday culture. We can’t go back and start changing the past to suit the needs of the present.
I do realize that not all editions printed will be this way but just the fact that we think we can go back and change classic literature to suit a wider demographic is just appalling. Will it stop there though? Maybe ”Romeo and Juliet” should be changed as well. Juliet is just 13-years-old in the play but still manages to fall deeply in love, runaway from her parents and eventually commit suicide. We’ll have to make her a 31-year-old woman who lives on her own and peacefully tells her parents she has fallen in love with their mortal enemies’ son.
Taking out bits of our culture that could offend some people is changing the past to suit our needs now is very dangerous. It happend and it was written that way let’s not deny what we know and instead learn from it all.
What do you think about all this? Do you remember reading this in high school? Share with us your thoughts.
