Upcoming NewSouth 'Huck Finn' Eliminates the 'N' Word

[Banacek]

(Put this in P&R just to be safe)

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/45645-upcoming-newsouth-huck-finn-eliminates-the-n-word.html?utm_source=Publishers+Weekly's+PW+Daily&utm_campaign=74671e6e20-UA-15906914-1&utm_medium=email

Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a classic by most any measure—T.S. Eliot called it a masterpiece, and Ernest Hemingway pronounced it the source of "all modern American literature." Yet, for decades, it has been disappearing from grade school curricula across the country, relegated to optional reading lists, or banned outright, appearing again and again on lists of the nation's most challenged books, and all for its repeated use of a single, singularly offensive word: "nigger."

What do you think of this?

[evilgoodwin]

No sir, I don't like it.

[Superman's Dead]

Can't agree with it. If a kid can't understand the point, he isn't ready to read the book.

[J Arcane]

This displays so much ignorance of what the hell the word was doing in there in the first place it's staggering.

Particularly given Twain's commitment to authenticty, especially as it pertained to the vernacular of the time, this maneuver amounts to historical revisionism.

[Narradisall]

Particularly given Twain's commitment to authenticty, especially as it pertained to the vernacular of the time, this maneuver amounts to historical revisionism.

What he said. :D

[Kelegacy]

As a lit graduate this is ridiculous. Do. Not. Touch. Our. Classics.

[fitbabits]

I'm getting sick to my back teeth with overly judicious namby-pamby-ism.

[National Kato]

First, it's only one small edition of this book. Other, more respected, publishers will leave it in, no doubt, since they respect the text and author.

Second,

Gribben grew up without ever hearing the "n" word ("My mother said it's only useful to identify [those who use it as] the wrong kind of people") and became increasingly aware of its jarring effect as he moved South and started a family. "My daughter went to a magnet school and one of her best friends was an African-American girl. She loathed the book, could barely read it."

Depowering a story by cleansing it of any subject, term, or situation that offends only results in the reader losing out....and ultimately, missing the point of its inclusion in the first place.

[Banacek]

http://www.cabrillo.edu/~jhancock/coda.html

[Banacek]

First, it's only one small edition of this book. Other, more respected, publishers will leave it in, no doubt, since they respect the text and author.

Second,



Depowering a story by cleansing it of any subject, term, or situation that offends only results in the reader losing out....and ultimately, missing the point of its inclusion in the first place.

Right, you're supposed to loathe the word. That's the whole point of the book. I think the biggest part is that Huck would still use that word when talking about his friend. If he calls his friend 'slave' while trying to free him then that whole point is lost.

[burger]

Pardon the pun but this country has become a slave to political correctness and diversity to the point where it's crippling us (yeah I'm looking at you Obama).

Literature contains murder, rape, theft, racism and other forms of violence or immoral behavior. Are we gonna ban them all? Just because that subject matter or in this case that one word is in the book doesn't mean we condone it.

[National Kato]

Pardon the pun but this country has become a slave to political correctness and diversity to the point where it's crippling us (yeah I'm looking at you Obama).

At least now we know why Banacek decided to put this thread in P&R.

[burger]

At least now we know why Banacek decided to put this thread in P&R.

As opposed to General Gaming? :p

[National Kato]

As opposed to General Gaming? :p

Well, that would certainly make it more obvious when you blame a presidential administration for a 69-year old Twain scholar's misguided decision to remove the words 'nigger' and 'Injun' from an American classic. At least we won't have long to wait until a new administration is in place and all censorship is only a memory.

[burger]

when you blame a presidential administration for a 69-year old Twain scholar's misguided decision to remove the words 'nigger' and 'Injun' from an American classic.

A think tank comprised of the world's brightest and most creative minds couldn't possibly come up with a greater misinterpretation of my post even if they were given 100 years.

You sir are amazing!

I wasn't blaming Obama for this...how in god's name you came to that conclusion. I was citing the fact that Obama himself is a manifestation of this nation's obsession with diversity, etc.

Slow down...take a deep breath...take your time when you read people's posts. ;)

[National Kato]

I was citing the fact that Obama himself is a manifestation of this nation's obsession with diversity, etc.

Oh, because America elected Obama because he's black? Got it, much more on-topic.

[muddi900]

Oh, because America elected Obama because he's black? Got it, much more on-topic.

You know, they say sarcasm is the lowest form of humour, but that's because they haven't read this.

[National Kato]

You know, they say sarcasm is the lowest form of humour, but that's because they haven't read this.

I try my best.

On-topic, since this is in the public domain it's less a sign of censorship than one publisher's desire to offer a version they believe will be used more by those who cannot see past the two terms. I feel it's a failed gesture, but perhaps the attention it gets will cause some young people to seek out the 'complete' version when it comes time to read this spectacular story.

[muddi900]

Here is the free, uncensored version, btw:

http://www.feedbooks.com/book/71/the-adventures-of-huckleberry-finn

[AntonThaGreat]

These people need to STFU and GBTW.

What business do they have touching what they do not understand?

Further, they should not be teaching what they do not understand either.

[Ox]

It's a rare issue indeed where I endorse J Arcane's view word-for-word.

[DoctorFinger]

They're also changing the guns to walkie talkies.

[Ox]

They're also changing the guns to walkie talkies.
And the raft is a hybrid.

[evilgoodwin]

"Instead of whitewashing a fence, since nobody knows what that is, we're updating it for 2011. Now they walk dogs."

Calling it now.

[Banacek]

Personally I can't wait to read about Lennie and George growing old together on their farm.

[evilgoodwin]

Oooo, what about when O'Brien realizes that he can't stop Winston's and Julia's love, and decides to dissolve the government so that everyone can be happy?

[Ox]

Don't forget when Greenpeace intervenes to save the White Whale.

[muddi900]

Goddammit Ox, I am reading Moby dick!

Also...Han shot first.

[Bone]

At least they still let the kids smoke and chew tobacco in this version.

[Deadend]

Wouldn't the new terms throw off sentence flow in many places?

Whatever, it's a public domain book, I'm sure there are at least a dozen worse edits done to the book by previous publishers.

At least Slave is a term that gets across societal position, if it had been African-American, that would just stick out poorly and the term wouldn't match at all.

But I'm happy with the book, as Burger is angry and thus invokes Obama because of it. (feelsgoodman.jpg)

[Narradisall]

Also...Han shot first.

Actually in the new censored edition, Han talks it out with Greddo and they come to realise that they got into the world of smuggling due to their father issues. They then hug it out and go their seperate ways.

Ofc this leaves Luke stranded on the planet where the Imperials track him down and murder him thus allowing the empire to rule, but thats not what the films were really about anyway.

[DoctorFinger]

I still think the edit is the wrong decision, but after reading this (http://www.patspapers.com/story_stack/item/editor_says_huck_finn_complainers_hypocrites/) I'm starting to soften a touch. The editor makes 2 points.

1) that Huck Finn has been overwhelmingly removed from high school reading lists because of the inclusion of nigger in the text. He thinks it's an important book which should be taught more, and this is - in his mind - the only way that will happen going forward, either by supplying a "sanitized" version or forcing a discussion of the original.

2)...
“One thing that has amused me about it is that in the e-mails that take me to task for substituting the word ‘slave,’ not one of these hotly worded e-mails has mentioned the n-word. ... They won’t say the word, and they won’t write the word.”Calling someone a nigger is wrong. Using it in the context of this discussion - at least among adults - is not.

[J Arcane]

We don't say it, professor, for the same reason Twain did.

The fact that it's a nasty word is part of the point. Twain's book, in fact, is heavily influential in why we consider it so in the first place.

That post just makes it clearer that the professor in question has been wasting the past 40 years of his life on a book he doesn't understand.

[National Kato]

I have to admit, despite my disagreement with the decision by this publisher to edit the text, I've heard from many of my friends who teach kids over the past couple days and they all seem to say the same thing: "This is actually a good thing, because every attempt to use the text or excerpts in class has been denied. Now we can introduce kids to Twain's classic."

I'll admit I don't know what kind of acrobatics occurs behind school walls when proposing class plans, reading lists, and curriculum. If this gets the book into more classrooms as a result, maybe it will at least allow the discussion to take place and open up some young minds.

[J Arcane]

I guess things have changed more than I might've expected in 10 years.

I read it as a class assignment in High School.

[Ox]

I sometimes encounter the n-word and similar profanity in a professional capacity. I'll admit I was uncomfortable repeating it at first, but bowlderizing a legally crucial statement does my clients no favors.

Still, I don't use it in astract discussions of the term, only direct quotes. I was going to say 'only when it's needed', but that's a slippery definition right there.

[TheFlyingOrc]

We don't say it, professor, for the same reason Twain did.

The fact that it's a nasty word is part of the point. Twain's book, in fact, is heavily influential in why we consider it so in the first place.


Umm....the word didn't have anywhere near the negative power then that it has now. Yes, it was a belittling term, but it was able to be used in casual conversation.

However, trying to Bowdlerize (hey, you're awesome, Firefox spellcheck!) the first great anti-racism book of racist words is ridiculous.

Not as bad, though, as those who try to get To Kill A Mockingbird taken out of schools. The book is an anti-racist screed from page 1, and it's only used in the context of evil characters. Guess what, it's really hard to write an accurate portrayal of racists if they don't say "nigger" every once in a while. They are the bad guys, they can do bad things.

[Ultima Thulian]

I'm pretty much in agreement with J Arcane, but I'd be willing to make the following compromise: how about when dealing with books that may have sensitive subject material for those below a high school level, inform the parents and have them sign a consent form? That way, nothing potentially offensive is being read to the student, and those whose parents allow their children to read it can do so without unnecessary editing. It's utterly shallow.

[evilgoodwin]

That would involve parents getting involved and require an alternate teaching plan for those whose parents are sticks in the mud.

[muddi900]

I think if anyone is to blame, its the PTA.

[Ox]

Y'know, I'll say this: I'm not apoplectic about books being excluded from high school libraries. You think 14-year-olds aren't going to get why "Huck Finn" uses the n-word? That's not insane to me. They are going to read "Lady Chatterly's Lover" for reasons other than appreciation of literature? Okay. School libraries aren't there to provide access to all forms of the written word. Lots of books have to be excluded for space reasons if nothing else, and it's not crazy to pick based on content.

If parents think their little rugrats are old enough for this stuff, they can drive the kid to the big-boy library.

[Kelegacy]

Some people shelter their children too much.

[JayK47]

We should not need to change books to get them into the schools. We need to change the schools to get the books into them. It's a slippery slope. Another classic butchered. One of the reasons I do not want to have kids is having to deal with schools. The schools in this country are total shit and are not preparing our future generations for anything besides free handouts.

[evilgoodwin]

That's why I'm going to take complete advantage of the next few generations when I'm an old, crafty con-artist. They'll never know what hit them.

[MagGnome]

This displays so much ignorance of what the hell the word was doing in there in the first place it's staggering.

Particularly given Twain's commitment to authenticty, especially as it pertained to the vernacular of the time, this maneuver amounts to historical revisionism.

I couldn't agree more. They were discussing this on MPR the other day and interviewing the guy who edited the book. The whole thing really upsets me. Twain is surely rolling over in his grave.

We read Huck Finn in highschool, and Twain's choice of language was an important part of the discussion. Some students were so bothered by the language that they refused to read it (or so they said), but that's their loss.

[MagGnome]

And the raft is a hybrid.

I'm in tears, Ox! Tears! :D

[johnperkins21]

I'm conflicted about this. If it gets the book into more people's hands, and they discover how awesome Twain is, that's a good thing. On the other hand I abhor censorship. I would prefer that they left the language in, and just waited until kids were at least sophomores in high school before introducing them to the book. By then they should be able to handle some salty language in a somewhat adult manner.

[National Kato]

Last night, Jon Stewart had a good segment on this issue (http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-january-11-2011/mark-twain-controversy). I thought a point brought up by Larry Wilmore was pretty spot-on: changing the word 'nigger' to 'slave' not only defies Twain's intent, but it's factually incorrect. Jim wasn't a slave anymore. He ran away from slavery. As Wilmore said, 'he can't run away from being a nigger.'

[Kelegacy]

Last night, Jon Stewart had a good segment on this issue (http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-january-11-2011/mark-twain-controversy). I thought a point brought up by Larry Wilmore was pretty spot-on: changing the word 'nigger' to 'slave' not only defies Twain's intent, but it's factually incorrect. Jim wasn't a slave anymore. He ran away from slavery. As Wilmore said, 'he can't run away from being a nigger.'

Just further proves this twain scholar has wasted his life studying something he doesn't remotely comprehend. It's hilarious in its irony.

[MagGnome]

Last night, Jon Stewart had a good segment on this issue (http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-january-11-2011/mark-twain-controversy). I thought a point brought up by Larry Wilmore was pretty spot-on: changing the word 'nigger' to 'slave' not only defies Twain's intent, but it's factually incorrect. Jim wasn't a slave anymore. He ran away from slavery. As Wilmore said, 'he can't run away from being a nigger.'

That segment is spot on. This censorship is ridiculous, and not even accurate at that. What's next?

The word "nigger" is critical to the entire meaning behind the novel. To replace it completely destroys Twain's intent.

[TheFlyingOrc]

That segment is spot on. This censorship is ridiculous, and not even accurate at that. What's next?

The word "nigger" is critical to the entire meaning behind the novel. To replace it completely destroys Twain's intent.

Especially in my version, where I changed it to Faggot Jim.

It's a very different read.

[Matthias]

You'd think he could at least come up with a more "sayable" derogatory word... like "blackie". I mean that's a ridiculous suggestion to make, but it's a ridiculous situation in the first place.

[MagGnome]

Especially in my version, where I changed it to Faggot Jim.

It's a very different read.

Coincidentally I always read your name as FlyingDouche. :p

[TheFlyingOrc]

Coincidentally I always read your name as FlyingDouche. :p

that actually enhances accuracy tho

[OUX]

Hmmm, yeah lots of social blah blah blah. Anyone know if anyone in New South has financial interests in Twain biographies? I assume this is a cheap media stunt to boost the sale of his bios so people that are clueless can "inform" themselves as to whether Clemens was a racist and make the right choice regarding this at cocktail parties.

[carnage11]

If only ol' Marky Mark Twain would have known what rap stars in the 21st century would be saying thousands of times an hour...

They should just change the word to 'nigga'. Something tells me it'd put a whole new spin on the book.