Huck Finn Censored
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Huck Finn Censored: Changes To Classics Prompts Dicussion
New edition replaces N-word with 'slave' in Mark Twain's books about Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn New edition replaces N-word with 'slave' in Mark Twain's books about Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn
By CRYSTAL MALDONADO, Hartford Courant January 5, 2011
Experts at the Mark Twain House & Museum are discussing whether they should buy a pending new edition of "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer."
Why is it an issue? The combined volume of the classics, to be published in February, has been censored.
Twain scholar Alan Gribben and Alabama's NewSouth Books have replaced the n-word (used 223 times between the two books, according to Gribben) with the word "slave"; changed "Injun" (in reference to "Injun Joe") to "Indian"; and altered "half-breed" to "half-blood."
But Gribben told The Associated Press his intention is to provide an option for teachers who refuse to use the book because of its controversial nature. The American Library Association, which lists the "Top Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books" of each year, most recently included "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" in 2007.
Because of its use of the n-word, the book has been dubbed a racist by some people.
"The criticism comes because people read the book literally and superficially," said Craig Hotchkiss, education program director for the Twain House in Hartford.
"Dr. Gribben's … intention is good. He's a Twain scholar. He wants his work taught," said Jacques Lamarre, director of communications and special projects for the Twain House. "Unfortunately, in removing the n-word, you remove the essential discussion … about racism."
Just 7,500 copies of the books will be printed for purchase through bookstores.
Lamarre said the Twain House is still discussing whether to add the book to its shop.
"It's always our first choice that people read the books as Mark Twain wrote them," he said. "He wrote them in a way that he felt was appropriate for the story that he was telling, appropriate for the time period and appropriate for the attitudes toward race that he was raised with back in the mid-1800s. … [but] Dr. Gribben is very purposeful in what he's doing. What he's responding to is something that we are challenged with — how to keep the book in schools."
Would reading an altered version of the text hinder the students' interpretations? Hotchkiss thinks so.
"They'd be losing the unromantic presentation of Southern civilization. They would be losing the power of the stigma of that word," he said.
East Hartford High School English teacher Mary Meggie said she will continue to use the unabridged version of "Huckleberry Finn."
"We have a large minority population, and our students are always prepared [about the content]. They accept what they read. … They do understand how it was used then," said Meggie, who has no plans to purchase an altered copy of Twain's work.
"Many times kids will start reading the book and ask, 'What's the part that they're upset about?' They are not really even sure why it is controversial because they're so immune to being offended by things."
Neither Hotchkiss nor Lamarre could say whether there would be an increase in schools using "Huckleberry Finn" or "Tom Sawyer" because of the alterations, though both agreed that the changes have, at the very least, encouraged people to talk about Twain's work — even if they are controversial.
"Name me a book of great literature that doesn't offend somebody," Hotchkiss said.
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They missed the "white picket fence", I think.
Now it will be "the old doesn't have a color fence".
Liberals are like an out of control homeowners association.
Everybody has to have the same mailbox, can't have a camper in their garage or yard because
people who don't like campers will be offended...
Censoring Huck Finn is just another little power grab over... something else. Stupid.
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They missed the "white picket fence", I think.
Now it will be "the old doesn't have a color fence".
Liberals are like an out of control homeowners association.
Everybody has to have the same mailbox, can't have a camper in their garage or yard because
people who don't like campers will be offended...
Censoring Huck Finn is just another little power grab over... something else. Stupid.
They missed the "white picket fence", I think.
Now it will be "the old doesn't have a color fence".
Liberals are like an out of control homeowners association.
Everybody has to have the same mailbox, can't have a camper in their garage or yard because
people who don't like campers will be offended...
Censoring Huck Finn is just another little power grab over... something else. Stupid.
But your neighborhood description sounds the total opposite of the description conservatives give of Obama's voting base. I thought none of them lived anywhere close to ANY neighborhood that would have a homeowner's association.
Wouldn't those associations be in the areas where the whites did their flight to and isn't that the reason they have those rules? To keep his type of people out? Wouldn't his base, according to the descriptions I hear on the radio, more likely have rent control associations?
I can't understand what power is being grabbed by doing this.
Sometimes when you guys to try insult non-conservatives you make absolutely no sense.
On the other hand I think Samuel Clemens would roll over in his grave to hear of editing his books.
Leaving the word in is too controversial for including it in a high school curriculum and let's not pretend that conservatives aren't frothing at the mouth to have ABSOLUTE control over curriculum content in schools.
So you can say "liberals" blah, blah, blah, but this is a phenomenon that crosses partisan lines.
To include the "N" word in school curriculum would probably reinforce "liberal" political agendas about the history of African Americans in this country and the real connection that word has to their history.
I'd like to hear the Texas curriculum boards discussion about the unedited version being part of school curriculum.
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People fail to realize is that history only repeats itself if you don't learn from it.
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Dog : " To include the "N" word in school curriculum would probably reinforce "liberal" political agendas about the history of African Americans in this country and the real connection that word has to their history.
"
And that is.......
WSS
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Dog : " To include the "N" word in school curriculum would probably reinforce "liberal" political agendas about the history of African Americans in this country and the real connection that word has to their history.
"
And that is.......
WSS
Dog : " To include the "N" word in school curriculum would probably reinforce "liberal" political agendas about the history of African Americans in this country and the real connection that word has to their history.
"
And that is.......
WSS
Seriously?
Gee whiz.
Maybe that the "N" word is so closely tied to the time when blacks were slaves and even the Clemens' story partly illustrates the conditions they lived under.
And maybe that's why the evil PC nazi's have trouble with the "N" word, and wouldn't it just be like our public schools to brainwash our students with reasons why our country is evil instead of the greatest nation on the face of the Earth.
Didn't you know that stuff already though?
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Honestly, Steve. I know you like to lay traps, but pretending not to know the connection between the word and its history is a bit much.
The idea that it should carry the same weight as the word "hillbilly" is just a little bit dense.
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Heck translation:
"The "N" word is very, very important to ban, because a lot of black folks vote for Democrats.
The "H" word - who cares, they probably mostly vote Republican.
Our policy is to protect our base, at all costs..."
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Who says I'm for banning the N word? I'm not for banning any words.
You guys seem to be upset that you can't use it the way they do in the rap videos, and don't get why it's different when black people use it. Well, if you don't think it is different, or should be different, by all means, go ahead and use it. No one is stopping you.
Feel free.
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Although its only as an alternative to the historical books, it still is upsetting that once again someone has to try and change history. This just in, Blazing Saddles has been remade and they are using the word slave instead of the N word so it will be suitable fo the 3D bigscreen. Can you imagine that, I cant!
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I think they should have the N word banned during February, Black history month. Everybody of every race who feels the urge to use the N word should instead use the word slave. You'd have to admit it might make February one of the most hilarious months of the year.
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Heck translation:
"The "N" word is very, very important to ban, because a lot of black folks vote for Democrats.
The "H" word - who cares, they probably mostly vote Republican.
Our policy is to protect our base, at all costs..."
Heck translation:
"The "N" word is very, very important to ban, because a lot of black folks vote for Democrats.
The "H" word - who cares, they probably mostly vote Republican.
Our policy is to protect our base, at all costs..."
Does that imply that we should use the N word whenever possible to appease the conservative voting base?
Great logic.
Funny!
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It was just a dig at Heck, who demeaned "Hillbilly" as not a slur like the "N" word is.
that's all.
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It was just a dig at Heck, who demeaned "Hillbilly" as not a slur like the "N" word is.
that's all.
It was just a dig at Heck, who demeaned "Hillbilly" as not a slur like the "N" word is.
that's all.
Do you mean hillbilly is just as powerful because people of Appalachian heritage were bought and sold like livestock, when they escaped they were chased down and returned in irons to have their skin lashed off their backs, their women were used as breeders, family members were sold away from their families, they were kept in near unlivable conditions yet forced to work or be whipped?
Well I think it's like Heck said go ahead and use it any way you want.
What's funny to me is people who get upset about people saying "Happy Holiday!" are often the same people who can't understand why a very large group of American patriots, many of which who have fought and died for this country prefer that people don't use that word. It seems to me that people like these Happy Holiday haters just want to be oppositional and find stuff they can bitch about to make themselves happy. Which makes me look kind of stupid myself right now. But that's OK. I can handle it.
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I guess I knew - or should have known - this article would spur discussion in a direction other than the original intent. That is, should a piece of art be 'sanitized' according to certain moral standards.
I believe this book should not be sanitized since it is a classic work of literature and sanitizing the work in this way detracts from the context of the time in which it was written and the perspective from whit it was written.
Maybe we should put pants and panties on all those cherubs.
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Honestly, Steve. I know you like to lay traps, but pretending not to know the connection between the word and its history is a bit much.
The idea that it should carry the same weight as the word "hillbilly" is just a little bit dense.
Honestly, Steve. I know you like to lay traps, but pretending not to know the connection between the word and its history is a bit much.
The idea that it should carry the same weight as the word "hillbilly" is just a little bit dense.
What I know, Heck, is that there is no minority in the world who hasn't been put upon in the past.
I also understand that North American slavery ended in the mid 19th century and that it has been practiced by many races and nations worldwide.
Still happening in some.
I also know that the left has tried to criminalize anything that might be offensive to a key voting bloc.
No secret there.
The right has a problem with state sponsored blasphemy but I don't see any effort on your part to stop that.
Wrong voting bloc?
But of you (or anyone) seriously believe that word is the worst in the known world and should be purged from all literature and speech you really ought to at least mention it to your hip hop coalition.
And if you think the outrage is over the top what's the gripe again?
WSS
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I am the whitest nigga on the planet. Can I use it? And yes I have rhythm, like fried chicken but yet dislike grape kool-aid. Interesting.
As Dave Chapelle said, "just cuz i eat chicken and watermelon they think there is something wrong with me...
let me tell ya something if you don't like chicken and watermelon something is wrong with you something is wrong with you...
where are all these people who don't like chicken and watermelon"
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So to Heck and Dog.
Should Kos be fired from his new job because of this post?
WSS
www.westsidesteve.com www.myspace.com/westsidestevemusic www.cdbaby.com/artist/westsidestevesimmons -
This is beyond dumb.
I'd expect you to have a smarter take on this than Cal's "People get offended in order to win votes from a key voting group." I mean, that's just clueless. It's like you've never talked to anyone who isn't you.
And smarter than "Slavery ended in the 19th century, and lots of minorities have it tough, so it should be the same as 'hillbilly.'"
And smarter than "When blacks say it in hip hop it's okay, so what's the deal?" Do we really have to explain why there's a double standard here? Really?
What about calling Jews "kike"? Jews seem to be doing okay these days. The Holocaust was longer ago than segregation and Jim Crow. What's the big deal, right?
Again, Steve, if you feel held back by not being able to use the word "N*****", go ahead an use it. Contrary to what you're suggesting, it's not been "criminalized". So again, fire away.
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This is beyond dumb.
I'd expect you to have a smarter take on this than Cal's "People get offended in order to win votes from a key voting group." I mean, that's just clueless. It's like you've never talked to anyone who isn't you.
And smarter than "Slavery ended in the 19th century, and lots of minorities have it tough, so it should be the same as 'hillbilly.'"
And smarter than "When blacks say it in hip hop it's okay, so what's the deal?" Do we really have to explain why there's a double standard here? Really?
What about calling Jews "kike"? Jews seem to be doing okay these days. The Holocaust was longer ago than segregation and Jim Crow. What's the big deal, right?
Again, Steve, if you feel held back by not being able to use the word "N*****", go ahead an use it. Contrary to what you're suggesting, it's not been "criminalized". So again, fire away.
This is beyond dumb.
I'd expect you to have a smarter take on this than Cal's "People get offended in order to win votes from a key voting group." I mean, that's just clueless. It's like you've never talked to anyone who isn't you.
And smarter than "Slavery ended in the 19th century, and lots of minorities have it tough, so it should be the same as 'hillbilly.'"
And smarter than "When blacks say it in hip hop it's okay, so what's the deal?" Do we really have to explain why there's a double standard here? Really?
Actually unless you're illiterate too I suggest that you take issue with fellow Democrats for their regular use of the worst word in the world.
What about calling Jews "kike"? Jews seem to be doing okay these days. The Holocaust was longer ago than segregation and Jim Crow. What's the big deal, right?
Not a big enough voting bloc and they seem to be concerned more with real issues than screaming aobut bad names.
Honoree Farrakhan at Obamas old church supported seperation. Is that different from Jim Crow?
Again, Steve, if you feel held back by not being able to use the word "N*****", go ahead an use it. Contrary to what you're suggesting, it's not been "criminalized". So again, fire away.
So Heck has now used the word.
Should he be fired?
WSS
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