Has anyone read or heard about publishers editing Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn by omitting the “N Word” changing the derogatory slang to Slaves? The reason being that because the novel is on so many school’s banned books list that this change will allow more students to read it. I understand that the saying puts us back several generations, but yet it is still a word that is used today. This saying also stands as a testament to what was suitable at that time and a marking of history. Even though I have never read Huckleberry Finn I find it wrong to change an author’s work, and certainly not a classic such as this.
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I have heard about it. I just think it's wrong that they're changing it. It's as if they're changing history itself and trying to cover it up. I live in the ghetto so my whole life I heard the N word, both in derogatory and playful ways. But to change it in literature and a classic at that, it's just wrong.
I've heard about it. And I agree with you.
I also never really knew that and some others were banned. Some books that are on the banned lists are ones that I read for class in high school.
I agree. They should leave it as is. If we start changing classics, where will it stop?
I think it is wrong–it wasn't put it in there to be PC or even non-PC. It was written to reflect the times and how people spoke then. Honestly, in that particular book it is a teaching lesson too. It points out how unfair society can be and how social lines can be shown in numerous ways. I am worried about where all the PC and Banning is going. Art (no matter what form) has always been meant to expand your mind and unfortunately it appears that there are people trying to force a "one-way" thinking approach to society.
Whatever happened to using books as teaching tools and letting them lead to meaningful debate and discussion? Its a shame that there are people out there who are more worried about white washing history than learning from it.
One of those thing that require much debate. It is a shame that Huck Finn is banned. The original work should not be trifled with…