Mark Twain’s "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" To Remove The 'N' Word! Agree? Disagree

[Brian Damage]

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%27s+PW+Daily&utm_campaign=74671e6e20-UA-15906914-1&utm_medium=email

What is a word worth? According to Publishers Weekly, NewSouth Books’ upcoming edition of Mark Twain’s seminal novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn will remove all instances of the “n” word—I’ll give you a hint, it’s not nonesuch—present in the text and replace it with slave. The new book will also remove usage of the word Injun. The effort is spearheaded by Twain expert Alan Gribben, who says his PC-ified version is not an attempt to neuter the classic but rather to update it. “Race matters in these books,” Gribben told PW. “It’s a matter of how you express that in the 21st century.”

[Penny Lane]

As much as I detest racial slurs I don't believe in changing or altering an authors written word.To me that's as bad as book burning! We have to remember that in those days that was their way of speaking. Even in the Little House books Laura speaks of some people's opinions of Indians as "The only good Indian is a dead Indian".(Which Pa didn't agree with) She just wrote what was spoken at that time.These books are classic statements of life in those times. I wonder when someone will alter her books?:eek:

[LUNCH]

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The effort is spearheaded by Twain expert Alan Gribben, who says his PC-ified version is not an attempt to neuter the classic but rather to update it. “Race matters in these books,” Gribben told PW. “It’s a matter of how you express that in the 21st century.”
What that so-called Twain 'expert' said is a bunch of nonsense.Political correctness(censorship) has NO place whatsoever when it comes to classic books,tv shows or movies.Or for that matter most things.--How come the PC crowd don't go after something like Rap 'music' for example? They only want to censor what THEY think is wrong.--Show me someone who is politically correct and I'll show you a phony,and a liar.What really needs to be censored is,,,,, political correctness.

[old grouch]

My question is: How would Mark Twain feel about his work being tampered with??? True, we live in a different time, but 'Huckleberry Finn' is still a piece of literature.

[sunshinefizzy]

That's like repainting the Mona Lisa because someone didn't like the fact she didn't have eyebrows. Leave a masterpiece alone!!!

[JamesG]

Disagree. Works of art shouldn't be touched.

[Brad]

Ridiculous. Exactly what year did we become wimps in America? Whitewashing the past will not make it go away.

[MrCleveland]

Ridiculous. Exactly what year did we become wimps in America? Whitewashing the past will not make it go away.

This might sound weird but...Whoopi Goldberg agrees with you. We might as well call crackers 'saltines' or something else since it's a slur towards whites.

[Marvo301]

I disagree. Twain wrote his characters lines exactly the way people in Mississippi would have spoken at that time. These PC changes would make the book less authentic. The only one who has the right to change even a single letter of this book is Twain himself!

[MickeyMac]

I have never read this book before, but I am not going to read it now.


This world has gotten way too PC, its ridiculous.

[Crimson and Clover]

Disagree. Leave the books as they are.

[Retro4Life]

You can't put a collar on someone's creative work. Even if Twain had intended that usage as a slur (which he obviously didn't), he still has the right to use it, or any other word.

If you object to it, the way to protest this type of thing is to simply not buy the work in which it is contained.

[catlover79]

Political correctness has gone WAY too far. Leave the book alone!!!! :mad:

[Courtnee]

Mark Twain only included the N word to shine a light on society at the time. He basically wanted people to see how stupid racism in general was. If you take the word out, the book loses a lot of depth.

Taking the word out is like taking the Holocaust out of Anne Frank, the rabies out of Old Yeller, or Harry Potter without magic.

[Doodyville10019]

Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer are more than just books - they are works of classic literature engrained in this country's fabric for generations.

The way Twain wrote was the way people spoke at that time - LEAVE IT ALONE!

[dlemond]

No one has the right to alter one word of that book except Twain himself.
And that would be quite a feat.


You can wussy up the future, but you can't change the past.
Leave it alone sissies.

[Janice]

Great, after this, they can get working on removing the bigoted remarks on All In The Family and The Jeffersons.

[Dragonflies]

I loathe censorship of any kind. Mark Twain was expressing the kind of things said in the era of the book.

I hate the N word but it's in the book for a reason, not just for the sake of being in there

[Shine]

Mark Twain only included the N word to shine a light on society at the time. He basically wanted people to see how stupid racism in general was. If you take the word out, the book loses a lot of depth.

Taking the word out is like taking the Holocaust out of Anne Frank, the rabies out of Old Yeller, or Harry Potter without magic.

Nicely put, Courtney. :)

[Shine]

I love this book and would be pretty upset to see it censored. I'm not a big fan of the N word either, but its in the novel for a reason because that is the way many spoke back then.

[Rezny@gmail.com]

What's next?Taking the N-word out of the 1960 book version-which in my opinion is a real classic-of "To Kill a Mockingbird"?

[Retro4Life]

Mark Twain only included the N word to shine a light on society at the time. He basically wanted people to see how stupid racism in general was. If you take the word out, the book loses a lot of depth.

Taking the word out is like taking the Holocaust out of Anne Frank, the rabies out of Old Yeller, or Harry Potter without magic.

Very well said. :clap

[biffbronson]

There's a precedent of sorts for this type of thing, but the example I'm thinking of wasn't publicized: Newer editions of Hugh Lofting's classic The Story of Doctor Doolittle have been altered to remove or change passages in which a black prince wished he were white in the original. IIRC this change was made through Lofting's heirs.

I'm just of the opinion that the books should be left alone -- there's more to be learned from historical context and children asking questions than to try to eradicate everything - in most cases it's actually is more of an historical curiosity than truly offensive. People need the whole picture if they're really interested in learning.

[Stuck In The '70's]

Wasn't there an episode of Family Ties that spoke of removing books from the library including Huck Finn? It's sad that things haven't changed over the years. You don't mess with a classic.

[Marvo301]

Wasn't there an episode of Family Ties that spoke of removing books from the library including Huck Finn? It's sad that things haven't changed over the years. You don't mess with a classic.
Yes! Family Ties did have an episode about this issue. It was a 2 part episode called "Read It and Weep". Jennifer does a book report on Huckleberry Finn for her American Literature class. But Huckleberry Finn is on the banned book list because of the use of the "N" word. Jennifer is told to report on another book instead. She refuses and gets suspended. The Keaton family goes to the school board to fight censorship and Jennifer's suspension.

[Stuck In The '70's]

Yes! Family Ties did have an episode about this issue. It was a 2 part episode called "Read It and Weep". Jennifer does a book report on Huckleberry Finn for her American Literature class. But Huckleberry Finn is on the banned book list because of the use of the "N" word. Jennifer is told to report on another book instead. She refuses and gets suspended. The Keaton family goes to the school board to fight censorship and Jennifer's suspension.
Thanks Marv. I thought there was even though I haven't seen that episode in over 20 years. As I remember, even Alex supported her. lol

[Shine]

Thanks Marv. I thought there was even though I haven't seen that episode in over 20 years. As I remember, even Alex supported her. lol

Yes, there was. There was also an episode of The Facts of Life which dealt with book banning.

[browneyes106]

I agree with others the book should left alone. The guy spearheading the campaign who claims to be a scholar needs to realize the authors of the past were writing about situations and how society was at the time.

[Marvo301]

Thanks Marv. I thought there was even though I haven't seen that episode in over 20 years. As I remember, even Alex supported her. lol
You're right. Alex did support her. So did Mallory. And of course Steven and Elise supported her as well.

[PlayOn]

wow. the world is getting more stupid by the minute.

[JayTN]

What that so-called Twain 'expert' said is a bunch of nonsense.Political correctness(censorship) has NO place whatsoever when it comes to classic books,tv shows or movies.Or for that matter most things.--How come the PC crowd don't go after something like Rap 'music' for example? They only want to censor what THEY think is wrong.--Show me someone who is politically correct and I'll show you a phony,and a liar.What really needs to be censored is,,,,, political correctness.

Very well said...I agree 100%.

Books are a reflection of the era in which they were written. When Mark Twain wrote "Huckleberry Finn", the so-called 'N-word' was used frequently (and if people think that word is not used by non-black people today, think again). Personally, I don't think censorship of any kind has a place in a society that values the free expression of different ideals.

[Family Ties Forever!]

I think books should be left unaltered. I doubt an author would include a word in a book if he or she didn't feel it was necessary.

You're right. Alex did support her. So did Mallory. And of course Steven and Elise supported her as well.

Yes, they all supported Jennifer. Andy asked what banned meant. Jennifer explained it to him, but he didn't understand. He asked again and Alex gave an even more complicated definition. Jennifer remarks, "Now I don't know what banned means." Followed by Andy: How do you thin I feel? I'll never know." lol.