You know, I usually bypass subjects that are controversial in an effort to avoid criticism or conflict. But for some reason, this is just bugging me.
In a new, updated version of "Huckleberry Finn", the "N" word will be removed and replaced with the word "slave". Also, the word "injun" will be removed. This seems innocuous enough on the surface, and I can't exactly pinpoint why I have a problem with it. Maybe it's because it's Mark Twain, and nothing he wrote should ever be rewritten. Maybe I feel like people should just grow up and shut up and read literature in the context it was meant to be read. I don't know. Since I'm planning to be in the educational system (albeit in science), maybe this is just of particular interest to me.
My question is, will the original form of the book still be available? I'm guessing it will be, at least for a time.
Someone's comment on the story I read:
"What’s next? Since slavery makes people uncomfortable, Jim will be rewritten from a slave to a hired field hand? Twain knew what he was doing when he used the words he used and he did it masterfully. ...Twain wrote Jim’s character to point out to us our own uncivilized ways."
There are many great arguments to both sides.
So in the end I am torn. Should we change the book so that schools will allow it and students have access to this literature? Is the story still the same with the language changed?
I spoke to my undergrad lab student about this briefly, knowing that she wouldn't be offended by my asking her opinion on the matter (she is African-American). She feels like it doesn't pack the same punch to tell a story of that time period without the actual language that was used during that time.
Anyway, though it seems very wrong to change classic literature just to make people feel "more comfortable", I'm left without a clear opinion on the matter I suppose.
Just goes to show that nothing is truly black or white, so to speak.
I guess you wouldn't have been a big fan of Thomas Jefferson's version of the Bible, haha.
ReplyDeleteI would imagine the original version would always be around in some form. I think that whatever publishing company publishes the new version can publish it however they want. The only way to stop something as silly as this, in my opinion, is for people to ignore and not buy the new version of the book. If it's a big hit, however, then good for the publishing company. I would imagine anyone wanting to read it in order to really understand what Mark Twain was writing would just get the old version, though.
I don't think there should be any public schools (at least not any that I have to pay for; I ain't got no kids), so, in an ideal world, the decision on whether or not a school uses an old or updated version would be left to the individual schools. With the public school system, however, I'm not really sure what the best step would be. If I were on a school board, there is no way I would vote to allow the old version. I'd rather avoid the criticism and any potential lawsuits.
I meant to drop a comment yesterday when I read this, but mostly I just want to say that I think feeling ambivalence about this is totally normal, and the fact that they're changing anything mark twain wrote is totally detestable. Of course the word was relevant at the time, and was meant to leave an impact on those that read it - both then and now. I'm glad you reached out and asked friends (black and white). Discourse is exactly what Mark Twain would have encouraged!
ReplyDeleteThe bigger issue is the need to have revisionist history. The fact that Huck Finn is an indictment of the social attitudes of the times will be lost with the new version. The new version is a testament to the fact of our inability to be willing to think beyond the literal anymore. Thinking isn't encouraged.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2011/01/the-unspeakable-in-its-jammies/69369/
ReplyDeletefollow up post. thoughtfully written.
oh, nice. thanks everyone for your comments and thanks cristin for the follow up. will check it out :)
ReplyDelete