New Edition Of 'Huckleberry Finn' Will Eliminate Offensive Words

[cavegal]

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/01/04/132652272/new-edition-of-huckleberry-finn-will-eliminate-offensive-words?sc=fb&cc=fp

Saying they want to publish a version that won't be banned from some schools because of its language, two scholars are editing Mark Twain's classic Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to eliminate uses of the "N" word and replace it with "slave," Publishers Weekly writes.

The edition, from NewSouth Books, will also shorten an offensive reference to Native Americans.

A poll is at the end of article asking if OK to do this...

That makes this OK. 4.02% (344 Clicks)
 
It's still the wrong thing to do. 95.98% (8,222 Clicks)
 
 
Total: 8,566
I cannot believe I am watching this all around me. They are winning it seems.

[Chris_]

It doesn't work with movies... doing the same thing to books isn't much better.

[debk]

I read this book when I was a child and was quite fond of it.

I was taught by my parents that if I ever said the "n" word, I would not be saying it a second time.

[Splashdown]

Don't you love the irony when so-called "experts" completely miss the point of the entire novel?

(EW.com) -- 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.

link

[Eupher]

Don't you love the irony when so-called "experts" completely miss the point of the entire novel?
 

link

Oh, FFS.

This idiot clearly doesn't understand the word "classic" and what it means.

And yes, Splashdown, the ENTIRE NOVEL was a slam on bigotry and racism. That is precisely what Clemens wanted to portray. To remove the elements that created the theme of the book in come in line with PC does everybody a disservice.

Freakin' morons. 

[vesta111]

Oh, FFS.

This idiot clearly doesn't understand the word "classic" and what it means.

And yes, Splashdown, the ENTIRE NOVEL was a slam on bigotry and racism. That is precisely what Clemens wanted to portray. To remove the elements that created the theme of the book in come in line with PC does everybody a disservice.

Freakin' morons. 

For the love of the children get rid of Shakespire in the schools, and the old Testament while we are at it.  To be fair these people mean well but need to be educated themselves.  They have all ready messed with Nancy Drew to make her friend George more feminine.

They screwed with The Brothers Grimm to make it less frightening for the kids---Darn do kids even know the story of John Henry.

[Rebel]

It doesn't work with movies... doing the same thing to books isn't much better.

Kinda like watching "Friday" on TBS. Just isn't the same effect.

[Splashdown]

When will the experts remove the "N" word from popular rap songs?

[Eupher]

When will the experts remove the "N" word from popular rap songs?

They can't and won't do that for the simply reason that the "N" word in rap songs isn't "n****r", it's "n***a".

[NHSparky]

And don't forget the "bitches and ho's" references.  But nah, only I can be a misogynist.

[Freeper]

Beck was saying, they omitted the pirates from Swiss Family Robinson.
I knew we were doomed as a society when they edited the guns out of the hands of the cops in ET. 

[Ptarmigan]

I read this book when I was a child and was quite fond of it.

I was taught by my parents that if I ever said the "n" word, I would not be saying it a second time.

Same here. That's where I first saw the n-word. I know Huckleberry Finn is not a racist. He is just a product of his time.

[catsmtrods]

Its an attack on freedom of speech! How long before we have book burnings? This crap must stop.

[vesta111]

Its an attack on freedom of speech! How long before we have book burnings? This crap must stop.

Yup, this is also a challenge to change the Authors intent.  Sort of like trying to double guess the intent of the Authors that wrote our COTUS.    The Founders at that time wrote laws for the country in their time, what did they know about 300 years later.

To insist that these Authors were living in our day and age and could predict the future  is to cannibalise the Authors ideas and writings.

Sort of like my taking the diary's of my grandmothers and substituting what is offensive today to be politically correct in her time.

[Rebel]

And don't forget the "bitches and ho's" references.  But nah, only I can be a misogynist.

[Max]

Same here. That's where I first saw the n-word. I know Huckleberry Finn is not a racist. He is just a product of his time.

  Sad that now the children are becoming products of dumbed downed shallow idiots who will not learn from history so they will likely repeat it

[debk]

  Sad that now the children are becoming products of dumbed downed shallow idiots who will not learn from history so they will likely repeat it

What I don't understand, is that these people who are going nuts over Huckleberry Finn, or any number of other books - Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird, and The Diary of Anne Frank, are the ones that come to mind... seem to have no problem whatsoever, with rap music lyrics, blantant homosexuality, or teaching sex ed to kindergartners. I had read all four of these books before I was a teenager. My mother encouraged my reading.

My parents taught me when I was a small child to never say the "n" word. That was over 50 years ago!! I was taught that it was a nasty word, that I was never to repeat it, or to say it to someone. At the same time I was taught that, I was also taught that "kike" was never to be used.

The point is...my parents taught me that those were bad words, they were derogatory, nasty and unkind. It is our responsibility as parents to teach our children that those words are wrong. In today's world, they hear those words on the radio! The kids can "sing/say" the words to the song and it's ok, because the so-called songwriter wants the recognition, adulation, and MONEY they receive from the popularity of the song. Yet if the kid should say the word in a conversation that a teacher or other person of authority - or even just anyone in some instances - the kid's going to get hauled into the principal's office and end up with some sort of punishment for commiting a hate crime!

Remove the word from classic works of fiction, because the word may offend someone and the use of it perpetuates the "hate" behind the word. God forbid that it should offend someone.

Write it, sing it, rap it in a song....shower the individual with awards and money. It's ok because it represents the life of the individual who grew up in the 'hood? It's a "right" for that individual to say it! And it's ok for the kid in the half million dollar house to buy the recording, cause that's going to put cash paper money in the songwriter's pocket!

How is a parent supposed to explain the difference to their child?

They can't! If the word is wrong in one situation, it should be wrong in all situatons. If it's acceptable in today's songs, then it's acceptable it yesterday's books or movies. 



  Sorry for the rant, but this selective censorization really pisses me off. 

[Ptarmigan]

 Sad that now the children are becoming products of dumbed downed shallow idiots who will not learn from history so they will likely repeat it

I know. You ever seen the movie Idiocracy? We are heading that route.

What I don't understand, is that these people who are going nuts over Huckleberry Finn, or any number of other books - Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird, and The Diary of Anne Frank, are the ones that come to mind... seem to have no problem whatsoever, with rap music lyrics, blantant homosexuality, or teaching sex ed to kindergartners. I had read all four of these books before I was a teenager. My mother encouraged my reading.

My parents taught me when I was a small child to never say the "n" word. That was over 50 years ago!! I was taught that it was a nasty word, that I was never to repeat it, or to say it to someone. At the same time I was taught that, I was also taught that "kike" was never to be used.

The point is...my parents taught me that those were bad words, they were derogatory, nasty and unkind. It is our responsibility as parents to teach our children that those words are wrong. In today's world, they hear those words on the radio! The kids can "sing/say" the words to the song and it's ok, because the so-called songwriter wants the recognition, adulation, and MONEY they receive from the popularity of the song. Yet if the kid should say the word in a conversation that a teacher or other person of authority - or even just anyone in some instances - the kid's going to get hauled into the principal's office and end up with some sort of punishment for commiting a hate crime!

Remove the word from classic works of fiction, because the word may offend someone and the use of it perpetuates the "hate" behind the word. God forbid that it should offend someone.

Write it, sing it, rap it in a song....shower the individual with awards and money. It's ok because it represents the life of the individual who grew up in the 'hood? It's a "right" for that individual to say it! And it's ok for the kid in the half million dollar house to buy the recording, cause that's going to put cash paper money in the songwriter's pocket!

How is a parent supposed to explain the difference to their child?

They can't! If the word is wrong in one situation, it should be wrong in all situatons. If it's acceptable in today's songs, then it's acceptable it yesterday's books or movies.  



  Sorry for the rant, but this selective censorization really pisses me off.  

I have read all the books you mentioned. Catcher In The Rye was all over the place for me and could not follow it. To Catch A Mockingbird was a great novel. It is banned because of the n-word even though it involves defending a Black man wrongly accused by Atticus Finch. Also, the characters that used the n-word were a product of their time and they were just kids and did not know better. It is sad that the n-word is widely used in Hip-Hop and some think Hip-Hop is a form of Black self-hatred.

[compaqxp]

I know. You ever seen the movie Idiocracy? We are heading that route.

I loved that movie, and I would agree with you to a lesser scale.


When I hear about a book being changed or re-written in this way the only picture that comes to my mind is the Ministry of Truth.

[Max]

I know. You ever seen the movie Idiocracy? We are heading that route.

I have never even heard of the movie, but just now channel surfing it's coming on.  I'll watch it

[terry]

Next up for changes will be Tolkien's "The Hobbit"

I was reading it to my son today.  We got to the part when Bilbo, Gandalf and the dwarves arrive in the valley with the elves.  The elves sing a song that includes the verse..

O! What are you seeking,
And where are you making?
The faggots are reeking,
The bannocks are baking!
 O! tril-lil-lil-lolly
     the valley is jolly,
         ha! ha!

Now you and I know that it has nothing to do with anyone's sexuality, but like the word 'niggardly', the true meaning isn't relevant.

[BattleHymn]

The edition, from NewSouth Books, will also shorten an offensive reference to Native Americans.

Perhaps an editor from NewSouth can explain to me where they draw the line for something they find offensive.  A single word?  A paragraph?  The general theme of an entire story?

Mark Twain would have torn these guys a new pooper hole.  He was infamous for ripping into editors and those taking his dictations, for so much as changing a single word in his works.   

I'd present them with this to try on for size; a double whammy, the noble red man, and the Irish, all in one fell swoop):

Mark Twain 1871  Short Story "Niagara"
 

[littlelamb]

Just sad that they have to do it. I hate that PC is becoming the norm