Saying they want to publish a version that won't be banned from some schools because of its language, two scholars are editing the book to eliminate uses of the "N" word and replace it with "slave. The edition, from NewSouth Books, will also shorten an offensive reference to Native Americans.
So much for letting kids be exposed to controversy so that controversy can be confronted and explained.
Or you could just handle it like the TV show, The Family Guy.
http://familyguy.wikia.com/wiki/N-Word_Jim
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/01/04/132652272/new-edition-of-huckleberry-finn-will-eliminate-offensive-words?sc=fb&cc=fp
I totally agree with you, Matt, and this is not the first time Mark Twain has been monkeyed with to protect tender ears. Way back in the 1960s some college professor completely rewrote the ending of Huckleberry Finn the way he thought Mark Twain would have done it, if he'd just been a little more enlightened.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, this sort of thing is what gives "political correctness" its bad reputation.