Poll: Mark Twain censored. New copies of Huckleberry Finn to replace usage of the 'n-word'

[Something Amyss]

But that's how they talked back then. You can't change dialogue like that.

Sure you can. We modernise language all the time. It's a frequent issue. Does anyone still use the word "Darkies" in "My Old Kentucky Home?"

The question is more whether we should, and I think there's a lot of potency in Huck Finn that will be lost if we do this. I understand trying to be "sensitive," but it's kind of like erasing the Trail of Tears because you don't want to offend natives. Seriously, it paints a stark picture that I don't think should be softened. This was about a very anti-black time period in the South and life within it, and I think the use of "******" helps to drive that home.

Book banning, however, is a force that will not go away. So I guess the question is: Is it better to have a neutered Twain classic or no Twain classic? Since this is a response to the way Huckleberry Finn is frequently removed from cirriculum and libraries across the US, it seems well-intentioned enough.

But personally, I dislike compromise with whack jobs, and that's what I consider the censorship squad to be.

 

[Caligulust]

It's only one publisher, though.

So it's ok? What if other publishers try and do this? Where is the threshold when it stops being ok? What if every publisher suddenly decides to do this?

I'll tell you where the threshold is. It's at zero. Why? Because right now if they censor the book it means that it's possible to do. If they don't, it serves as an example of 'This cannot be done.' And it's a goddamn righteous example of not being able to muffle one's free speech. Even if the one in question is under six feet of dirt.
What this also does is diminish the artistic value. I could rant on but I gotta go play some Left 4 Dead...

When did I say that made it alright? I only said it was just one publisher. I mean, it wasn't required that all copies be printed with the replaced words.

I wasn't saying it was alright, I was more or less saying that it was just one

 

[UltraParanoia]

"The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug." -Mark Twain

The downfall has to start somewhere. When we start censoring history to make it easier to consume for younger generations, that's when you know civilization is finished. From removing Winston Churchill's cigar from his mouth, to taking "******" out of ****** Jim, we are doomed.

 

[Jerious1154]

If you're going to blame somebody here blame the school-districts. Read the article. The publisher said that the reason he's doing this is so that schools who have refused to include the book in their curriculum because of the n-word will re-introduce it. The real censorship happened years ago when these schools pulled the book. It's better that the kids there read a version without the n-word than not read it at all. It's less authentic, but it's something.

 

[octafish]

A lot of people seem to be saying that it is the way they spoke back then, no, it's the way racists spoke back then, and that is kind of the point of the book. Huck Finn is a racist little fucker, it's not really his fault, it's the way he is raised, but it's there. However despite his prejudices, after spending time with Jim on the raft, he realises Jim's worth as a human being and decides to condemn himself to hell to save Jim. (Chapter 31 of Huck Finn really gets to me.) I think the book would be weaker without the word, because Huck Finn is about race, not about slavery.

 

[jumjalalabash]

Fucking hell there is a lot of stupid shit this week.

Edit: Also damn that is the most one sided Escapist poll ever.

 

[Anarchemitis]

"It cannot be that the word '******' ever existed. Let us purge the universe of its knowledge, so shall it be that it becomes an unword."
"Yes, Chief Beatty."

 

[kakaomasse]

pc is not the solution by itself...covering shit means that shit is still there.
tho i dont know why i anger:d i dont even like this book however, faking literature and history is always a crime.

 

[Ham_authority95]

Why? Doing this would be blocking out common-place language(racist language, but language nonetheless) from that time period.


There's more hateful, bigoted stuff in fucking Shakespeare, but they choose this?

 

[Enigmers]

I thought a pretty big message behind the book was that racism was maybe not really a very nice thing back then. Doesn't covering up the racism kind of defeat the purpose?

 

[blackbirdlore]

It's public domain, why is everyone pissed? You can read the un-edited version for free. Hell if a writer wants to add zombies to it they can, which would be awesome.

Edit: I believe there was a version of Darwin's Origin of Species by creationists that adds footnotes saying how wrong he was, so yeah that's worse I guess...

The problem- or point, depending on your point of view- is that these will be books given to schools that previously did not have them in their curriculum due to the problem of offensive language. The point, then, is that a classic work of fiction will now be available to all schools. The problem, obviously, is that the students will not receive the full immersion and effect seeing as how much of the "colorful" language will have been modified.

 

[inFAMOUSCowZ]

I had to read the book over the summer for school, and while I didnt like it, you cant the words like that. That book involved racism, so changing the words would ruin the book even more so.

 

[Steve Dark]

Wow, stats at the time of writing put it as 0.9% (4) to 99.1% (420) against. I don't think the Escapist has EVER voted so unanimously on something as it has here.

And on top of that, we all voted for the intelligent (at least I think so) answer. Good job everyone.

 

[standokan]

We had the same thing back in Holland a little time back, in holland we have this chocolate foodsnack thing which was called (litteraly transalated) N###er kisses, it was called that way since chocolate is black etc etc, back then the N-word was a regular word, well the N kisses got changed to kisses because people were offended, which is sad because its like a national thing but times have changed and the N word is no longer appropriate, that's why they should get the N word out of the book BUT they should put on the first or last page in the book that originally the N word was used.

 

[Geekosaurus]

This is disgusting.

 

[Syntax Man]

ANY kind of censorship is a fucking crime, you can't change history, that's how people talked back then and altering a fucking classic isn't going to change that.

 

[Faladorian]

Oh, yeah definitely makes sense. Now how about we take all of the Holocaust books and replace "Damned Jew" with "buddy." C'mon buddy... you don't have to die if you don't want to, it's okay.

Historical ignorance ftw

 

[Superior Mind]

This seems more an attempt to erase the misdeeds of the past than protect the sensibilities of the present. I imagine to the publishers of Huckleberry Finn the frequent use of the word '******' was a constant reminder about how, yeah, that's what dicks white folk were back then. Mark Twain wrote period pieces and to erase the kind of language that was used wrecks the whole bloody point of what makes Twain's books great.

Fucking grow a pair NewSouth.