Taking Considerable Many Resks

I learned today that NewSouth Books out of Alabama is going to be releasing new versions of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. These books are now in the public domain and available for editing by anyone. With the aid of Dr. Alan Gribben of Auburn University, this new single volume edition will not contain the words "nigger" or "injun." I am going to specifically address the former word.

I cannot say it aloud. I can't. It felt strange to even so much as type it and it's bothering me now, just sitting up there in quotes. It's a horrible word used over centuries to demean and dehumanize a group of people. And sweeping it under the rug will not kill its power but it will make us less able to face it head on. Dr. Gribben has referred to his editing as "preemptive censorship" because it will allow schools that are afraid of allowing their students to read Huck Finn to have a less offensive option. He has also said that he wants to provide students with a way to have a literary discussion about Huck Finn without distraction. Since when has talking frankly about language been a "distraction" in a literary discussion? And why shouldn't a conversation about a book turn to the topics of the history of slavery and the evolution of our language? If something is difficult to talk about, it's probably necessary to talk about it.

Erasing the n-word from Twain's great works is not "preemptive censorship" but active censorship and it lessens the impact of his language. Other words were in popular use and Twain could have chosen those but he didn't--he chose the one with the greatest impact. The language in Huck Finn is supposed to make you uncomfortable. It helps you question the circumstances of its constant use (219 times). It creates a startling disconnect between Huck's clear affection for Jim and his use of the n-word in reference to Jim.

Children and young adults hear this word in the music that they listen to, the movies that they watch, and possibly even out of the mouths of their friends. With its rampant use in pop culture, it's more important than ever that students are able to discuss its roots in an educational setting with a teacher prepared to address their concerns over its use and to explain its history.

To erase the n-word from a literary work that illustrates its common and casual use in a time when some humans weren't considered, well, human just because of the color of their skin is abhorrent. It's glossing over an important piece of our history in order to make some people feel better about reading a good book.

Deal with your discomfort. Confront our nation's shameful past. Learn from both.

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"I reckon a body that ups and tells the truth when he is in a tight place, is taking considerable many resks."
-The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain