Erasing the N-Word in Huck Finn Erases History
January 6, 2011, 10:36 pm
In the past few days, the news and internet have been buzzing with talk of a new version of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Auburn University professor Alan Gribben’s new edition of the book replaces the N-word, which is used 219 times, with the word “slave.” According to Gribben, many readers cannot get past Twain’s use of the N-word to understand the commentary he is making about American racism. Gribben may have a point. However, Huck Finn was published in 1884, and with it Twain was pointing out the complexities of racism and prejudice in 1840s Missouri by depicting life as it was. As Twain wrote, Jim Crow laws were being passed throughout the South, denying civil rights to Africa read more at the Chronicle of Higher Education:
This was novel. I wish I could read every post, but i have to go back to work now… But I’ll return.
Essential article but a few more images would make it better