Edition removes N-word from Mark Twain classics

[GG]

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Mark Twain wrote that "the difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter." A new edition of "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" and "Tom Sawyer" will try to find out if that holds true by replacing the N-word with "slave" in an effort not to offend readers.

Twain scholar Alan Gribben, who is working with NewSouth Books in Alabama to publish a combined volume of the books, said the N-word appears 219 times in "Huck Finn" and four times in "Tom Sawyer." He said the word puts the books in danger of joining the list of literary classics that Twain once humorously defined as those "which people praise and don't read."

"It's such a shame that one word should be a barrier between a marvelous reading experience and a lot of readers," Gribben said.

Yet Twain was particular about his words. His letter in 1888 about the right word and the almost right one was "the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning."

The book isn't scheduled to be published until February, at a mere 7,500 copies, but Gribben has already received a flood of hateful e-mail accusing him of desecrating the novels. He said the e-mails prove the word makes people uncomfortable.

"Not one of them mentions the word. They dance around it," he said.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/40917583/ns/today-books/

This, just is not right!

[custosnox]

Now that is a book burning I would attend.  This is nothing more than saying that history is offensive, so we are going to change it.

[Red Arrow]

How can we learn from history if we change the written record of it.

A word here, a word there.  What's next?

[custosnox]

A word here, a word there.  What's next?

My name is Ishmal, and you may call me by it.

[heironymouspasparagus]

It's called revisionist history and it is alive and well in so many areas of American life today.  Always has been.  Just about everything taught in school is subject to the effect - the winner gets to write the history books, after all.  At least for the last couple hundred years, anyway.

Luckily, reality IS available, just so hard to find amongst all the crap.

[Red Arrow]

My name is Ishmal, and you may call me by it Susan.

[Ed W]

Another example of revisionist history is the phrase "war of Northern aggression" as used by some Confederacy apologists. 

What other fiction books could be changed to better reflect modern sensibilities?  The library "banned books" list would offer some good ones.  Let's start with Shakespeare for egregious acts of witchcraft, murder, and cross dressing.  Even movies offer some candidates.  Luke Skywalker putting a long lip lock on his sister?  Gone.  Or maybe we should cut all the violent scenes from 'The Wild Bunch.'  It would be about 30 minutes long.

Books and movies could come with a label stating "Sanitized for your protection."

[Townsend]

[Conan71]

I wan't my "N-word" damn it!

[patric]

Another example of revisionist history is the phrase "war of Northern aggression" as used by some Confederacy apologists.

That's actually a period term, like "the late unpleasantness" and others to describe the war until the term "civil war" became common.

But the sentiment is valid -- sanitizing history is an abomination, and devalues the lessons we have learned.
Clemen's aim was to use the word to frame slavery in a shameful way, using literary license to invoke shock and disgust. Take it away, and the work looses it's meaning (as well as it's historic value as an anti-slavery writing).   

[heironymouspasparagus]

It was a state's rights issue and the states lost.  Probably the first large scale "setting aside" of the Constitution for 'expediency'.

[Conan71]

It was a state's rights issue and the states lost.  Probably the first large scale "setting aside" of the Constitution for 'expediency'.

If we'd have elected Strom Thurmond in 1948...

[Townsend]

Next thing you know the "they" will want to change all the language in the bible...

[heironymouspasparagus]

Wouldn't have helped - almost 100 years too late.  1861.


And now we are starting to hear the phosgene gas injected into Arkansas is killing all the birds and fish.  And probably causing the rash of earthquakes around Little Rock. 

[Conan71]

Wouldn't have helped - almost 100 years too late.  1861.


And now we are starting to hear the phosgene gas injected into Arkansas is killing all the birds and fish.  And probably causing the rash of earthquakes around Little Rock. 

No I'm quite certain it's the black helicopters.  The birds ran into the blades