NewSouth books is issuing a reprint of Mark Twain‘s novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn with two major changes. The N-word has been replaced with “slave,” and another derogatory term for Native Americans has been eliminated.
This famous story of a teenaged misfit and his travels with an escaped slave, Jim, has been at the center of controversy for its prodigious use of the racial epithet that appears in the book 219 times.
The book is considered to be a classic and to make any changes is — in the opinion of some — blasphemous. It’s already been banned from many schools and public libraries due to it graphic and racist storyline. Isn’t that enough?
The move is intended to counter the “pre-emptive censorship” that Mark Twain scholar Dr. Alan Gribben says has caused these important works of literature to fall off curriculum lists nationwide. “Race matters in these books. It’s a matter of how you express that in the 21st century,” explains Gribben.
The Mark Twain House and Museum offers education for teachers on how best to teach the book and its complexities. Education program manager for the museum, Craig Hotchkiss, said in a statement to MSNBC.com: “The purpose of literature is to get under your skin. To provoke and that’s what Mark Twain does. It isn’t a feel-good book. It’s a dark book but it’s worth reading because it’s timeless. It touches on very core American themes.” –brandi hart
