A thread about political correctness and publishing . . .

[kenny]

this thread is NOT NOT NOT about racism.
Let's NOT go there!!!!
Keep the discussion off racism and this thread will not be deleted.

This about how political correctness, and censorship influences publishing and the rewriting of history.

Publisher of Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn, NewSouth Books, has just published a version of the classic with the N-word replaced by the word, slave.

Good idea?
Or bad?

http://ireport.cnn.com/blogs/ireport-blog/2011/01/04/in-other-words-or-maybe-not?hpt=C2

 

[Missy]

Re: A thread about political correctness and publishing . .

bad, very bad.

 

[Prana]

Re: A thread about political correctness and publishing . .

I could go either way on this one. While I personally find the N word, used by anybody, very offensive, it is part of history. Is it necessary in the book? No. Does taking it out of the book make the book any less good? No. But it does take away a part of its accurate history, I guess.

ETA: I don't think it should have been removed, because history is history-take it or leave it.

 

[Missy]

Re: A thread about political correctness and publishing . .

I don't think censorship is OK.
Next we will be rewriting history and the holocaust never happened...no, it's a dangerous and slippery slope IMO.

 

[ForteKitty]

Re: A thread about political correctness and publishing . .

The n word makes us uncomfortable because it was a very bad time in our history. By removing it from literature of that period, it's like pretending it didn't happen. Their intention may have been about political correctness, but i dont think it helps our society as a whole when future generations forget about what really happened.

 

[Missy]

Re: A thread about political correctness and publishing . .

ETA: I don't think it should have been removed, because history is history-take it or leave it.

i dont think it helps our society as a whole when future generations forget about what really happened.

Exactly. It's a deliberate attempt to change context.

 

[swimmer]

Re: A thread about political correctness and publishing . .

Well, its not accurate.

As Twain wrote of the book: "Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot."

 

[Kaleigh]

Re: A thread about political correctness and publishing . .

Bad idea. Mainly because you do this you rewrite something that has already been seen by millions, you can't rewrite history. It is what it is, and should be left alone. The N word I am not comfortable with... I know many african americans that are more comfortable with it's usage. BUT this word was used so it should not be changed. You can't change what happened in the past. You may wish to do so, but that's wishing upon a very big star.

 

[Missy]

Re: A thread about political correctness and publishing . .

A wise person once said those who forget history are doomed to repeat it
We should never forget and we cannot make pretty what is/was very ugly. Nor should we want to for the very real fear of forgetting...

 

[Amber St. Clare]

Re: A thread about political correctness and publishing . .

NO NO NO NONO

To re write the book is to re write history. The book was written in a specific period in history. To tinker with that is to begin to mess with facts that make people uncomfortable....and that makes ME uncomfortable......The past needs to be out there for all to see--warts and all no matter how ugly certain facts are.

 

[yssie]

Re: A thread about political correctness and publishing . .

I could go either way on this one. While I personally find the N word, used by anybody, very offensive, it is part of history. Is it necessary in the book? No. Does taking it out of the book make the book any less good? No. But it does take away a part of its accurate history, I guess.

ETA: I don't think it should have been removed, because history is history-take it or leave it.

This, exactly. We can pretty it up all we want but it doesn't change what *is*, or what *was*. May as well admit to it all and learn from it.

 

[dragonfly411]

Re: A thread about political correctness and publishing . .

Time for me to collect all of the classics before they are re-written.

 

[lulu66]

Re: A thread about political correctness and publishing . .

i just wanted to put in an "i agree" with the sentiments everyone has already expressed. very slippery slope, i'm afraid.

i'm actual curious of the publishers reasoning. is it completely based on "political correctness" or are they standing on something else too?

 

[kenny]

Re: A thread about political correctness and publishing . .

I wonder whether Huck Finn is banned from some school libraries because of that explosive word.
If so, the publisher may be doing this to increase sales by returning them to libraries.

I don't know this.
I'm just speculating.
I have found defaulting to, "follow the money" often solves puzzles.

 

[Imdanny]

Re: A thread about political correctness and publishing . .

Terrible idea. You don't re-write Mark Twain unless your brain is the size of a pea.

 

[ksinger]

Re: A thread about political correctness and publishing . .

It's assinine.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Re: A thread about political correctness and publishing . .

I was listening to a debate about this on the radio this morning.

I do not feel the N word is appropriate in any current context or use (rap music, slang, etc). However, this isn't a current incident. This was a book written at a time and about a time where our culture and society were very different than they are today. Mark Twain used the word for a specific reason to convey a particular meaning and evoke a particular feeling. He didn't choose to use it lightly, I'm sure. The word is appropriate in this historical and literary context and to remove it or change it to "slave" would totally change the meaning of the story and take away some of the power of the story and the lessons taught in it. Besides, the N word and slave are not synonymous, so how is referring to any black person (fictional or otherwise) who was not a slave as a slave any more politically correct?

It's unfortunate that parents and children are uncomfortable with and unwilling to read the book because of the N word. I think the fault doesn't lie with Mark Twain and his use of the word, the fault lies with the teachers, administrators and parents in Alabama. Focus should be placed on the word and why it was used. Address the use of the word prior to reading it. Find a way to make it an example in a lesson about why the word shouldn't be used and why it's hurtful instead of just pretending it's not there or refusing to read it all together.

In my opinion it's a bad idea to censor (which is what they're essentially proposing to do) any literary work. If this happens then what's stopping people from censoring other literary works, like Catcher in the Rye or Lolita, or not teaching about WWII because the subject of the Holocaust or Hitler/Nazis are too offensive to some of the students and parents.

 

[elrohwen]

Re: A thread about political correctness and publishing . .

The n word makes us uncomfortable because it was a very bad time in our history. By removing it from literature of that period, it's like pretending it didn't happen. Their intention may have been about political correctness, but i dont think it helps our society as a whole when future generations forget about what really happened.

+1

 

[Tuckins1]

Re: A thread about political correctness and publishing . .

I feel that it is important to keep the literature exactly as it was written. It is a reflection of the time that the story was written and illustrates what life was like back then. Period.

 

[chemgirl]

Re: A thread about political correctness and publishing . .

I don't think censorship is OK.
Next we will be rewriting history and the holocaust never happened...no, it's a dangerous and slippery slope IMO.

I agree that the book shouldn't be changed and censorship in general is not OK. Its what worries me about having a Kindle rather than paper books. It seems like it would be much easier to control content with digital media, or to remove content entirely.

OT, but I find it interesting how people always talk about how we need to teach about the holocaust (we should) when we learn nothing about other mass killings of similar magnitude in the last century. It seems like history in schools has already been rewritten, or at least edited.

 

[dragonfly411]

Re: A thread about political correctness and publishing . .

I just purchased a 1985 hard back edition of the book.

 

[princesss]

Re: A thread about political correctness and publishing . .

I feel that it is important to keep the literature exactly as it was written. It is a reflection of the time that the story was written and illustrates what life was like back then. Period.

I completely agree. If we can't look back at our faults and the uglier parts of our history, how can we improve? I think it's really important to give kids a sense of context, too. This is where we were (good and bad), this is where we are (good and bad), now let's try to figure out where we're going.

 

[partgypsy]

Re: A thread about political correctness and publishing . .

I agree, bad idea for all the reasons mentioned above. Very 1984-like.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Re: A thread about political correctness and publishing . .

I agree, bad idea for all the reasons mentioned above. Very 1984-like.

As a mother two young boys I would want them to read books as they were originally written. If they do not see the N word in context, they may not understand the connotations of it. I'm not sure how liberal Seattle (and vicinity) is considered, but as far as I've seen, nobody at my kids' school have raised issues about any books and if the boys have questions, I answer them best as I can. Maybe they already removed all the "questionable" books from the school library. lol I guess I should go check. I doubt they have.

 

[swingirl]

Re: A thread about political correctness and publishing . .

If so many people think it's a bad idea where are all those who want total political correctness and censorship of our history? Are they just not willing to post?

 

[that_someone_special]

Re: A thread about political correctness and publishing . .

So will there be two copies available? Kind of like an R rated movie, and then the R rated movie "on tv" with bleeps and cutting scenes?

I suppose I would care more if the older version was never ever going to be produced again, but it still is right? Or did I read that wrong?

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Re: A thread about political correctness and publishing . .

If so many people think it's a bad idea where are all those who want total political correctness and censorship of our history? Are they just not willing to post?

They're not willing to post. PS has become a place where if anything remotely lacks PCness, all hell breaks loose!

 

[kenny]

Re: A thread about political correctness and publishing . .

If so many people think it's a bad idea where are all those who want total political correctness and censorship of our history? Are they just not willing to post?

They're not willing to post. PS has become a place where if anything remotely lacks PCness, all hell breaks loose!

Good point.
Group-think certainly IS a problem here.

But in this case the majority are arguing against PCness.

I think PCness was the reason in this publisher changed Twain's words.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Re: A thread about political correctness and publishing . .

I agree, bad idea for all the reasons mentioned above. Very 1984-like.

As a mother two young boys I would want them to read books as they were originally written. If they do not see the N word in context, they may not understand the connotations of it. I'm not sure how liberal Seattle (and vicinity) is considered, but as far as I've seen, nobody at my kids' school have raised issues about any books and if the boys have questions, I answer them best as I can. Maybe they already removed all the "questionable" books from the school library. lol I guess I should go check. I doubt they have.

MC the report I was listening to said the issue came out of Alabama. The book wasn't being taught in classrooms because children and parents were offended by the use of the word.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Re: A thread about political correctness and publishing . .

If so many people think it's a bad idea where are all those who want total political correctness and censorship of our history? Are they just not willing to post?

They're not willing to post. PS has become a place where if anything remotely lacks PCness, all hell breaks loose!

Good point.
Group-think certainly IS a problem here.

But in this case the majority are arguing against PCness.
PCness had to be the reason in this publisher changed Twain's words.

Exactly, we, who posted, are against removing it b/c the concept of PC has gone overboard and we want to keep history in tact (feeling respecting literature as it was as PC).

However others may feel that it's PC to remove it to reduce the chances of students being offended.

There are a couple different takes on the definition of PC (IMO) so it is a fine line in our society. Or maybe that is how I take it? If someone does feel it's better to remove it because they feel its PC, is it safe for that person to post here on our highly opinionated forum(s)???

The person may be scared to!