I don’t get on my soap box often here at Novel Novice — because really, this site is a forum for promoting books, education & a love of reading, more than anything else — but a bit of news today prompted me to speak up. Why? Simply put, because I am horrified.
As first reported in Publisher’s Weekly, NewSouth Books is planning to publish an edited version of Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn which removes all references to the dreaded “N”-word. Alan Gribben, a Twain scholar and the man behind the new edition, explains to PW:
This is not an effort to render Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn colorblind. Race matters in these books. It’s a matter of how you express that in the 21st century.
He goes on to explain that his non-“N” word edition will be more acceptable to parents who have protested use of the book in classrooms across the country for years, with that word being their primary complaint.
Gribben notes that not everyone will be pleased with his sanitized version:
I’m hoping that people will welcome this new option, but I suspect that textual purists will be horrified.
Yes, Mr. Gribben, I AM horrified. But not because I am a “textual purist.”
I am horrified because part of the invaluable lesson of reading Huckleberry Finn is learning how the “N” word was used in context during it’s time. We NEED books like Huck Finn to remain as-is and to be taught as-is (with that offensive “N” word included) so that kids learn WHY it’s inappropriate; why it’s hurtful.
Not only that, but to change the text to reflect “how you express [race] in the 21st century” (as Mr. Gribben says) defeats the purpose of those lessons. We NEED to read about how the “N” word was used during Twain’s time to understand why we DON’T use that word today. If you erase that word from the past, kids will no longer understand the reason why they should not use it today. Context is everything.
Meanwhile, news about the edited version has got people around the globe buzzing, and the phrase “Huckleberry Finn” has become a worldwide trending topic on Twitter all day. NPR noted this stand-out response to the news:
Learning the ‘N’ word from Huckleberry Finn taught me not to use it bc it was improper, so.. why the change?
A similar message is echoed by this Twitter user:
In new editions of Huckleberry Finn they’re replacing the N word w/ Slave. This is horrible. We can’t learn from history if it is censored.
That. That right there. That is EXACTLY why this new edition is so wrong, and why it is SO important for books like Huckleberry Finn to be taught in their original format.
The debate also brings up another important note: if you’re censoring classics like Huckleberry Finn, where do you draw the line? Another Twitter response notes:
They censored Huckleberry Finn. No more N word. What are they going to do with “to kill a mockingbird. Just erase the whole book.
And how about the message of Huckleberry Finn to begin with? The novel teaches tolerance. How is that a bad lesson? By removing the oh-so-scandalous “N” word that lesson is diminished. It becomes less important. People who complain that the use of the “N” word in Huck Finn is hurtful (as noted in the PW article) have clearly missed the book’s message.
And while we’re at it, if you want to censor someone for using the “N” word, how about you focus on the hip hop culture, which throws the term around as if it’s just another nickname. How is THAT okay? Maybe the folks using the “N” word in that capacity should read the original version of Huckleberry Finn for a lesson on what that word really means; why they should probably stop using it so casually.
I am just simply disgusted by this entire notion. Censorship is NEVER okay. And editing an offensive word from a book doesn’t make the word less offensive. You’re not erasing the word from a book; you’re erasing a valuable lesson in history, culture and the power of words. And that is the saddest part of this whole ordeal.
For the comments: Yes, this is a controversial, buzz-worthy topic … so as long as you’re polite and not crass, chime in with YOUR opinion on the matter.
Novel Novice 
I agree completely! Like you said, “We NEED to read about how the “N” word was used during Twain’s time to understand why we DON’T use that word today.”
I despise this book. I’ve always felt it was extremely overrated, and not as forward thinking as many claim it to be. I think Twain’s non-fiction travel writing was leaps and bounds better.
That being said….
This is a darn shame. Twain’s american vernacular and all the social / historical context that goes with it is why this book is studied in undergrad AND grad lit programs.
and as for sheltering young readers…we need to open their minds and teach them not shelter them so much they can’t learn to think past whatever idelogies they are raised with. that’s the whole point of lit.
Were we separated at birth? Because you just said pretty much what I thought. I had a horrible experience with it in grad school and I haven’t picked up Twain since. BUT, rewriting it is clearly assinine.
Amen! I agree with you completely! Do not censor this book!
Really? They’re censoring Mark Twain when practically every rap song uses the “n-word”, and it’s now a form of greeting? I can almost guarantee students hear that word walking down the hall every day – I know I did while in high school.
That’s why it’s so important that kids read about the origins of the word, and why it’s not ok to turn it into modern-day slang. Kids are already being desensitized to millions of things every day, thanks to modern media. Thank god my high school English teacher had a spine and wasn’t afraid to teach us things for fear of not being “politically correct”.
Honestly, I’m disgusted. 😛
I just heard about this yesterday and am so upset. How the book was originally written is a part of our history. We need this history to learn, grow, and move forward. By editing it, it’s like changing the history of what truly happened. This is not something that should be ignored or swept under the rug. It needs to remain in raw form.
BTW, I’ve heard that even his hometown and the museum will not carry the new additions. They don’t agree either!
I just learned that the responsible publisher is in Montgomery, Alabama. It really makes me sad that something like this is happening right here where such huge strides for Civil Rights took place. This seems like a huge step backward to me. I’m very disappointed. How can we learn from past mistakes if we refuse to acknowledge their existence?
I urge every sane person to boycott this censored version. If no-one buys it, the publishers lose a fortune and will hopefully get the message, otherwise I see a bleak future ahead for many classic works.