NewSouth Books, a publishing company in Montgomery, Ala., has announced its plan to release a new edition of Mark Twain’s universally recognized and brilliant novel “Huckleberry Finn” sans the words “nigger” and “injun.” This censored edition by NewSouth will replace the word “nigger” with “slave.”
The word “nigger” appears in the “Huckleberry Finn” 219 times. The first printing of this censored version of Twain’s tour de force will be a modest 7,500 copies, according to NewSouth. And although this is a small amount of printings, the message being sent to 21st century American youth is large and cannot be further from wrong or better devalue the significance of Twain’s novel.
The novel, as it was written, reflects the time period it was published and the American sentiment about the relationship between black and white people in pre-Civil War America — when African-Americans were still not considered citizens at all, but property and chattel. Twain knew who he was writing for and what he was writing about having spent his formative years in former slave state of Missouri and worked as a newspaperman in his adult life. He was well acquainted with plantation life, slave life and the English vernacular of African-Americans in Missouri. He demonstrates this with an explanatory paragraph that is present at the beginning of “Huckleberry Finn.”
The explanatory paragraph by Twain states, “In this book a number of dialects are used, to wit: the Missouri negro dialect; the extremist form of the backwoods South-Western dialect; the ordinary “Pike County” dialect and the modified varieties of this last.” Twain goes on to write, “The shadings have not been done in a hap-hazard fashion, or by guess-work; but pains-takingly, and with the trustworthy guidance and support of personal familiarity with these several forms of speech. I make this explanation for the reason that without it many readers would suppose that all these characters were trying to talk alike and not succeeding.”
Knowing his genius would be seen as lowbrow bigotry in printed form Twain had the foresight to make his intentions known even in a time when the most cosmopolitan and politically progressive American was likely to over look his persistent use of the word “nigger.”
“Huckleberry Finn” was written to combat the racist and bigoted attitudes of Americans — both black and white — during Reconstruction. This is a seminal moment in our nation’s history.
In his novel Twain wrote about the growing friendship, loyalty and brotherhood between a black man and white child; a concept nearly 100 years ahead of its time. Until 1954 the United States made laws that prohibited even black and white children in the same classroom together, let alone an adult and child. The relationship formed between the novel’s protagonist and namesake, Huck Finn and the slave he rescues and befriends, Jim, has shades of a father-son and brother-brother connection that is indicative of the strong bonds between family and the strength of human affection regardless of the melanin — or lack thereof — in a person’s skin. These are the ideas Twain struggles to convey to a public that largely believes otherwise in a time period when it is en vogue to belittle and degrade black people.
Many scholars of American literature, history and culture have called this book what it is: a master piece of the highest order and one worthy of the privilege of being taught in our high schools and universities. Ernest Hemingway called “Huckleberry Finn” the “source of all American literature.” T.S. Eliot called it “a masterpiece.” George C. Carrington Jr. wrote that it “is generally acknowledged as one of the three authentic masterpieces of American fiction” alongside Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick” and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter.” Twain gave himself a back-handed compliment when he said of his novel it is “a book people praise and don’t read.” Perhaps Twain knew the fate of his novel nearly a century in advance.
Surely, some prefer not to be reminded of what the social climate of the United States was like in 1884 when this novel was first published; that our country had just fought a war with itself over — among other things — the freedom and independence of black Americans in our country. But that does not change the past we come from, the future we seek or the present we make.
“Huckleberry Finn” has consistently appeared on the United States most challenged and challenging book lists, has been relegated to optional reading lists in high schools and universities or egregiously banned from institutions of learning altogether, over the novel’s use of the word “nigger.”
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “nigger” in three ways: a black person, a member of any dark-skinned race or a member of a socially disadvantaged class of persons. It dates back to the 16th century and has been in circulation in the English language longer than the first novel ever published (Daniel Defoe’s “Robinson Crusoe” was the first novel published in 1719). The term “nigger” ranks as one of the most wretched and vile words in the thralls of language. The word “nigger” is beyond the simply profane; it is hurtful and scourging to the psyche in a way that borders on criminal. But it also is found in the work of other literary geniuses such as Joseph Conrad and Charles Dickens. Are we to stricken the word “nigger” from their literary efforts as well?
The word “nigger” was given its venom from the tongues of our grandfather’s grandfathers and remains among us today as a reminder. It reminds of us of how far we have come in race relations, the unity we have formed in the years since The Civil War and where we might fall to if we do not remain vigilant, careful and caring. Vigilant to educate our children about the use, misuse and history of the word “nigger,” careful to develop a scholarly tongue and sensitive nature about the word “nigger” and caring enough not to shy away from the conversation and bold enough to resolve our nation’s confrontation with the word “nigger.”
Have I made you uncomfortable with my persistence use of the word “nigger” throughout this essay? If so, ask yourself why and let’s start there. Regardless, the continued use of one foul word amongst the million in the English language should not prevent students — our children — from appreciating the unabridged version of what is considered by the rationally natured human being, an American classic. Our nation is too strong and come too far socially to be held back by a single word, a single harsh sentiment, a single fear.
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suckermom 1 year, 4 months ago
Why are we Americans doing everything we can to change or totally do away with our heritage and history? When I was a child, "the word" was offensive. (I was just censored by this paper for using the n word). Today, it has become an important part of my history and education as a black woman in America.It has been the choices America has made to become a better nation that makes us great. By removing "the word" and injun from a classic like Huck Finn, we are erasing traces of the evidence of our evolution. ("Injun" is allowed) Removing some of the darker traces of our American history makes us vulnerable to repeating those mistakes and bad judgments. LEAVE HUCKLEBERRY FINN AND ALL OF SAM'S, I MEAN MARK TWAIN'S, WRITINGS ALONE! And for that matter leave 50Cent alone too.
dargus 1 year, 4 months ago
The surest way to repeat the mistakes of the past is to sanitize them from our history. Yes, humans have done some shameful things, but let's try to learn about them in the proper context so we fully understand them.
krizpykid 1 year, 4 months ago
I'm 16 years old and iv'e been following this pretty closely i am african-american but this book is part of our culture and heritage. We as Americans should welcome the insight it provides us with viewpoints and perceptions from back than. We learn from the past we don't hide it away. I'm not saying be proud of this book but cherish what it gives us so that we don't make the same mistakes as our forefathers