Maggie's Page

A response to Francine Prose's "Why is 'Slave' Less Offensive?

In the introduction to the online debate in the New York Times, the author mentions how a new edition of Huckleberry Finn removes all usage of "nigger" in order to help students "absorb the book". I disagree that the word prevents gaining the full understanding of the book. The only justifiable change in a classic piece of literature is to summarize it for grade school textbooks. The novel should not be changed and then printed in its entirety ever. An essential part of the novel is the word “nigger” and the history it invokes. I don’t believe that Huck Finn is complete without the word and the controversy it brings.

Prose states that the “time and care Mark Twain put into choosing the words Huck Finn and those around him speak” should not be tampered with. He deliberately chose the words that are used in the novel and they must have some intentional meaning. Changing his words ruins the image or idea Twain is trying to get across. The word “nigger” causes more “resentment” because that has/had a more negative connotation because that is what the masters used toward the slaves. I think of “slave” as more of an occupational term than a derogatory term.

The word “nigger” invokes a history that goes back through the people it had ever applied to. Prose says it should make students uncomfortable because it reminds them of a time when it was socially accepted to traffic humans in the United States. This word is so accepted in Huck’s time that he, while not being a racist person, uses it towards Jim when treating him like a white person while on the raft. “It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger; but I done it, and I warn't ever sorry for it afterwards, neither” (ch. 15). The word must be used and not forgotten so as to ensure that the history and people involved with it are not forgotten, so we remember their trials and hardships.

Prose states that part of the process of reading the book in schools is to have the discussion about the word “nigger” and its brutal history. Maybe Twain’s point of using the word was to make people evaluate its usage, therefore digging deeper into its meaning to the African-American population. The censorship of the book only raises awareness about the use of the word “nigger” in, essentially, a children’s or young adult book. Censorship of the book is not right, children should learn about what their possible ancestors went through to gain their freedom and appreciate it.

I do not believe that replacing the word “nigger” with “slave” is a productive or beneficial solution to the discomfort felt at that word. It is a learning experience and part of reading the book to discuss whether or not that word should be used. The censorship helps by publicizing the issue but also prevents some students in schools from learning from Twain.

"Does One Word Change 'Huckleberry Finn'?" Nytimes.com. New York Times, 5 Jan. 2011. Web. 9 Jan. 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2011/01/05/does-one-word-change-huckleberry-finn>.

Prose, Francine. "Why Is ‘Slave’ Less Offensive?" Nytimes.com. New York Times, 24 June 2011. Web. 9 Jan. 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2011/01/05/does-one-word-change-huckleberry-finn/why-is-the-use-of-slave-in-twains-work-less-problematic>.