“Huck Finn” And The “N” Word
Posted by Michelle Moquin on January 10th, 2011
Sanitized Edition Of ‘Huckleberry Finn’ Causes Uproar
The English professor who proposed a new edition of Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn — without the offensive “n” word — says there’s an obsession with the word that makes teachers and students uncomfortable, and stops many schools from using the book in classrooms. Critics say removing the racial slur amounts to censorship and fails to acknowledge America’s racist past.
MICHELE NORRIS, host:
From NPR News, it’s ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I’m Michele Norris.
Mark Twain’s “Huckleberry Finn” has become one of the most banned books in history, in part because of its frequent use of the N-word.
Now one Twain scholar has come up with a solution: use a different word. He hoped the new edition of “Huck Finn” would calm the controversy, but as NPR’s Larry Abramson reports, it has just created more.
LARRY ABRAMSON: English professor Alan Gribben of Auburn University in Alabama says he came up with this idea while he was on a lecture tour trying to encourage schools to teach Twain.
Professor ALAN GRIBBEN (English Professor, Auburn University): Teachers would come up to me afterwards and say oh, I would love to use your remarks. I would love to get these books into my curriculum, but it’s just not possible. The parents are so uncomfortable with them these days.
ABRAMSON: Because of the use of the N-word more than 200 times in “Huck Finn.” So for Gribben, this was a way to revive these books in the schools. Instead of the N-word, this alternative version refers to slaves. Here’s what the new book would sound like, read by NPR producer Jim Wildman.
JIM WILDMAN: Slaves would come from all around there and give Jim anything they had just for a site of that five-center piece. But they wouldn’t touch it because the devil had had his hands on it.
ABRAMSON: Professor Alan Gribben says this is just an experiment to get past a word that has become such an emotional tripwire, a word that NPR reporters also avoid using on the air.
But Gribben says instead of being hailed for resuscitating a banned book, he’s gotten slammed.
Prof. GRIBBEN: Just an avalanche of very, very vitriolic emails.
Mr. KAI WRIGHT (Editorial Director, ColorLines.com): I compared it to abstinence-only education for race.
ABRAMSON: Kai Wright attacked the update at ColorLines.com, where he is editorial director. Wright says the revision actually shortchanges schoolchildren because it skirts the lessons they need to learn.
Mr. WRIGHT: What does it mean both for society then, and what does it mean for society now? That’s the kind of thing for a teacher to deal with. You can’t really talk about race without talking about the ugly parts.
ABRAMSON: Perhaps Gribben should have known there would be a small rebellion when he laid his hands on “Huck Finn,” which Hemingway called the best book we’ve had. All American writing comes from that.
Barbara Jones of the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom says what Gribben has done is an act of censorship, which the ALA opposes.
Ms. BARBARA JONES (Office of Intellectual Freedom, American Library Association): To remove a word from a book is just a real insult to the author’s wanting to, in this case, express how people spoke in that part of Missouri in the 19th century.
ABRAMSON: The new editions were originally intended for a limited print run of about 7,500 copies, directed mostly at schools and libraries. Of course, it’s possible the outrage of the blogosphere will spark more sales.
Professor Alan Gribben is undeterred by all the criticism. He says those emails have just demonstrated how much we need this book. He says even though they all argued for leaving the N-word in “Huckleberry Finn,” none would use the word itself.
Larry Abramson, NPR News.
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Readers: Thoughts? Again, I have very few words that I want to express today. As always feel free to express yours.
Peace out.
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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January 10th, 2011 at 11:43 am
Between things like this, and the banning of certain symbols and words to protect politicians and judges, will become a precedent to the beginning of the destruction of the right to free speech. All of these actions are bandaids put upon a society that is “out of the control of the government”. Make note, I do not condone and am very saddened about the tragedy in AZ. I am very disappointed that no politicians never stepped up, until now, to take on the likes of Sarah Palin and her poisonous rhetoric.
Huck Finn is a classic book perfectly outlining the life and times of America in a very delicate time period. It should not be changed only because our own “modern” society can’t seem to get their shit together. If it gets changed, where will it stop. Parents should have their children read the book outside of the classroom, although, most kids don’t seem to read much anymore, let alone their parents. Politicians should call out the hate rhetoric that has dominated the political spectrum for so long now. It makes them all look like spoiled little brats…oh, wait, I guess it’s because they are!
January 10th, 2011 at 2:57 pm
Why should be be subjected to the racism of the affirmative action race? Our schools don’t need to expose our children their racism.
Just because they could get away with it back when government used its power to enforce the privileges of the affirmative action provided to whites isn’t a reason to allow the results of that power to be forced upon the OTW students of today.
If I want to read a book calling my race that name, I’ll go buy it. But I don’t want my child forced to have to read one just because some closet bigot says it is a classic.
Mattie
January 10th, 2011 at 3:14 pm
Outpatient Surgery Survival Guide
David Sherer, MD
Of the approximately 35 million annual surgeries in the US, outpatient procedures account for at least 60% of them.
Advances in pain management and surgical techniques (such as laparoscopic procedures, which require only a small incision) mean that patients who once would have spent several days in the hospital now can be discharged the same day from an outpatient facility.
Complication rates typically are very low for these procedures, but patients can further reduce their risks — and recover faster after the surgery — by taking an active role… in advance. Before scheduling your procedure, be sure to…
Check out the facility. It is important that the facility where you have the procedure has a so-called crash cart — the equipment and drugs that are used for cardiac emergencies. Crash carts are mandatory in hospitals but optional in many outpatient clinics.
Also important: Ask your surgeon if the facility stocks dantrolene (Dantrium). It’s an antidote for malignant hyperthermia, an anesthesia-related complication that occurs only rarely but can be fatal unless dantrolene is given immediately.
Check out the surgeon. Before scheduling a procedure, make sure that the surgeon…
Is board-certified in that particular specialty. To find out, ask the doctor.
If you are uncomfortable doing so, you could mention that you read in this article that board-certification is important and that is why you are asking.
Does many procedures. If you’re having cataract surgery, for example, someone who does 40 or 50 cataract procedures a week is likely to have better results, with fewer complications, than someone who does the procedure only occasionally.
Review and report your medications. Your surgeon and anesthesiologist should know about every drug (and supplement) that you’re taking.
Bring a list of your medications and supplements (and/or the bottles) when you meet with the doctor.
Why it matters: You might need to adjust the doses or frequency of drugs or supplements that you’re currently taking.
If you have asthma, for example, the stress of surgery can cause a flare-up. You might be advised to use an inhaler prior to the procedure.
Diabetics who use insulin, on the other hand, might be told to skip (or reduce) a dose before surgery. The combination of presurgical fasting and a normal dose of insulin could cause blood glucose to fall too low.
In addition, some commonly used drugs and supplements, such as aspirin and ginkgo, inhibit blood clotting and can be risky when taken within several days of some procedures.
Ask about pain control. Don’t assume that your surgeon will aggressively manage pain — many do not.
Uncontrolled pain releases the stress hormone cortisol, which impairs immunity and slows healing. People in pain also move around less, which increases the risk for blood clots.
In the past, surgeons mainly depended on narcotics (such as codeine) for postsurgical pain relief. These drugs are effective but may cause side effects, including urinary retention, nausea and even itching.
Ask your surgeon (or the anesthesiologist) to discuss non-narcotic alternatives, such as nerve blocks (which can control pain for several days).
One type of nerve block is the “ON-Q,” which dispenses a drip of anesthetic into surgical wounds. It also can offer patient-controlled analgesia, which allows patients to manage their own pain with the push of a button.
PRESURGERY PREPARATIONS
As you get closer to the time of the surgery, do the following…
Stop smoking for at least 72 hours before the procedure — longer is better.
Not smoking prior to surgery will improve circulation and wound healing as well as ciliary function — the ability of hairlike projections in the lungs to remove mucus — important for the prevention of postsurgical pneumonia.Eat lightly the day before the procedure. Clear soups, rice, fruits and vegetables are ideal.
Anesthesia frequently causes constipation. Easy-to-digest foods leave less residue in the digestive tract and help reduce postsurgical gas and cramping.
Don’t chew gum prior to surgery. It stimulates the secretion of gastric juices that can interfere with your breathing and cause choking (asphyxia) during the procedure.
Don’t shave the area that is undergoing the surgery. Even a new blade can cause thousands of invisible abrasions/nicks that can allow bacteria to enter.
Shaving ahead of time gives bacteria a chance to multiply and cause an infection. If a surgical site needs to be shaved, someone on the operating team will do it right before making the incision.
POSTSURGERY CARE
What you can do to feel better and recover faster…
Stay warm. The blankets used in medical settings are notoriously thin.
If you’re cold when you wake up in the recovery room, ask for extra blankets. Patients who maintain a normal body temperature, known as normothermia, during and after surgery heal more quickly and get fewer infections than those who are cold.
Breathe deeply and cough. The drugs used for general anesthesia can impair normal lung movements and increase the risk for pneumonia.
Recommended: As soon as you’re physically able, take deep breaths for a few minutes every hour or two. Make yourself cough, even if you don’t have to. Coughing and other exaggerated respiratory movements help clear the airways.
This is particularly important for those who are older, sedentary or overweight.
Move as soon as you can. Moving soon after a procedure reduces the risk for blood clots, improves muscle strength and helps clear the lungs.
If you can, stand up and walk. If you’re not able (or allowed) to stand, move in bed. Stretch your arms and legs… roll from one side to the other… or merely flex your muscles.
Don’t put up with nausea. It is among the most frequent — and the most feared — side effects of anesthesia. Anesthesiologists now can choose from among six to eight different drugs to prevent it.
If you feel sick when you wake up, tell your doctor. If one drug doesn’t work, another one probably will.
Personal interviewed David Sherer, MD, anesthesiologist with the Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group in Falls Church, Virginia, and the former physician-director of risk management.
His research interests include the use of anesthesia in starting intravenous lines and the importance of patient autonomy for hospital and outpatient care. He is author, with MaryAnn Karinch, of Dr. David Sherer’s Hospital Survival Guide: 100+ Ways to Make Your Hospital Stay Safe and Comfortable (Claren).
January 10th, 2011 at 6:05 pm
The previous question was – How do Arab women lose 20 pounds ever night?
And the answer is. –
They get undressed for bed.
March 21st, 2011 at 9:38 am
[...] it be there or should it be replaced? I blogged about this back in January. Well evidently one publisher felt the need to replace it and did. The [...]