Hucklberry Finn - Censorship or a sign of the times?

[jmur5074]

Acclaimed by critics, scholars, and -- of course -- readers, Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" is one of the great American novels. The book has been reprinted countless times, adapted into movies, and translated into just about every language under the sun. But should it be updated for today's times?
News that the manuscript would undergo some changes sent shockwaves through the Search box. According to Publishers Weekly, NewSouth Books plans to release a version of Huck Finn that cuts the "n" word and replaces it with "slave." The slur "injun," referring to Native Americans, will also be replaced.




More at the link:

Huck Finn Gets Some Changes - Yahoo! News

[Jenna]

Sanitizing the ugliness of history only reduces understanding of how and why it was ugly.

[Buttercup]

It's a classic novel and it should remain as is.

[Cidp24]

"Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it."

[Sam]

Maybe we should change the history books also. Lets paint a picture of slavery as a fun times for the slaves. These tree hugging liberals can kiss my rear end ~~

[cwtlady]

Sanitizing the ugliness of history only reduces understanding of how and why it was ugly.

Exactly!

Whenever we felt a book was inappropriate for our children we didn't let them read it until they were older and then they decided for themselves as to whether they wanted to go ahead and read it on their own. There are good books that have awful racial garbage in them and when the girls were young we skipped over those parts but I made sure they knew what we objected to without reading the actual words. Later, they could read it for themselves to see what we objected to and why.

[moggsp98]

Sanitizing the ugliness of history only reduces understanding of how and why it was ugly.

+100

[Xiphos]

This is where subtle education escapes the looney left's Thought Police. The entire point of the book Huck Finn was an anti-slavery message. After being raised and told he would go to hell for helping slaves, Huck decided he'd rather risk hell than not help his friend. Clemens was very precise in the words he used and how he conveyed messages. Changing his work will change the character and meaning of the stories.

Stupid Thought Police. Wouldn't know literature if a book landed on their heads.

[Five-0]

This is where subtle education escapes the looney left's Thought Police. The entire point of the book Huck Finn was an anti-slavery message. After being raised and told he would go to hell for helping slaves, Huck decided he'd rather risk hell than not help his friend. Clemens was very precise in the words he used and how he conveyed messages. Changing his work will change the character and meaning of the stories.

Stupid Thought Police. Wouldn't know literature if a book landed on their heads.

Bingo.

[armsmaster270]

Leave it alone. If you don't like the wording don't buy or read it.

[Ducky]

Next thing you know, they're going to want to take the metaphorical Purell to "To Kill a Mockingbird" too.

[adroitcuffs]

This is where subtle education escapes the looney left's Thought Police. The entire point of the book Huck Finn was an anti-slavery message. After being raised and told he would go to hell for helping slaves, Huck decided he'd rather risk hell than not help his friend. Clemens was very precise in the words he used and how he conveyed messages. Changing his work will change the character and meaning of the stories.

Stupid Thought Police. Wouldn't know literature if a book landed on their heads.

Very well said! The freaks are focusing on the words rather than the meaning and the bigger picture. Truly sad.

[keith720]

This is where subtle education escapes the looney left's Thought Police. The entire point of the book Huck Finn was an anti-slavery message. After being raised and told he would go to hell for helping slaves, Huck decided he'd rather risk hell than not help his friend. Clemens was very precise in the words he used and how he conveyed messages. Changing his work will change the character and meaning of the stories.

Stupid Thought Police. Wouldn't know literature if a book landed on their heads.

Well said. It seems the "thought police" forget all about "choice" when it's convenient for them to do so. If you don't want to read it, then DON"T FRICKEN READ IT! To change this classic is obscene.