Since I care about, and endorse, free expression, I sat down with one of the most banned books in American literature, which at the same time is hailed as an American classic — “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, (Tom Sawyer’s Comrade),” Mark Twain’s sequel to “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.” These were two among 50 of his works.
It was banned almost from the day it was first published in 1885.
The main reason for the banning was, and is, “coarse language,” which is the polite way of referring to the heavy and casual use of the word “nigger.” It smacks the 21st Century reader across the face because we rarely see that word anymore, having been replaced by the Politically Correct “N-word.”
In effect, “nigger” has been banned. I prefer to use the vile and impolite word when it serves a purpose, and here it does. Banning it gives it a power it does not deserve.
I bought the 100th Mark Twain anniversary Seawolf Press edition, which the publisher explains “uses the original spellings and punctuation (or lack thereof) from the first edition,” which did not use the word “The” before the word “Adventures.”
It says “the book exposes attitudes prevalent at the times, especially racism, and includes coarse language.” This is part apology, part explanation, for taking the reader someplace he or she may find uncomfortable. Some truths are uncomfortable.
Twain starts his book with a tongue-in-cheek preface: “Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot.” Nevertheless, supporters and critics have found a motive, a moral, and a plot.
Before moving on, I should note that some feminists find the book objectionable because of its stereotypical portrayal of women only as caretakers. The book was published 35 years before women got the right to vote, and portrays Aunt Polly, Aunt Sally and the widow Douglas as positive characters.
It portrays women accurately, within its time, as it does slavery, 40 years before the outbreak of the Civil War. (Twain reportedly served in a thrown-together Missouri rebel militia, which melted after two weeks upon word that Gen. Ulysses Grant was headed their way.)
The overarching theme of the book is freedom — the adult Jim’s freedom from slavery, and 13-year-old Huck Finn’s freedom from his drunken, abusive father.
On an intellectual level, Huck oftens challenges the mores of society, which makes him objectionable to some, while on the other hand, he can be anti-religion, anti-school, and anti-government, which makes him objectionable to others. He also smokes and drinks, which hardly makes him a role model for school children assigned to read the book.
But, really, it’s the use of “nigger,” hundreds of times. Plus the depiction of Jim as being very superstitious, obsequious, and simple-minded, if honest and affectionate.
Defenders of Mark Twain (actual name Samuel Clemens), say the book actually was anti-racist, exposing the evils of the system, using Huck’s internal conflicts between doing what he thought was right — freeing Jim — while feeling the guilt, instilled in him by white society, of doing it.
Huck is presented, basically, as a good boy, but a consummate liar, who fakes his own death as the novel opens. The leading white male sub characters — the King and the Duke — are grifters and heartless thieves.
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It has been called an American classic for so long it seems like blasphemy to think that maybe, well, it just isn’t.
There isn’t much character development. Huck and Jim and the King and Duke, and the women don’t change much, or learn much.
It is a hard read, made harder by Twain employing a number of dialects: “The Missouri Negro dialect; the extremist form of the backwoods South-Western dialect; the ordinary ‘Pike County’ dialect; and four modified varieties of the last.” Writing this way was painstaking, Twain wrote. It is painful to read, I write.
Reading it is a very hard slog, and the narrative is molasses slow for the modern reader.
Should it be banned?
Of course not.
Nor should any of the oft-banned books — “The Color Purple,” “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl,” “Gender Queer: A Memoir,” “The Holy Bible” — or any found on the Top 100 challenged or banned list.
They should be available to the public, but that doesn’t mean they should be available to all ages. Not to be like Oprah’s book club, but I previously reviewed Toni Morrison’s Novel prize-winning novel “The Bluest Eye,” and found it unsuitable for children below high school age, and a tough read for even teenagers.
Age-restricting books, as we do for movies, is not banning. It is appropriate in some cases.
As I would do, yes, with Huck Finn.
Stu—-The hypocrisy of the woke/cancel culture is immeasurable. The rap/hiphop industry has been liberally using the “n word” for decades. Apparently that’s ok.
John
Too many One Way streets in our society.
The justification is, “WE can use it, but YOU can’t.” That is hypocrisy and I don’t accept it.
Back in the ‘60s Black comedian Dick Gregory wrote a book and titled it “Nigger.” The cover was stark black and white. In the dedication, he told his mother that any time you hear that word, they are advertising mg book. Genius.
Really Stu? Try searching for these articles and let me know what your opinion is.
“FOULMOUTHED TRASH” Washington Post July 29, 1993
NAACP Official Position on the Use of the Word “Nigger” and the “N” Word – NAACP, 2104
“Kendrick Lamar’s Onstage Outrage: Why Rap Should Retire the N-Word for Good” Variety, May 22, 2018
So if a group of people was doing something inappropriate like jumping off a bridge, would you you jump off a bridge as well?
Seriously brave of you to actually write the word.
Thanks formthe compliment. Unlike many of my columns, I will NOT post this on Facebook. Not out of fear. I just don’t want to spend the rest of my life explaining why I did it to the Woke, even thoughI KNOW some of my Black friends agree with me.
Stu, by you saying “some of my Black friends agree with me” tells me that not all of them do. Please enlighten us the reasons some of your Blacks friends do not agree with you. Also what would you say the percentages of your Black Friends are for and against what you feel / say?
If treating people with respect because they are a different race, gender, sexual orientation, country of origin is considered “Woke”. The I am proud to be Woke.
But that is NOT what Woke has become, and my dedication to free speech is allowing your excessive comments to appear here, when I could cancel them with a flick of my finger.
As with Moms for Liberty, my tolerating their right to speak is NOT agreement.
“Woke” also means that those who would demean and degrade people on the basis of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, and country of origin. Don’t get to have their statements go unopposed.
Protesting against against Mom’s for Liberty because they want to ban books on the basis on the basis of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, and country of origin. Mom’s for Liberty was not being silenced as they still had the ability to make their case.
“my dedication to free speech is allowing your excessive comments to appear here, when I could cancel them with a flick of my finger.” No one is forcing you to respond to my comments and you are free to ignore them. You deleted many of my comments in the M$L post and that made you look like someone who only allows free speech that you agree with.
And as you have so eloquently stated “only one answer to a customer”, feel free to do so when I post.
Funny how one comment only mentions the “woke/banning” culture, but ignores the banning of other books, such as “To Kill a Mockingbird” and Gender Queer: A Memoir”. I agree, like rating movies, books should have an age guideline, but ban none of them.
Very good point Mark. I wonder what Stu’s answer will be?
I’d love to see what that response is after his column supporting Mom’s for Liberty and their book banning.
Ask the person who made the comment. Why drag me into it? I mentioned books targeted by Left and Right.
Are you moderating my comments?
This article makes for some interesting reading Mark.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/book-bans-accelerating-across-country-130351527.html
If this book was banned how were you able to buy a copy and should I call the police because you broke the law? As for the rest of your claptrap, lets not forget that you support Mom’s for Liberty who are having many of the books you listed and others similar to them banned from school libraries.
Actually, in defense of Stu, the Moms want the books in school libraries to be age-appropriate. I agree with that position. (E.g., I do not want the Kama Sutra in a middle-school library. Not banning the book, only controlling its placement.)
If you don’t want your children reading a book from a school library than make that clear to the school. You don’t get to make decisions for other parents what they will let their children read. I doubt you are going to find a copy of the Kama Sutra in a school library. As M$L is trying to do.
Once again, the bluenoses want to view THEN through the lens of NOW, which (if they took the time to think about it) is de facto the rewriting of history. Ban no books but put on a warning label like for cigarettes. Then, let the decision to read be made by the reader.
Vince, that is the most appropriate solution. Unfortunately some idiots feel that because they don’t want their child to read it or they are offended by it then nobody should have access to it.
This has been a subject for many years, but I have never heard a single protested remark about a rapper singing its praises anywhere. It;s not just books.
No one??
https://naacp.org/resources/naacp-official-position-use-word-nigger-and-n-word
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1090952401000195
https://variety.com/2018/music/opinion/kendrick-lamar-rappers-should-stop-using-n-word-1202818977/
https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/piers-morgan-n-word-kanye-west-racism-rap-music-white-sorority-girls-alpha-phi-university-new-hampshire-black-people-sisters-sing-a7961461.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/opinions/1993/07/30/foulmouthed-trash/c0b01a76-94e6-405b-8622-1796ae58d33b/
I could give you several examples, but it appears my comments are being subjected to “moderation” because they contained links. So instead look up the following.
“FOULMOUTHED TRASH” Washington Post July 29, 1993
NAACP Official Position on the Use of the Word “Nigger” and the “N” Word – NAACP, 2104
“Kendrick Lamar’s Onstage Outrage: Why Rap Should Retire the N-Word for Good” Variety, May 22, 2018
Not only Rap, Sports, movies, on the street, I constantly heard it yelled at me when I was working. God forbid if I yelled anything back, I’d be fired. Just no call for it, and it seems to be getting worse.
So first you make a vague assertion that “This has been a subject for many years, but I have never heard a single protested remark about a rapper singing its praises anywhere. It;s not just books.”. I gave you a range of articles that debunk this. Now you are making another vague assertion its getting “worse”
” I constantly heard it yelled at me when I was working.” Sure you did and I am married to Taylor Swift.