New Version of 'Huckleberry Finn' Eliminates N-Word

By Jett Wells Posted Jan 4th 2011 01:49PM

New Version of 'Huck Finn' to Eliminate the 'N-Word'

Mark Twain's classic 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn' is a piece of literary history, but publishing company NewSouth is electing to update the story for modern times by getting rid of the N-word. Publishers Weekly reports a new version of the novel along with 'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer' will switch out the ever-controversial N-word for "slave."

"This is not an effort to render Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn colorblind," said Twain scholar Alan Gribben. "Race matters in these books. It's a matter of how you express that in the 21st century."

The project led by Gribben, a 69-year old English professor tapped to write the introduction for the edition, began when he read the book out loud to his students over the years and consciously replaced the word with "slave." After several local teachers reached out to him about the same concerns, Gribben felt a change was desperately needed in order for Twain to keep his place in today's classrooms.

'Huckleberry Finn' is still largely considered one of the most controversial novels directly because of its context with slavery, and has been threatened to be removed from classrooms for decades.

"After a number of talks, I was sought out by local teachers, and to a person they said we would love to teach this novel, and Huckleberry Finn, but we feel we can't do it anymore. In the new classroom, it's really not acceptable," Gribben said.

The N-word appears 219 times, and Gribben knows making the change won't be smooth.

"I'm hoping that people will welcome this new option, but I suspect that textual purists will be horrified," he said. "Already, one professor told me that he is very disappointed that I was involved in this."

The new edition, 'Mark Twain's Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn: The NewSouth Edition,' is set for release in February.

Is 'Huck Finn' better without the word, or do the changes tarnish Twain's work? Tell us in the comments.

Tags: Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Comments

(50)

Tuesday 04 January

By doneldathomas

Vote down Vote up Report this

CENSORSHIP OF ANY BOOK IS WRONG.IF YOU CENSOR THIS BOOK HOW MANY MORE WILL FOLLOW.WHATS NEXT BOOK BURNING. CAN YOU SAY BIG BROTHER!!

By Buck

I say it's time to quit glorifying that girl in children's books, who lives in the woods with seven little men. It conveys the wrong message to young girls.

"HE WHO HAS A GARDEN AND A LIBRARY WANTS FOR NOTHING"

ONCE SAID:"HE WHO HAS A GARDEN AND A LIBRARY WANTS FOR NOTHING."

Wednesday 05 January

By Caring Kate

This is the worst form of bigotry! How dare any group or person inflict such butchery on a magnificent work of literature. It was written in a time that actually happened in the language that was used! This is bigoted butchery of literature of the worst form.

Thursday 06 January

By Luke Avery

Huck Finn is not a book geared for children, even Mark Twain would agree with that. While I do not like the word and have never used it, it should not be removed from the book. This book was written at a time when many racial issues were around. Changing this wording changes the book and I am not a "textual purists" as referred to by Gribben as the only people who will find fault with the change. What is next and where will it stop.

By bill

I hope no one buys the altered book. Censorship of any kind is wrong. Applying todays political correctness to a dead authors work is stupid and wrong.

By phil

Now this new book is recopywrited by a new author because he changed one word??

Friday 07 January

By bo rust

can't wait until they get ahold of "tropic of cancer"
stupid, stupid, stupid

By Janice Dawn

As sad as some of our history was, it is still a part of our past. Nothing we say or do can ever change it. We need to remember it all, good and bad, and try to move forward. Changing the words that are now offensive won't change the fact that they were at that time used in everyday speech. I believe that we should leave Mark Twain and all of the other authors work alone. Live and let live.

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