Mark Twain, Huckleberry Finn and the "N" Word

Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known by his legendary pen name of Mark Twain, is a great 19^th Century American author and humorist. His "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" (1885) and "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" (1876) are all American classics, assuring him first place in economic, social and literary history and political commentary. "Connecticut Yankee" and "Pudd'nhead Wilson" were also critical works of fiction, not so much for their narrative as much as for reflecting the life and times of America herself. In fact, all of Clemens' writings have had important social and aesthetic impact, both at the time they were published and down through the ages.

As it did when it was published, Mark Twain's work has prompted renewed controversy. Publishers Weekly reports that an upcoming edition of Mark Twain's seminal novel "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" will remove all references the "n" word and other pejorative terms like "Injun." That's right, Mark Twain Scholar Alan Gribben has partnered with New South Books on a version of "Huckleberry Finn" that replaces the "n" word with "slave" and corrects other racial slurs. According to Gribben, who often gives readings of Mark Twain's books, the "n" word slur appears in "Huckleberry Finn" 219 times.

Publishers Weekly further reports that Gribben maintains that his recent efforts to scrub the text of this offensive language are not an overt attempt at political correctness (PC). On the contrary, Gribben explained, "Race matters in these books. It's a matter of how you express that in the 21st century."

Predictably, Mark Twain enthusiasts have assumed their righteous and indignant positions in warring camps over the matter. For some, removing this language is an unthinkable revision of history and overly PC at best. For others, the action is long overdue and will ensure Mark Twain's place in literary history for years to come. How so? It removes the controversy that surrounds Mark Twain. For still others, its censorship, pure and simple, and needs to be stopped in its tracks before good intentions and the editor's pencil find other literary classics fair game as well.

Where do I find myself in this heated debate? Quite honestly, I've always found the language terribly offensive, but I also appreciate the context of these and other literary works. I don't know if it's worthwhile or not to correct the record, especially when fiction often exists to advance discussion, progress and change by reflecting the society of the day.

I wonder what Mark Twain would think about all the fuss? It may be that he's thoroughly enjoying the controversy and renewed attention to his literary masterpieces and social commentary.

RESOURCES

Version of "Huckleberry Finn" to Remove "N" Word
Mark Twain Scholar Creates New Version to Try and Make the Book More Accessible for Grade Schools
CBS News (Jan. 4, 2011)

Mark Twain Papers
University of California at Berkeley
The Bancroft Library, Room 475
Berkeley, CA 94720-6000
E-mail: mtp@library.berkeley.edu
Telephone: (510) 642-6480
Website: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/MTP

Mark Twain House
www.marktwainhouse.org

Center for Mark Twain Studies
Elmira College
www.elmira.edu/academics/distinctive_programs/twain_center

SELECTED WORKS on SAMUEL CLEMENS (MARK TWAIN)

Smith, Harriet Elinor, (ed.) et al. Autobiography of Mark Twain: The Complete and Authoritative Edition, Volume 1, University of California Press, 2010.

Rasmussen, Kent R. Mark Twain A - Z. Oxford University Press, 1995.

Powers, Ron. Mark Twain - A Life. Free Press, 2005.

Kaplan, Justin. Mr. Clemens and Mark Twain: A Biography. Simon & Schuster, 1966.

Leonard, James S., Thomas Tenney, and Thadious Davis (ed.). Satire or Evasion? Black Perspectives on Huckleberry Finn. Duke University Press, 1992.

Bird, John. Mark Twain and Metaphor. University of Missouri Press, 2007.

Dempsey, Terrell. Searching for Jim: Slavery in Sam Clemens' World. University of Missouri Press, 2003.

Chadwick, Jocelyn. The Jim Dilemma: Reading Race in Huckleberry Finn. University of Mississippi Press, 1998.

Kerley, Barbara. The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Susy). Scholastic Press, 2010.