Reading Controversial Classics to Children - Huckleberry Fin

aidelmaidel

Thu, Jan 13 2011, 12:02 am

"We had the sky, up there, all speckled with stars, and we used to lay on our backs and look up at them, and discuss about whether they was made, or only just happened."

That is a famous line from Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn.

Over the years I have taken to reading children's classics to my children at bedtime. I've read "The Secret Garden" and the "All of a Kind Family" books to my kids over ther years. About a chapter a night.

Since HF has come back in the news recently for the bowlderization(sp?) of the novel, (a publisher released a copy with every reference to the "N" word replaced with "Slave"), I have been thinking about reading it to my girls.

Of course my concern is the "N" word. I can not in good conscious censor the novel, but I am very very careful not to use the N word in regular conversation. I'm not sure how to go about discussing this with my kids and if they are capable of remembering. I can't tell you how many times I have to stop and correct my children when they use the word "[gentile]" derogatorily and tell the the proper word is "non-jew". I'm concerned they will feel they are getting mixed messages from me.

What do you think?

Please forgive the typos, I'm on a cell phone.

causemommysaid

Thu, Jan 13 2011, 12:13 am

personally I agree that its a "not nice" word and should not be used in todays society.

however in those days that is how pple spoke and to change a classic work that depicted the feelings of the time doesnt make any sense.

aside from the blatent disregard for the first amendment of freedom of speech, press etc... it is changing the feel of the book.

by removing the strong language from print it changes the accuracy of historical facts. in those days white pple referred to black pple as N's. why are we trying to hide this fact? we all know not to do it today. what are we going to do next? pretend that slavery never happened?

when reading it to a child I might switch the wording and say that im doing it because its a "not nice" word and because I dont want to teach them to say the word but if they are reading it themselves I wouldnt censor it.

I think this PCness is getting out of hand

Isramom8

Thu, Jan 13 2011, 12:26 am

I read quality secular books to my kids, but I don't like the low class tone of H. Finn so I got rid of it. I would express my distadste but not protest too loudly if my child wanted to read it.

You are in a poistion to choose which classics your child reads, so choose however you want to. You have a right to influence their opinion.

How about To Kill A mockingbird, one of my favorites? Hatty Potter? Lois Lowry books? Little Houes on the Priirie? I think those are better choices.

And don't forget the Bakers Dozen and BY Times!

opinionatedbubby

Thu, Jan 13 2011, 12:44 am

I think it'sgreat that you're reading classics to your kids. In my opinion, you can't say [N word] to your kids,even if it's historically accurate. BUt I have questions on reading that particular book, itself. No matter what terms you use, is the relationship between Huck and Jim something that you want to show the kids? The complete disdain Huck shows him , and the dumb "yesir"ness of Jim. I know the point of the book is how all that changes, but what if the first impressions overide the underlying moral? But mostly, I don't think it's a good book for a read aloud. Isn't it kind of depressing?
Other books that come to mind :
Little Men, if they can keep the characters straight,
Little Lord Fauntelroy,
Number the Stars not a classic, I know
The Shoes books, starting with Ballet Shoes (Noel Streatfield)
I also thought of To Kill a Mockingbird, tho I 'm not sure how you'd deal with some parts.
Good Luck.

aidelmaidel

Thu, Jan 13 2011, 12:59 am

Part of the reason why twain used the "n" word was to point out how at the time how people were being racist...

I would *not* read to kill a mockingbird to my kids - it deals with s-xual themes.

I agree there are other classics, but HF is a favorite of mine. My 8yo has started reading the by times types of books, but I love good literature too much to just let them think frum books are the be all end all of literature.

Isramom8

Thu, Jan 13 2011, 1:19 am

sequoia wrote:

I wouldn't read my kids a book that is built around the premise that women lie about rape.

I never thought of it that way. Well, if you want to be really honest, some do.
So balance it with a book where someone told the truth about an injustice or crime. Like the Lois Lowry books - The Giver, Running Out of Time, Double Identity.

Isramom8

Thu, Jan 13 2011, 1:30 am

It's derogatory to call people a name they say they do not want to be called.

If my kids insisted on reading Huck, I'd probably point out how things have changed and how now Jim's deferring style and use of the n word are considered offensive, no matter how you try to defend it.

HindaRochel

Thu, Jan 13 2011, 1:34 am

DrMom wrote:

I never understood the controversey surrounding Huck Finn. The characters speak the way people spoke at the time/place the novel is set.

I agree. It reflected the times in speech as well as reflected the behavior of the times. Huck actually treats Jim very respectfully. He grows through the novel.

TOM on the other hand treats Jim as a piece of his adventure. He has knowledge (later on) the other's don't; namely that Jim was freed at some point and so had to spend those 2 months running when he could have just stayed put somewhere.

The book speaks out against racism, and removing words we don't like deforms the ideas that are in the book.

shabbatiscoming

Thu, Jan 13 2011, 2:37 am

I never read hucklerry finn, but I would never not allow my child to not read a book because the use of the word [N word]. I would just explain to them that that was the language used in that time period and we dont use such language in today's world.
I think reading classics is so important.

ora_43

Thu, Jan 13 2011, 2:43 am

sequoia wrote:

I wouldn't read my kids a book that is built around the premise that women lie about rape.

What, to Kill a Mockingbird? That's not about a woman lying about rape, so much as white men lying about a black man raping a white woman (and forcing the woman to go along). It's about the specter of rape being used to perpetuate racism, which is a real thing that happens all over the world. IMHO.

ora_43

Thu, Jan 13 2011, 2:47 am

as for Huckleberry Finn, I think changing the word is more offensive in a way. It's like denying the reality of racism back then. The reality was that even a poor runaway white kid would have seen himself as superior to an adult black man, and would have used derogatory terms in an off the cuff kind of way.

You can change the book, but you can't change history.

The fact that Huck is so casually racist is a big part of the story. The clim@x only matters in light of his racism.

zipporah

Thu, Jan 13 2011, 5:39 am

If the child is young enough for you to be reading to him then he is not old enough to really comprehend the magnitude of racism or the offensiveness of the "N" word. I censor things for my kids all the time. The book is waiting for them to read and discuss unedited when they are older (I think I read it in school in 6th or 7th grade).

And I think it would more helpful to understand racism to participate in a discussion group or book club regarding the book (and any books with a theme of racism) with multicultural participants. To be more blunt, it is more important to actually have your kids be friends with Black people than to explain why Huck Finn used the "N" word. Additionally, point out positive Black role models in your neighborhood or in the news. If the only Blacks your kid sees are the help or some poor unfortunate, he's going to wonder if the only thing wrong about Huck's attitude was his poor vocabulary choices.

On that note, I am available for diversity parties in the Greater Jerusalem area. Wink

*Edited to add-

BTW, it still isn't a very nice word, and however you may feel about it being included in a work of fiction, seeing it on this board hurts my feelings. Which I know you don't want to do. And I mean that sincerely (both the hurting and the knowing parts).

Isramom8

Thu, Jan 13 2011, 6:46 am

"If the only Blacks your kid sees are the help or some poor unfortunate"

Hello? The President of the United States? Michelle, Malia and Sasha?
After Huck Finn, read Obama's inaugural speech with your child. The part about how a few decades ago a man like him would have been a slave and just look at today's opportunities.

zipporah

Thu, Jan 13 2011, 7:22 am

Isramom8 wrote:

Yes, you know who the President is. Mazal Tov. Now take a child who doesn't have a TV in their home (I know we didn't, and we are far from extremists). When would they actually see the President ؟

I'm saying talk to your child about race and about Black role models. Specifically point them out. The nice lady at the grocery store. Your friend from college. Too many people are growing up with a large distance between themselves and anybody different. And it's pretty easy to dehumanize someone you never meet.