CLASSIC BOOK HUCK FINN BANNED IN MANCHESTER
A Connecticut school has temporarily banned the book while the school board reviews a parent’s complaint over use of the “n-word” in the literary classic.
http://www.ksdk.com/video/default.aspx?aid=64933&bw
Manchester High School’s principal wouldn’t comment on the ban, other than to say that a review is underway, but most parents said the book should be taught.
Considering the action of the book takes place in the south twenty years before the Civil War, it would be amazing if they didn’t use that N word.
Rather, Mark Twain is using this casual dialogue ironically, as a way to underscore the chilling truth about the old south, that it was a society where perfectly “nice” people didn’t consider the death of a black person worth their notice.
What we have here is a parent more worried about their child learning the evil of the old south and how not to repeat history rather than worrying if the music their kids listen to today (below) is doing more harm than good.
January 11, 2008 at 10:38 pm
Hell, even Robert Goulet used that word, never mind rappers.
Of course, he was covering a classic by Sisqo.
February 21, 2009 at 5:51 pm
I’m sure that the folks who are complaining about this book listen to hip hop and rap music. Give me a break! What else will these folks want banned.