Marguerite Henry's Geraldine Belinda (1942) was my favorite book when I was a little girl. It was beautifully illustrated by Gladys Rourke Blackwood. Its fine moral lesson was about snobbery, sharing, and forgiveness. Its protagonist had pigtails like mine (and a muff like I always wanted), and its red cover was my favorite color. But when I unpacked it in the early 1980s for my firstborn, who was beginning to read, I realized it was also politically incorrect. Having studied Uncle Tom's Cabin sometime in the interim between 1960 and 1980, I now recognized Geraldine's Topsy doll as a derogatory stereotype rather than the 1940s equivalent of my Tiny Tears or my daughter's Strawberry Shortcake. My first inclination was to put the book back in storage, but I used it instead to create a teachable moment. Over the years, literature provided me many more teachable moments about race, religion, gender, and other issues of tolerance and inclusion.
How will today's and tomorrow's children learn history--learn FROM history--if we sanitize books like Huckleberry Finn to reflect society's current mores rather than the values of their authors and the periods during which they were written? Even Oprah, on today's MLK tribute show, told her audience she now understands why (and how) Jay Z uses the n-word. Let's accord Mark Twain the same insight.
If you see a video of Oprah's comments, I'd be interested in watching it. (Or even reading a transcript.)
ReplyDeleteI got involved in a debate on this exact topic via Facebook a few days back. Feelings ranged from indignation to disbelief to self-righteousness and back to indignation again. What everyone eventually agreed to -- whether forthrightly or tacitly -- was that "The N Word" (as it was referred to there) is not the real problem. It's the intent when it's used that causes social explosions.
ReplyDeleteI have personally witnessed blacks/African Americans/whatever-is-preferred-today calling each other "nigger," and none of them bat an eye. In fact, it appears to be used quite often as a term of endearment or affection. But put the same word in the mouth of someone without dark skin, and you have a social gaffe at the very least.
I liken it to "bitch." It depends on whether it's a he or she voicing it, whether it's a he or a she it's being used to describe, and what the intent, context and inflection are when it's used. Someone is either going to be amused or pissed off.
Obviously, "bitch" isn't as socially loaded a word as "nigger." But do you see my point? The same could be said of "cracker," "chink," "pollack," "spick," etc. In fact, I imagine pretty much ANY word could be twisted into an obscenity or a derogatory term with little or no real effort; look at "gay," for goodness' sake.
The bottom line for me: There are no bad words. There are only bad word users.
With that said ... Rewriting history in any way
changing the facts, and that is something that should not be tolerated in any form. How are we to learn from our past if the past is covered up, made to look better than it was, or even completely deleted?
Of course, the powerful have been rewriting history since writing began. But I guess that's another discussion.
My name is Joseph P. King with that being stated, if anyone knows American history-names shed a lot on the persons' heritage itself! I am NOT a bigot or a hipocrate! I AM now a minority. I DO NOT believe what my ancestors believed THEN; BUT I am a believer in 'What's write-is right!' Changing the history books does NOT benefit me, or hinderance me- WHATSOEVER! AND, it will NOT change what has already been done-what's done IS done; nobody can change that. It can ONLY change the perception in the eyes of people that are unaware of what took place and my perception of what took place is a travesty-nonetheless-its OVER! And that travesty affects/effects the people now- WHATSOEVER-get over it! Grow up and QUIT trying to find 'whoa to me' apathy or empathy!!!
ReplyDeleteI really just disregard anything Oprah says. That said, I believe the publishers are not caving to social pressure, but to economic pressure from school districts who purchase, or force their students to purchase, this novel. If they are smart, they will capitalize (in the literal sense) on the controversy and publish a "Classic" version of Huck Finn with a warning boldly printed on the cover. You want kids to read something? Stamp it with a big Parental Advisory label.
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