When we discussed A Lesson Before Dying, we touched upon the power behing one word "hog" in the novel. As we are reading Huck Finn, we have talked about the word "nig--r" and the fact that it is the reason behind the novel often being banned. Read the article in the link below and then give your thought on its contents and whether you agree or disagree with the article. (The deadline to post a response to this blog is midnight Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2011).
http://stackedblog.com/news/huckleberry-finn-d-w-griffith-and-the-role-of-racism-in-art
10 comments:
I have a mixed opinion about this article. While I completely agree with what the article states regarding the book Huckleberry Finn, I disagree with the later message. I believe that while people should acknowledge the past as it was, I cannot help but feel that in this modern time it is emphasized almost in an effort to CREATE a reaction. Yes, the past treatment of blacks was terrible, but ,while I cannot truly speak for others, most people today do not judge others based on the color of their skin, but the way they present themselves. It seems to me that the time of American racial prejudice is over, yet some people seem insistent on maintaining this 200 year old grudge. The past is the past, and it ended up there for a reason . . . so we can move on.
I agree with the article that Huckelberry Finn is not a racist novel and that the novel is only staying accurate to its setting. I also agree that many Americans need to know about the past and not the sugar coated watered down version we learn about in class but the truth. If more people knew the ugly details of the past, they would try harder to change. I also agree that racism still exist today; even though African-Americans are not a large target of racism anymore Mexicans are. Huckelberry Finn is not a racist novel because Twain was not trying to hurt a specific group of people but show how African-Americans were treated in the region he lived in.
I agree with the article. I believe that Huckleberry Finn is not a racist novel because Mark Twain was just trying to accurately portray the setting in which the book takes place. I think that people should not try to cover up the past, but instead learn from it. However, I believe there is not as much racism in America today. It still exists because eldery people were raised during a time where there was a lot of racism, but it is not as dominant as it used to be. Overall, I believe Huckleberry Finn is not a racist book, Mark Twain was just trying to have an accurate setting for his novel.
I believe that Mark Twain wrote Huck Finn using the language that was available to him at the time and did not mean it in a derogatory way. Racism is not as public an issue as it has been in the past, but it definitely still exists in today's society only in private. Also, racism is not only focused onto blacks anymore, but to other ethnic groups as well.
I believe Mark Twain's word choice is accurate to the time period of the novel. At the point in time, the word nig--r was not a degrading term; it is was a very innocent word. As Joseph said, people continue to make racism an issue. It truly is no longer a big deal, but some people try to make it one only to gain attention. They feel that because the past was so horrible for them, the future must be horrible for the future. Some of the once oppressed people for some reason feel the need to oppress others. If people would take the time to acknowledge the past, agree to learn from it, and show their true understanding, it might allow the oppressed to have closure and see that their time of oppression truly is over.
The usage of the "N word" in Huck Finn is, while difficult to read out loud, complete acceptable for the time in which it was written, and I agree with the article on that account. Racism, while still prevalent in some parts of the world, has lowered dramatically and is nowhere near as bad as it was in the past. As others have stated, and more will continue to say, we must not simply shove and ban away things that remind us of the past we'd rather forget; we should instead learn from them and make amends.
I believe in the articles opinion on the matter of Mark Twain's word useage in the story. The novel is not meant to be looked upon as a racist novel. It is a novel that showed the reality of it's time. Mark Twain wrote a story of a boy who learned to see past color of one's skin. He did not write a book based on racist opinions or to insult African Americans with the usage of the word "ni-r"
I agree that Huckleberry Finn is not a racist novel. Throughout the entire book, Twain uses wonderful relaxed conversations and slang terms to represent the common wording of that time. The use of the word "nigger" is simply to relate to a time in history and present an accurate setting. I agree that people are naturally repelled by the use of this language because it reminds them of the failure to show equality that once plagued this nation. one line in the article states, "Our racism is a lack of awareness about our past and just how ugly it was." I agree with this and believe we should face this past with a mind that is willing to learn.
I agree with the article in that the use of nig--r was not meant to be used in a deragatory way. Twain is writing a novel about a boy growing up in the south and that is what was used all around him. I do believe that there is still racism in the world but is not only centered on blacks anymore.
I agree with this novel and believe that Mark Twain only meant to portray the right time period. He did this not knowing how controversal some of these words are in today's society. His book is mainly about a boy's adventure through maturity and making friends with someone of a different race. Because of it's main message, Huckleberry Finn is not a racist book.
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