Allie's Page: Alteration versus Authenticity

Although many have argued that the use of the original language in Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is unnecessary and offensive, it is highly reasonable to defend the fact that preserving the original vocabulary used in the novel is profoundly important to the entirety of the novel. Thomas Glave, a professor of English at Binghamton University, believes that the language in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should not be altered.

Throughout his novel, Mark Twain uses the word “nigger” over 200 times. In one of the edition of the book the word “nigger” is replaced with “slave”. However, the alteration of this word is widely protested by many English scholars; Thomas Glave is among these individuals. He bluntly states his frustration through the claim that “[t]he fact is that Huck would not have referred to Jim as a ‘slave" (Glave paragraph 5).

I am in complete concurrence with Glave for a variety of reasons. Primarily, because of the time period the novel was written, it is plainly illogical to replace the word “nigger” with “slave”. Huck and other individuals would have never referred to black individuals as “slave”, but rather they would have used a much more derogatory term, such as “nigger”. Although this word can be very offensive to some individuals, it should not be eliminated from the novel. This pejorative word showcases how immensely difficult it was to be black during this time period. In fact, it is more offensive to eliminate the word and act as if this racism and discrimination against the blacks did not occur.

Throughout the majority of the novel, Huck is refers to the members of the black community as “niggers”. However, after further examination, it is clear that in many cases Huck was not using the language that we now see as profane in malicious ways. While aboard the raft, Huck decides to play a cruel trick to Jim. After this he feels guilty, “It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger; but I done it, and I warn't ever sorry for it afterwards, neither. I didn't do him no more mean tricks, and I wouldn't done that one if I'd a knowed it would make him feel that way” (Twain chapter 15). At first glance, this use of the word “nigger” appears to be extremely derogatory. However, after deeper examination, one can easily interpret that Huck is humbling himself to the entire black community as opposed to insulting them. For example, throughout the majority of the story, Huck refers to Jim as “Jim”. However, the use of the word “nigger” in this context is actually positive, because Huck realizes that he needs to bring himself down and connect with the black community. This is a primary example that showcases the bildungsroman aspect of the novel and the importance of maintaining the original word choice used by Mark Twain. More than this, if “slave” was used to replace “nigger”, the growth of Huck’s character would not be exhibited, and therefore the novel would lose much of its intended meaning.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should not be taken out of schools, because the novel makes the reader question their own beliefs on the racism during the 19^th century. Jane Smiley,  the author of the article “Say It Ain’t So” believes that the novel should not be read in schools, because she thinks that Huck’s actions fall short of his thoughts “the entry of Huck Finn into classrooms sets the terms of the discussion of racism and American history, and sets them very low: all you have to do to be a hero is acknowledge that your poor sidekick is human; you don’t actually have to  act in the interests of his humanity” (Smiley page 7).  Smiley has a valid point, however, she does not take into consideration that Huck is only one person. Huck, as a single young boy, did not have the power to change society as a whole, which is why Smiley's argument falls short. Huck took steps that revealed that he was against society’s views about slavery and racism. Twain’s use of bildungsroman in this novel is vital to the impact of the novel. The growth of Huckleberry Finn’s character makes this novel an American masterpiece. This piece of American literature should not be altered or removed from schools.

Glave, Thomas. "Obscuring The Past." New York Times. The Opinion Pages, 08 Oct. 2011. Web. 08 Jan. 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2011/01/05/does-one-word-change-huckleberry-finn/obsuring-the-past>.