Cheesy FL-Vol
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Post by Cheesy FL-Vol on Jan 4, 2011 12:32:25 GMT -5
shelf-life.ew.com/2011/01/03/huckleberry-finn-n-word-censor-edit/?hpt=T2Should something written in the way accepted by society in the period of time it was written, be altered? Is this whitewashing literature? How could this affect future books when originals fall out of use and eventually disappear, because new edited versions are published? Someone in the comments section indicated that racism doesn't exist at birth, it is taught by parents, which is why it continues until someone consciously breaks the cycle.
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Chocolate Lover
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Post by Chocolate Lover on Jan 4, 2011 12:34:05 GMT -5
That's just ridiculous, it was written the way they talked in that time period. It's so written in the vernacular that it's hard for some people to even read it without translation.
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Cheesy FL-Vol
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Post by Cheesy FL-Vol on Jan 4, 2011 12:37:29 GMT -5
It's so written in the vernacular that it's hard for some people to even read it without translation. This really is true. I had no problem reading it as a kid, but when I gave it to my stepson to read a few years ago, after a few pages, I realized he really had no idea what he was reading when he had to keep asking me what the people were saying. Since his reading skills have improved since then, I may have him try reading it again.
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Post by efco on Jan 4, 2011 12:40:26 GMT -5
Yes it is censorship and totally ridiculous. This politically correct nonsense has got to stop.
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Chocolate Lover
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Post by Chocolate Lover on Jan 4, 2011 12:42:23 GMT -5
Cheesy, some adults without good reading skills will have problems too. Like my DH for instance. I think there's a lot more to worry about in the world than what words are in a book that's over 100 years old. By the time most kids are old enough to read and understand it the word usage is understood. The attitude that goes along with the current usage of the word has already been learned from the parents.
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Jan 4, 2011 12:42:56 GMT -5
I think people have way too much time on their hands. That's how they spoke back then and historically it's a good thing to read it and be able to understand the context of some of these books. You aren't going to understand one lick of To Kill a Mockingbird if they erase everything that isn't currently considered PC.
Urgh, people have sticks shoved too far up their asses. There is so much shit going on in the world and THIS is what people choose to focus their efforts on?
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Post by moneywhisperer on Jan 4, 2011 12:44:23 GMT -5
It is a longstanding American tradition to re-write history to make it 'look better'
Yes it's censorship. People need to get a life and find more important things to focus on. Just because it's incorrect to use the N word now doesn't mean it was never used in history. It's not flattering, but its truth so words should stand as they were written.
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Cheesy FL-Vol
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Post by Cheesy FL-Vol on Jan 4, 2011 12:45:36 GMT -5
Yes it is censorship and totally ridiculous. This politically correct nonsense has got to stop. I agree, altering literature and banning books from schools is ridiculous to me, it is nothing more than kowtowing to groups that scream the loudest.
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Jan 4, 2011 12:46:54 GMT -5
If you take the vernacular out the the story, then the story really doesn't make any sense.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that Huck was white and believed whites were superior. He spent a considerable amount of time with the slave (Jim?) and realized he was just another dude. Taking the slurs out of the story changes it and the point wouldn't be made as well.
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NancysSummerSip
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Post by NancysSummerSip on Jan 4, 2011 12:47:44 GMT -5
Totally agree. When we ban books, we close minds. I detest the politically correct cowards who do these things to their kids. Talk about helicoper parenting. For crying out loud it's classic literature.
OT to MM...hiya!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Apple
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Post by Apple on Jan 4, 2011 12:48:16 GMT -5
I love that book, and I love Huck. Even when society tells him to think one way, he knows in his heart that the truth is something else. He feels the need to "hide" it at times, but he stays true to himself in the end. I'm also sad that the release of "Song of the South" has been self-banned by Disney in the US. We were able to get an English copy and have it transfered to a VHS years ago. People said it was racist because of Tar Baby, but it seems like those same people failed to realize how important "Uncle Remus" was to the boy, which would not have "been allowed" if the movie was meant to be racist. Just because it may be hard to read doesn't mean it should be censored. Should we also edit every horrible thing that happened during the halocaust and other periods? Didn't some of that start with book burning? ETA: Crap, it took me forever to type that! When I started there was only one response...
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Post by mtntigger on Jan 4, 2011 12:50:46 GMT -5
Playing devil's advocate here... What about the bible? Each religion has rewritten and updated it for its one purpose. Should that be allowed in order to advance the religion?
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Jan 4, 2011 12:50:53 GMT -5
I think it's disrespectful to the kids. It's as if you don't think they're smart enough to realize that what was considered acceptable in the past is not acceptable now. I prefer to treat my kids as if they have a brain they can use for themselves.
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NancysSummerSip
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Post by NancysSummerSip on Jan 4, 2011 12:51:15 GMT -5
And for the records, I did read the link...I know it did not deal specifically with parents. But I mention it because they are the ones (at least in this neck of the woods) who scream the loudest at the school board for allowing the kids to read "profane" books, or even dare to have them in the library. We've even had a few parents go after the county library system here, for having "bad" books on their shelves. Good heavens, their precious darlings might be able to get hold of them.
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Jan 4, 2011 12:52:03 GMT -5
Isn't there talk now about taking the Civil War out of the school history books? It is absolutely ridiculous! So what do you tell your kids as you're driving through Gettysburg........
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Post by mtntigger on Jan 4, 2011 12:52:22 GMT -5
You mean the aggression against the southern states?
(Sorry, I had to do it.)
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Jan 4, 2011 12:53:02 GMT -5
Playing devil's advocate here... What about the bible? Each religion has rewritten and updated it for its one purpose. Should that be allowed in order to advance the religion? Feel free to rewrite it. There are always other religions to study. I'm thinking the parents that don't allow their kids to know about other religions are probably the same ones that want to sanitize classic literature.
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Apple
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Post by Apple on Jan 4, 2011 12:53:08 GMT -5
Isn't there talk now about taking the Civil War out of the school history books? It is absolutely ridiculous! Seriously??? WTF?
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Jan 4, 2011 12:54:45 GMT -5
You mean the aggression against the southern states? (Sorry, I had to do it.) Yes, that's exactly what I meant. I remember discussing the Civil War in elementary school and looking at it from each side. Horrors, huh? Public school didn't just give me facts to spew, but had us look critically at a historical event.
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Chocolate Lover
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Post by Chocolate Lover on Jan 4, 2011 12:55:17 GMT -5
Playing devil's advocate here... What about the bible? Each religion has rewritten and updated it for its one purpose. Should that be allowed in order to advance the religion? No and as soon as you can find an original and translate it for us we sure would appreciate it.
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Post by mtntigger on Jan 4, 2011 12:55:17 GMT -5
Totally agree! People shouldn't be spoonfed things, but allowed to see the world as it is/was.
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NancysSummerSip
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Post by NancysSummerSip on Jan 4, 2011 12:55:33 GMT -5
Good point....I am most familiar with the KJ version, and I did use another version (I need to check which one) when I took a Biblical Lit class in college. I look at those changes as language changes that enhance understanding of the original, and unchanged point of the Book as a whole. The changes in language and grammar in the case of the Bible don't change the meaning as much as they clarify. But that's just my thoughts, as Tex would say.
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Cheesy FL-Vol
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Post by Cheesy FL-Vol on Jan 4, 2011 12:56:26 GMT -5
Isn't there talk now about taking the Civil War out of the school history books? It is absolutely ridiculous! Seriously? Totally negate a whole chunk of important American History, including presidencies, before, during and after. Doing that negates a hell of a lot of history from the 1700's all the way to today!
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Cheesy FL-Vol
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Post by Cheesy FL-Vol on Jan 4, 2011 12:58:01 GMT -5
You mean the aggression against the southern states? (Sorry, I had to do it.) Yes, that's exactly what I meant. I remember discussing the Civil War in elementary school and looking at it from each side. Horrors, huh? Public school didn't just give me facts to spew, but had us look critically at a historical event. I was stunned at how little of the Civil War was covered my girls history classes. Practically none, and they graduated HS in '05 & '06!
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Post by mtntigger on Jan 4, 2011 12:58:26 GMT -5
I wish they and the media would do that more. Of course, it is hard to look critically at something when the historical event is relatively new.
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Apple
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Post by Apple on Jan 4, 2011 12:59:49 GMT -5
I'm from Oregon...we had nothing to do with any of it, keep that east coast fighting to yourselves
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Jan 4, 2011 13:00:53 GMT -5
I'm from Oregon...we had nothing to do with any of it, keep that east coast fighting to yourselves Yeah, well you led Lewis and Clark astray and hooked him up with that Indian chick. Nothing good ever came of that.
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Post by mtntigger on Jan 4, 2011 13:03:21 GMT -5
Good point....I am most familiar with the KJ version, and I did use another version (I need to check which one) when I took a Biblical Lit class in college. I look at those changes as language changes that enhance understanding of the original, and unchanged point of the Book as a whole. The changes in language and grammar in the case of the Bible don't change the meaning as much as they clarify. But that's just my thoughts, as Tex would say. That's what I was thinking of too. I grew up on the Roman Catholic version, but got a copy of the KJ from someone close in Junior High. I was actually amazed at the differences between the two version. The KJ is a more friendly, loving version (IMO) than the Roman Catholic one is. I haven't done this, but I wonder what types of differences are between those two versions and the Torah, let alone the Dead Sea Scrolls.
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Post by mtntigger on Jan 4, 2011 13:05:42 GMT -5
That Indian chick was wayyyy before Oregon.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 4, 2011 13:06:43 GMT -5
As far as critical thinking being done in school now, No Child Left Behind has pretty much taken that out of the curriculum. : ( My 5 year old is fascinated with the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln. Last year his pre-K teacher asked us to talk to him about discussing it in class. I guess he was telling the kids that Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. Oops.. LOL You should talk to the admin of his school. That teacher sounds like an epic failure.
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