Opinion split in Twain over book's substitution for N-word

[1300 Class]

NEW YORK: A new edition of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is missing something: the word ''******''.

In its place, 219 times throughout the book, is the word ''slave'', a substitution that was made by NewSouth Books, an Alabama publisher that plans to release the edition next month.

Alan Gribben, who teaches English at Auburn University in Montgomery, approached the publisher with the idea in July. Dr Gribben said he had been teaching Mark Twain for decades and always hesitated before reading aloud the racial epithet, which is used liberally throughout the book, a reflection of social attitudes in the mid-19th century.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/ent...tution-of-slave-for-nword-20110105-19g8s.html

Is this ''censorship'' and ''political correctness'', or simply the perceived sin of altering the words of a literary icon. Has this been getting much attention over in the states? Ivory tower intellectualism once again deciding what's best for the masses? Surely, many authors books have been republished or revised editions have come out, so is this just a storm in a tea cup thats news for a slow news day?

 

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