Good points. And, I didn't realize that about Sherman Alexie. I wonder
where Louise Erdrich, Leslie Silko, James Welch and others come down on the
subject. Not to suggest that "Indian" is in the same camp with the
"n-word", but that's one of the problems with attempting to be PC. What is
safe for one person, might be offensive to another.
Michael MacBride
English/Humanities
Minnesota State University, Mankato
On Thu, Jan 6, 2011 at 11:31 AM, Sharon McCoy <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Interesting question about "Indian" -- I don't feel confident enough
> about
> this to post on the list, but I'll offer three speculations:
>
>
> --It is closest to "Injun" and therefore makes the change seem minor
> --Either of the other two choices would be anachronistic as well as
> euphemistic
> --The most well-known and widely read "Native" author today is Sherman
> Alexie
> (Spokane-Couer d'Alene), who prefers and uses the term "Indian."
>
>
> Just possibilities . . . .
>
> Sharon
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Michael MacBride <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Sent: Thu, January 6, 2011 11:20:37 AM
> Subject: Re: a new Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
>
> I suppose, if nothing else, it will make for some good classroom
> discussions... particularly for those of us teaching Huck Finn this
> semester. Effectively, I have several pre-fab discussions ready to rock.
>
> In related matters:
> Does anyone know why they chose "Indian" instead of "Native American" or
> "Amerindian"?
>
> I was a little surprised to open Where the Sidewalk Ends randomly at a book
> store and to find that Shel Silverstein's work has also been edited
> (though,
> with little fanfare). His poem "The gypsies are coming" has been changed
> to
> "The googies are coming". Weird.
>
> I will admit to being made uncomfortable by the n-word in Huck Finn, but
> that uncomfortableness just makes it that much more challenging to teach,
> and to ensure that we have thoughtful discussions about language, rhetoric,
> and the like. Of course, I'm not teaching the novel at a high school
> level,
> so I can't vouch for how successful it is in that setting.
>
> In either case, thanks for all the material and the lively discussion.
> I've
> enjoyed it.
>
> Michael MacBride
> English/Humanities
> Minnesota State University, Mankato
>
>
> On Thu, Jan 6, 2011 at 12:27 AM, <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> > I am pleased to learn that you gave up on the Politically Correct (but
> Wre=
> > cked) version. The snippet you have given makes it clear that your
> transl=
> > ation goes from the unforgettable to the unreadable.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Kent_Rasmussen <[log in to unmask]>
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Sent: Wed, Jan 5, 2011 10:33 am
> > Subject: Re: a new Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
> >
> >
> > Like that of many others posting on this subject, my first reaction to
> thi=
> > s
> > news was one of astonishment. However, after giving the matter further
> > thought, I wonder if it wouldn=E2=80=99t be better to carry the revision=
> > of
> > _Huckleberry Finn_ even further. And, I=E2=80=99m happy to report,
> I=E2=80=
> > =99m ready to
> > help. About sixteen years ago, just for fun, I started to rewrite the
> book
> > myself, with the idea of publishing it as _The Politically Correct (but
> > Wrecked) Adventures of Huckleberry Finn_. To provide some of the flavor
> of
> > my 100% non-offensive text, here=E2=80=99s my version of Pap=E2=80=99s
> dru=
> > nken diatribe.
> > (Note, by the way, how neatly it handles the uncomfortable matter of
> > substituting =E2=80=9Cslave=E2=80=9D for the uncomfortable word that
> begin=
> > s with the letter
> > following M in the alphabet.)
> >
> > "Oh, yes, we have wonderful institutions! How's this for an example: I
> hea=
> > rd
> > of a free African American from Ohio who dressed better than any European
> > American in town. He even had a gold watch and chain and silver-headed
> can=
> > e.
> > Oh yes, he was quite the dandy. What's more, they said he was a
> multilingu=
> > al
> > college professor with a vast repertoire of knowledge. That was bad
> enough=
> > .
> > When they said he could vote in his home state, that was too much. What,=
> > I
> > wondered, is our country coming to? Well, it happened to be election day=
> > and
> > I would have gone to vote myself, if I been in a condition to get there
> > safely, but when I heard that there's a state which actually lets a
> person
> > of color vote, I stopped and said that I would never vote again. Those
> are
> > my exact words--everyone heard me. Why, the country can founder for all I
> > care. And to think of the presumption of that man--why, he wouldn't have
> > conceded my right-of-way unless I pushed him aside! When I asked why he
> > wasn't sold back into involuntary servitude, do you know what people
> said?
> > That he couldn't be sold unless he spent six months in the state. How's
> th=
> > at
> > for an example of our government institutions? Pretty sad, if you ask
> me."=
> > =20
> > =20
> >
> > =20
> >
>
>
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