In all honesty, I've been waiting for this thread to die off.  The issue of
Mark Twain's/ Huck Finn's racism has been viewed and reviewed for the last
10-15 years in the journals and in some fine books with no resolution (Cf.
Forrest Robinson's articles and books).  My suggestion is that one plow
through some of those articles and then return to this thread if there is
anything new to say about it.

As far as the "N" word goes, I do accept arguments that it is a historically
weighty term.  But I am struck by the frequency of the use of the word by
American blacks in conversation with each other.  I have wondered at times
if such use hasn't taken some of the sting out of the term. (?)

Gary Henrickson
North Dakota State College of Science