There has been a debate for decades as to whether the use of the n-word in Huckleberry Finn is okay in the modern age. Most people, like David Matthews, believe that the n-word is a product of its era and teaches modern students about the prevalence of racism at that time. David Matthews explains, “Dumbing and numbing down ‘Nigger Jim’ to ‘Slave Jim’ etiolates the crushing, dehumanizing institutional forces against the character, and minimizes Huck's enlightenment” (Matthews 4). Erasing the racism from Huckleberry Finn’s story completely erases the message of the book. As far as we know, one of Twain's intentions was to satirize racism, and so the use of the n-word is reduced to two possibilities. Either it was used as a capture of the slang of the time, or it was to make fun of the contradicting attitudes supporting slavery and racism. This is assuming that using the n-word is okay under any circumstances, a position which some decidedly disagree with. But I think the reason why people don't support use of the n-word is because of the support of ideas that can go along with its usage. If you use the word in direct opposition of these, why shouldn't it be considered at least tolerable?

On the other hand, you have a minority who are okay with the censorship of themes in books if it results in more of the youth engaging with them. I find James Duban's words especially insulting. His conclusion reveals how stuck in the past he is: “In today's wasteland of “gaming” and other electronic distractions, I applaud any effort to perpetuate the reading and enjoyment of great fiction” (Duban 3). The reason why this fiction is so great is because it challenges the reader, unlike the “wasteland of gaming”. Removing words people might find offensive, or even disagree with defeats the purpose of a novel. And we would hope this controversy actuallys intrigues students and prompts them to think. We need to keep thoughts in our books. Perhaps they are controversial, bigoted, and hateful, but erasing history only allows it to repeat.