Huckleberry Finn Synthesis

Nearly a third of the English words said today come from Latin words or are derivatives of Latin roots. For instance, the reason the word procrastinate means to defer an action, is because “pro” means for, and “cras” is the Latin word for tomorrow. Literally, procrastinate, means “for tomorrow.” Many will argue that the most offensive word in the english language is the “n-word”, which actually comes from a latin word. The latin word niger translates into English as black. That is it. No derogatory or offensive meaning. Black. As centuries have passed, somehow this word has transformed into one of the most derogatory and provocative words in the English language. Now, schools across the country are contemplating banning or editing Mark Twain’s American classic, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, due to the repetition of this one simple word. In reality, what they really need to be considering is the impact the “n-word” has to the book and to history. …show more content…
When people cut this word from the book, it changes the whole meaning. Mark Twain took eight years to write this book, carefully selecting each and every word. He chose to include the “n-word” 219 times, not because he was racist, but to encounter the time period and the social attitudes of 1840. In the article, “Editing ‘Huckleberry Finn’ stirs up feelings”, from the Courier Post, Thomas Anderson is quoted by saying “The author had a purpose in mind. When rewriting classics and other works, where does it stop?” (Shamlin). The first amendment protects Twain’s right to write the “n-word”. No one is saying that every person needs to agree with what he wrote, but that is no excuse to change his