Response To The N Word Analysis

I do not particularly feel anything towards the “n” word considering this ethnic slur is directed at a race of which I am not member. Even if I were black, I still would not feel anything towards the “n” word because insults mean absolutely nothing to me. I believe this word is inappropriate to call a person, but appropriate to use in literature. I feel this way because if one were writing a story which is set in a time in American history where racism and slavery are perfectly okay, using the “n” word would be acceptable because blacks were commonly referred to as such in those days. Removing this word from novels like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to protect people’s feelings would only censor history, would only cover up the ugliness of the past as stated in one of the news articles we listened to in class. The “n” word authenticates this work and prohibiting its use in literature conflicts with our right to free speech as American citizens. …show more content…
In Caribbean countries like Guyana, however, coolie is used to describe a poor person of East Indian origin who has little to no education. Unlike how black people altered the ending of the “n” word to create a friendlier word, coolie has not been “taken back” considering Indians are the primary users of this term, not other races. Furthermore, like how the “n” word frequently appears in the lyrics of rap songs, coolie is included in a multitude of chutney songs which is a genre of music indigenous to the southern Caribbean. Although coolie is not considered as bad of a term to the point where one needs to say the “c” word instead, this racial insult, according to my mother who is a Guyanese of Indian descent, is the worst thing you could possibly call an