Nigger

Nigger; a contemptuous term used to describe a black person or a person of dark skin. It is the most offensive word in English and has often been used in a derogatory manner. It is a term of exclusion and has so much hatred and disgust behind it. The word “Nigger” is traced back to the Latin word “Niger” meaning black. However, it was not considered a derogatory word until the mid-18th century. Although this word is offensive and is used as a racial slur, it has gained acceptance in the recent…

words and situations are important to the novel and its time period. Seeing these words that were appropriate before, being used in this novel helps the reader to understand the time period and the feelings people had back then. The use of the word “nigger” may be inappropriate by today's standards, however, the inclusion of this word develops the understanding of the story and how African American people were mistreated during the eighteen-hundreds. This allows the themes and messages the novel…

As a country that prides itself with the idealistic notions of liberty, justice, and equality, the roots of America’s history deem otherwise. For centuries, an atrocious system of oppression was forced upon millions of African Americans. They were dehumanized, tortured, and murdered in ways that there are no words powerful enough to genuinely describe. As slaves cried and begged for freedom, the country based on democracy reared its ugly head and turned the other way, repudiating the very…

from black culture, reduces the damage of racial slurs and makes blacks seem uneducated. students should refrain from saying nigga or nigger outside of the black population. When blacks use the term nigga, it signifies unity and common struggle. It has a variety of meanings and variations, some off which are meant as family and friendship. The original term nigger was a neutral term for someone inferior socially and economically, whites turned it into negative meaning during the slave era. When…

rights such as voting, "Thinks I, what is the country a-coming to? It was 'lection day, and I was just about to go and vote myself if I warn 't too drunk to get there; but when they told me there was a State in this country where they 'd let that nigger vote, I drawed out. I says I 'll never vote agin"(Twain, pp.39). It demonstrates the freedoms and liberties they have today, even as racism thrives. Reading through the novel subjects them to the tortures of slavery, but can also bring about an…

working class urban African American communities. People who use this sub-set of the English language are often shamed. In To Kill A Mockingbird, Jem and Scout reprimand Calpurnia when they hear her speak in this way. Scout asks Calpurnia,” Why do you nigger –talk to the-to your folks when you know its not right?” (167 H.P). Like in the novel, when Miles uses one of the staple words in AAVE, he is severely punished. His school’s administrators refuse to acknowledge the word’s completely…

In The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Huck and Jim escape civilization together to float down to freedom on the Mississippi river. The river has its good times and bad ones to, but Huck pushes through like a good friend would. He also meets his childhood friend Tom but ultimately leaves all of this to go out west. Friendship plays a very important role; Huck develops many new friendships throughout the text including those with Jim, a runaway slave, Huck’s friend Tom Sawyer, from…

others in class by not participating in class discussions. In fact, Allan B. Ballard, a black student who attended a primarily white school, stated: “I only recalled the sense of relief I felt when I would flip ahead a few pages and see that the word ‘nigger’ would not be read that hour” when sharing his reaction to Huck Finn being read out loud in class (qtd. in Henry 364). When a student is distracted by the use of racial epithets in a novel, he or she will pay less attention to the studies of…

The Banning of Huckleberry Finn Imagine reading a classic American novel, having to endure the word “nigger” 219 times in a 366 page book? Does this affect you? How do you feel about the occurrence of this word? The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn written by Mark Twain uses this word to describe the black people of the south. Should this be reason to ban the book from schools all over the country? Banning this novel would be a detriment to, the education of American school children, the…

in the book it says “Dey’s mighty good to me, dese niggers is, en whatever I wants ‘m to do fur me, I doan’ have to ast ‘m twice, honey.” (190-191). This quote proves that the word nigger is not meant to be offensive; it is meant to be used as a descriptive word that shows someone’s race. The word nigger has gained a different type of meaning as years have gone on, and that is why people interpret this word as repulsive. Even though the word nigger is now an offensive word, the book gains a lot…