The Banning Of Books In Schools

Banning the book from the shelves and classrooms seems unnecessary for many people. Many people believe the book should not be banned but only modified to replace the “N-word” with the word “slave.” With the modification, people claim that the book would still send its message across, yet in a less offensive way. Mark Twain scholars believe that the modification will make the book more adaptable for teaching and it will still manage to send it’s message across, without the need of the “N-word.” Professor of Syracuse University, Boyce Watkins, stated in The Joey Behar Show that there is censorship present in our society already in “movies, television, and other forms of art” and that censorship on a book is not an exception. Modifying the book

is not an attempt to destroy the books historical significance but rather allow the book to accommodate to a school's curriculum. In Byron Pitts interview for CBS, a student claims that “the n-word is not necessary”(Schneider )and he feels uncomfortable when the book was taught in class. The main motive for the modification of the book is primarily to make students feel comfortable when reading this classic novel. Although many argue that the book is a “literature classic”(Beck) in the end of the day many “children will not- or do not- truly get the classical part” (Beck) which is why the modified version of the book not only to diminishes the racial aspects of it but makes it more understandable for children. The supporters of the original book claim that replacing the n-word with “slave” is not a fair trade; both words are unlike one another, and therefore by replacing the n-word,they are changing the whole book itself. A simple modification of a word will make the book adequate for school teaching and it will not take away its historical significance. Replacing the N-word white slave as a Mark Twain Scholar proposed will preserve the historical significance of the novel yet is a less racist way. A modified version of the book is not an attempt to eliminate the original copy of the book, but to serve as a reinforcement of Mark Twain's teachings in a less racist way for people who feel the original book is too much. The modified novel will serve as a safety outlet for parents who are concerned with what their children are exposed too, yet will still manage to send its historical significance across the classroom.