The Controversial N Word

Last Friday the head of the English department at my school handed out a controversial article that was published in our local newspaper. The article is called 'Huckleberry Finn lesson plan prompts an uproar' and can be read here. The gist of it is that in an English class, as an introduction to Huckleberry Finn (a novel that already stirs the hornet's nest because of the n-word), the teacher, who was following a prescribed lesson plan that was put together by a district committee and 'consultant', wrote the n word on the board among other words in an effort to discuss the changing connotations of words. I will assume that good intentions were at play here, though I do not know the teacher personally. A student took offense to the n word (on the board) and though he asked the teacher to remove the word, she refused. The outcome is that the teacher is now in the midst of a storm of controversy. Though she has apologized to the boy and his family (as has the school district) the offended and his family have asked that she submit a written apology letter, do community service in an African American/Muslim neighborhood, and that the district ban the book from its curriculum.

OK. First of all, I taught Huck Finn when I taught junior literature because it is part of the required curriculum in our district so I know what it's like to feel completely torn about how to address the sensitive subject that is the n-word. I remember really fretting about it because I have also been the accused teacher (for a different and bogus reason) and I understand the power that one student who hates you can wield over your career. I chose to say the word while reading the book. I spoke with my students beforehand and told them that if they were uncomfortable saying it out loud that they didn't have to. I wanted to say it because: #1 I think censorship in literature is bullshit and #2 I knew that after the initial shock of hearing the word, it would eventually loose its power which is a really good thing. I made it though two years of teaching Huck Finn without any complication.

Secondly, if the district is going to put a teacher in a situation where they HAVE to teach something controversial, then they need to back that teacher 100%, no questions asked. We deserve this as professionals and as human beings. Because districts continue to hang us out to dry in an effort to appease parents, we have NO respect and NO authority in our classrooms or in our communities. If you don't think we have kids' best interests at heart, then either fire us and hire someone you do trust, or don't hire us in the first place. I'm sick of the equivocating.

Lastly, Huck Finn, though sensitive in print, is a classic, wonderful novel. It is a glimpse into history and yes, it contains racism, as did our society at that time. Just because it doesn't sit well with folks, doesn't mean it should be banned. In fact it is an uncomfortable read which, in my opinion, means that we ought to read it. It gives clarity to our own personal distaste of racism, and for some may hold up a huge mirror to their souls, perhaps allowing them to see an ugly blemish that needs to be addressed. Literature often holds up this sort of mirror - on purpose- and we are asked to experience a world that is challenging to our comfort zones.

Maybe Huck Finn is not a good match for reactionary high school students. And if this is true, then what can they read? Not Shakespeare - he's far too bawdy. Not Chaucer for the same reason. Not Orwell - he goes against the government and sometimes talks about sex. Not Milton or Dante - they actually address heaven, hell, and (gasp) God! In Steinbeck you might have to talk about a mentally challenged person who gets shot in the head, and in Dickens, the supernatural. Where do we draw the line?

If the student had actually read the book, he would know that in the end there is redemption for the slave, Jim, in that he is freed. In fact there are lots of instances in the book where Jim is more cunning than Huck and acts as the voice of reason. This is only one of the MANY aspects of the novel that should be addressed in the classroom.

Was the teacher wrong for introducing the lesson in this way? I don't know. I wasn't there, but I do know she was doing what the district wanted her to do. Is the community wrong for asking for the book to be banned? YES. Absolutely! In fact, I challenge that community to go and do something that is productive, not destructive. Maybe they should go read a book.