This article by Susan Orlean moved me because of her no nonsense way of approaching the ongoing debate of the "n-word" in "Huckleberry Finn." Orlean relates the word to her own writing and even "Captain Underpants", which makes the article appealing to a wide audience. Replacing the word "nigger" with "slave" is also believed to make the novel, "Huckleberry Finn," appealing to a broad audience. However, shielding students’ eyes from the horrific word is not and never will be the correct approach. The novel does not convey the same powerful message of a character rising above their social status without the word. Orlean believes that "banning it is a futile effort to remake history, and a dangerous one" and I share the same opinion. It is wrong to use the "n-word" in a derogative way, but it is also inaccurate to pretend it wasn't used commonly in the past.
"This is one of those doughnut-shaped arguments that has no beginning and no end and nothing much inside. The problem isn’t the word; the problem is having the book banned to begin with because of the word, and yet having it returned to reading lists would indeed be a good outcome, although achieved by the worst sort of means."
This passage is particularly effective because of its powerful use of imagery to describe the problem associated with the "n-word" in "Huckleberry Finn." The problem is described as "having the book banned to begin with because of the word, and yet having it returned to reading lists would indeed be a good outcome, although achieved by the worst sort of means." The reader is able to imagine the problem unfolding as a circle or doughnut with no obvious solution. The use of the "n-word" in "Huckleberry Finn" has been a heated debate for years. Susan Orlean believes that it is acceptable and even accurate used in the novel, but at the same time offensive. There is not much substance behind this debate, but it will continue on for many years to come. This is why a doughnut is the perfect way of describing it.
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