I tried to read this book, Huckleberry Finn, to my grandchildren, but I couldn't get past page six because the book is fraught with the 'n-word'. And although they are the deepest-thinking, combat-ready eight- and ten-year-olds I know, I knew my babies weren't ready to comprehent Huckleberry Finn on its own merits. That's why I took the liberty to rewrite Mark Twain's masterpiece. Where re repugnant 'n-word' occurs, I replaced it with 'warrior' and the word 'slave' with 'dark-skinned volunteer'.
In Paul Beatty's "The Sellout," the narrator shares a personal experience about trying to read "Huckleberry Finn" to his grandchildren. He found himself unable to continue due to the frequent use of the racial slur "n-word," which he believed would be inappropriate for their age. His grandchildren, despite being perceptive and mature for their ages, were not ready to grasp the complex themes of Twain's work.
To address this, the narrator decided to rewrite the classic text, replacing the offensive terms with more palatable alternatives. He changed "n-word" to "warrior" and "slave" to "dark-skinned volunteer," in an effort to make the book more accessible and less controversial for young readers. This approach reflects his desire to present literature in a way that avoids the harsh realities of its original context.
