Mark Twain

Do you want to know who my favorite author on the banned books list is? Mark Twain. Simply because of the reasons he is on the banned book list. I understand that the words he used in his writing were frowned upon, and highly offensive. But you know what? That's what makes his literature so good. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not racist in anyway. But the thing most people who read his works seem to forget, is that when Mark Twain was alive, racial slurs were still socially acceptable, and whether we like it or not, we can't change that part of history.

Within the past year, there has been a want to rewrite Mark Twain, to take out all words that are racial. With an argument that I find myself disagreeing with. Mark Twain, in the 1840's would have been around words he could not escape from. Mark Twain was born before the Civil War started, and died at the beginning of the 1900's. Are you surprised he grew up hearing racist words? Are you surprised he included these words into his works of literature? Neither am I. After I found out that his works are to be rewritten, I bought copies of his work, because I think that books should be read the way they were written.

http://www.necn.com/01/05/11/Mark-Twains-Huck-Finn-and-Tom-Sawyer-nov/landing_arts.html?blockID=385297&feedID=4214

Just some food for thought.