Every book is remembered for the small details that impacted the reader, at least this is my case. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is able to capture a time period and show the reader how people used to speak and act. Huck is very different from Jim, and even though he is a little boy he thought of Jim’s race as inferior. At a specific point he said that he was surprisingly smart for a nigger. Part of what makes this book unique is its language, and changing it will only hurt literature.
Benedicte Page, the author of New Huckleberry Finn edition censors 'n-word' exposes several points of view on the issue of a new version that omits the words “nigger” and “injun”. I agree with Dr. Churchwell’s point of view on the subject, which states: “These changes mean the book ceases to show the moral development of his character. They have no merit and are misleading to readers. The whole point of literature is to expose us to different ideas and different eras, and they won't always be nice and benign” (Dr. Sarah Churchwell) Literature will have to change over time but I do not believe that change should apply to our history. What is already written should stay the same and new versions will have to compete with the original version. I sincerely hope history is able to defend its throne.
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