BlurtOfParadox

Seeing the word in print, much less as a post title, makes me nauseous. Good.

Our discomfort often leads us to deeper understanding, empathy and respect. Huckleberry Finn is one of the foundations of American Lit, but it should never be an easy read. It belittles subject, theme and author alike.

seoulbrother:

To edit the word from our literature we actually decriminalize the climate and context in which it was used. We allow the romantic notion of The Good Ol’ Days to go unchecked. If we let that happen slavery gets reduced to young Anakin Skywalker pouting because he can’t get time off to compete in the Pod-races, bigotry becomes a rednecked, chew spittin’ caricature instead of the well dressed, even toned bank manager denying a loan and racism becomes something that used to happen. “Nigger” keeps that in check. It’s like a birth certificate for both America’s slavery and apartheid—proof that it happened.

We need to feel uncomfortable about “nigger” so we can learn from the mistakes that created, fed and nurtured it. We need “nigger.”