{"id":3292,"date":"2017-06-27T14:50:27","date_gmt":"2017-06-27T21:50:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ourthoughts.ca\/?p=3292"},"modified":"2017-06-27T14:50:27","modified_gmt":"2017-06-27T21:50:27","slug":"the-controversy-surrounding-altered-texts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ourthoughts.ca\/2017\/06\/27\/the-controversy-surrounding-altered-texts\/","title":{"rendered":"The controversy surrounding altered texts"},"content":{"rendered":"

This guest post is written by Kate Harveston, a writer and political activist from Pennsylvania. She blogs about culture and politics, and the various ways that those elements act upon each other. For more of her work, you can follow her on Twitter<\/a> or subscribe to her blog, Only Slightly Biased<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s no secret some written and artistic material can be insensitive. Mark Twain\u2019s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer<\/em> are great examples of this. Though written in such a way as to shine a light on racism, the truth of their history is unsettling to all of us.<\/p>\n

In both books, the \u201cN-word\u201d is thrown around constantly \u2014 both from the mouths of bad characters and from those who we\u2019re supposed to identify with. There\u2019s no question the language is offensive, but is its use worth preservation to tell Twain\u2019s stories?<\/p>\n

We can\u2019t ignore history, and it should come as no surprise that Twain\u2019s works were realistic in many ways \u2014 from their depiction of child abuse to the reprehensible treatment of African-Americans. If we ignore that history, are we ignoring how far we\u2019ve come? Or are we \u2014 like Tom Sawyer \u2014 white-washing something we\u2019d rather be untrue?<\/p>\n

Regardless of your answer, it\u2019s happening.<\/p>\n

In modern printings and digital copies of Twain\u2019s books, the language is being altered so it\u2019s friendlier<\/a> to younger audiences. Some teachers report they\u2019ve long omitted the offensive words to save their students the embarrassment and pain of revisiting such times. Is that protection misplaced, though? Most scholars consider Twain\u2019s novels to be books pretending to be children\u2019s novels<\/a> that are actually about the evils of racism.<\/p>\n

When the racism is removed, what is left of the novel\u2019s ambition? This example leads to bigger questions: Should we really be altering such prominent and renowned examples of literature, or should we be preserving them as their writers intended? And what does that mean for other, culturally important texts?<\/p>\n

New age or original: That is the question<\/h2>\n

When it comes to fictional content like Mark Twain\u2019s novels, the argument is important, sure, but it\u2019s not disruptive. However, what does this precedent set for religious texts, such as the Bible? There have been many controversial aspects of the Bible \u2014 from stoning and killing disobedient children to telling women to submit to the husbands.<\/p>\n

As we continue to evolve as a society, more aspects of the Bible become problematic. For the LGBT+ community, the treatment of gay people and the insistence on certain gender classification transforms what many feel is a book about love and forgiveness into a book about hate.<\/p>\n

For groups like the Southern Baptists \u2014 who are millions strong \u2014 scrubbing non-inclusive language is more than just offensive \u2014 it goes against everything they believe in. For years, they have condemned Bible translations and interpretations that employ gender-inclusive language.<\/p>\n

That probably explains why recent translations of their denomination-approved Bible are causing quite the stir<\/a>. Some in the group have even taken it upon themselves to revise and release their own editions of the Bible, which include more gender-neutral language, such as \u201chumans\u201d and \u201cpeople\u201d in place of the Greek word anthropos<\/em>, which is traditionally translated as man.<\/p>\n

Before we debate whether this is an affront to modern religion, consider that religious texts such as the Bible have been revised, restructured and translated numerous times over the centuries. This is not the first time these important texts have been altered. But it does beg the question: Do we change art to fit culture?<\/p>\n

Does the kind of text matter?<\/h2>\n

In the case of Mark Twain\u2019s novels, the issue is racism and offensive language. With the Southern Baptist approved-Bible, it\u2019s the use of gender-inclusive language. Are there other texts out there, waiting to be scrubbed clean? Given the right crowd, absolutely. But again, the answer to the question of whether this content \u2014 offensive or otherwise \u2014should be altered, is not so easy to answer.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a question that has been brewing for decades now<\/a>. Does changing the offending language alter the material enough that it becomes something entirely different? Are we bastardizing classic literature and sacred texts to be more politically correct?<\/p>\n

In the case of the Bible and religious texts, that may be a relevant problem. In the case of Mark Twain\u2019s books, however, that argument changes entirely. Does a fictional book need racist language to convey a message, especially when it\u2019s being read to younger audiences who are both impressionable and sensitive? If it\u2019s a message about racism, then yes.<\/p>\n

A cultural divide<\/h2>\n

Twain is no John-the- Beloved, so should we be treating these issues the same? The effect may be the same \u2014 removing questionable material changes the writer\u2019s intent. What\u2019s interesting about this\u00a0phenomenon is how this conversation will divide by culture lines.<\/p>\n

Liberals vehemently against censoring a text like Huck Finn may feel it\u2019s time for the Bible to have a revision. Likewise, strict scripture-reading Christians may be fine with a cleaner version of Twain\u2019s works, but they are less inclined to revamp what, for them, has been a holy text. The jury is still out on how this will play in the court of cultural opinion, but it will surely be an interesting discussion in coming years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This guest post is written by Kate Harveston, a writer and political activist from Pennsylvania. 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