Current Events > If a white kid is reading Huck Finn in class should they not say the N-word?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Because I've heard people been getting mad at white people for using the -a version when singing rap songs so it seems like context doesn't matter anymore.

any teacher who has kids read a book like that aloud is an idiot, and is only asking for trouble.

edit: actually, reading aloud in class is fucking idiotic, full godsdamned stop. the good kids can read faster to themselves and are held back. the bad kids get exposed, which, while it could lead to help from the teacher, can also just lead to them losing any hope of interest in getting better. There is just not enough good to be had from it. imo, it's just lazy teaching. busywork designed only to fill time.
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Depends on the teacher
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Medussa posted...

any teacher who has kids read a book like that aloud is an idiot, and is only asking for trouble.

Medussa posted...

any teacher who has kids read a book like that aloud is an idiot, and is only asking for trouble.

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When i was a kid and we read that book, the teacher told kids to skip over it unless it was a black student who felt comfortable with it. I live in the bumfuck trash south so that's surprising to be honest.
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Medussa posted...

any teacher who has kids read a book like that aloud is an idiot, and is only asking for trouble.

ThatMuttGuy posted...

Medussa posted...

any teacher who has kids read a book like that aloud is an idiot, and is only asking for trouble.

KStateKing17 posted...

Medussa posted...

any teacher who has kids read a book like that aloud is an idiot, and is only asking for trouble.

Found the people so used to being admonished for insensitive racial comments that they just assume all race-related discussion is taboo
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KStateKing17 posted...

Medussa posted...

any teacher who has kids read a book like that aloud is an idiot, and is only asking for trouble.

So you think it should be read only independently? Or only read aloud by the actual teacher?

Back in the day my teacher said to read it in whatever way we were comfortable.
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Comfy_Pillow posted...

KStateKing17 posted...

Medussa posted...

any teacher who has kids read a book like that aloud is an idiot, and is only asking for trouble.

So you think it should be read only independently? Or only read aloud by the actual teacher?

see my edit.
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I agree, it would be provocative to read that aloud in class

There should be an n word pass system where the black students gets to vote on whether or not theyre ok with the white students using the word in the context of the literature, and if the black vote is unanimously yes, then the white students get to say it.
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I thought every printed copy replaced it with "n-word".

They should do that.
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Medussa posted...

any teacher who has kids read a book like that aloud is an idiot, and is only asking for trouble.

edit: actually, reading aloud in class is fucking idiotic, full godsdamned stop. the good kids can read faster to themselves and are held back. the bad kids get exposed, which, while it could lead to help from the teacher, can also just lead to them losing any hope of interest in getting better. There is just not enough good to be had from it. imo, it's just lazy teaching. busywork designed only to fill time.

"I am very smart"

Reading aloud improves reading skills and helps with memory retention

But yes let's just keep kids illiterate so you can bel less embarrassed when you have to read aloud in your nasally voice frustrated you can't read ahead on your own time oh wait
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YOUHAVENOHOPE posted...

Found the people so used to being admonished for insensitive racial comments that they just assume all race-related discussion is taboo

shut the fuck up. I don't use slurs because they are unconscionable. I don't care if I'm just reading someone else's words, they are never appropriate.
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Would it be okay if they just said "the n word" or "n word" instead of using the actual word?
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Medussa posted...

any teacher who has kids read a book like that aloud is an idiot, and is only asking for trouble.

edit: actually, reading aloud in class is fucking idiotic, full godsdamned stop. the good kids can read faster to themselves and are held back. the bad kids get exposed, which, while it could lead to help from the teacher, can also just lead to them losing any hope of interest in getting better. There is just not enough good to be had from it. imo, it's just lazy teaching. busywork designed only to fill time.

Alllll of this.
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The real answer is that the word is used deliberately to establish setting and character in Huck Finn

The book is supposed to be a reflection of society at the time. Not reading the n word aloud would be erasing the past
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Comfy_Pillow posted...

KStateKing17 posted...

Medussa posted...

any teacher who has kids read a book like that aloud is an idiot, and is only asking for trouble.

So you think it should be read only independently? Or only read aloud by the actual teacher?

I went to some ghetto ass schools when I was younger. Even though the demographics were almost even in some, asking a white kid to read some of that out loud would have definitely gotten a response.
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Medussa posted...

any teacher who has kids read a book like that aloud is an idiot, and is only asking for trouble.

edit: actually, reading aloud in class is fucking idiotic, full godsdamned stop. the good kids can read faster to themselves and are held back. the bad kids get exposed, which, while it could lead to help from the teacher, can also just lead to them losing any hope of interest in getting better. There is just not enough good to be had from it. imo, it's just lazy teaching. busywork designed only to fill time.

fucking thank you
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YOUHAVENOHOPE posted...

Reading aloud improves reading skills and helps with memory retention

But yes let's just keep kids illiterate so you can bel less embarrassed when you have to read aloud in your nasally voice frustrates you can't read ahead on your own time oh wait

My dude I have had people in college English classes who could barely read aloud. Some people will always be a lost cause.
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So i have 2 schools of thought...on one hand i understand the historical context of it and why using that word while reading the book COULD open up a dialog about our History....But then again just because its part of our history doesn't mean we shouldn't adapt it to current times. we can still understand the power of that word back then while using a replacement word and not saying it.
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RebelElite791 posted...

YOUHAVENOHOPE posted...

Reading aloud improves reading skills and helps with memory retention

But yes let's just keep kids illiterate so you can bel less embarrassed when you have to read aloud in your nasally voice frustrates you can't read ahead on your own time oh wait

My dude I have had people in college English classes who could barely read aloud. Some people will always be a lost cause.

So... Everyone else should suffer because of some people who need extra help?
Lol
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Medussa posted...

see my edit.

Is that just your opinion, or is that backed up by ELA research?

I don't know about you guys, but there was this one black kid in my class, and all he did was use n*******ly in a sentence every chance he got when it was on the weekly, SAT vocab list.

So fucking annoying lmao.

There was an error posting your message:
Use of the "n-word" or anything even remotely resembling it is considered racist and unacceptable for posting, even if you are not intending to be offensive. Please re-word your message text to remove this term.
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YOUHAVENOHOPE posted...

The real answer is that the word is used deliberately to establish setting and character in Huck Finn

The book is supposed to be a reflection of society at the time. Not reading the n word aloud would be erasing the past

What does this have to do with reading that word aloud?
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Comfy_Pillow posted...

Medussa posted...

see my edit.

Is that just your opinion, or is that backed up by ELA research?

It is a fact that reading aloud helps memory retention

It also helps reading in general because you sound words out

A good classroom wouldn't have a student feel insecure or embarrassed because they can't read as fast or well as others, and it's precisely the kind of indicator a teacher wants so that they know what they can do

But there are far more problems than the teachers that have led to the illiteracy rate in America
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A_Good_Boy posted...

YOUHAVENOHOPE posted...

The real answer is that the word is used deliberately to establish setting and character in Huck Finn

The book is supposed to be a reflection of society at the time. Not reading the n word aloud would be erasing the past

What does this have to do with reading that word aloud?

So precious ears and brains can hear it and be reminded of this nation's past

People SHOULD feel bothered by the word but we should never forget that it was said
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my opinion. I dunno who shares it.
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I understand why it would be awkward but I feel like censoring it undermines the point of the book.

YOUHAVENOHOPE posted...

A_Good_Boy posted...

YOUHAVENOHOPE posted...

The real answer is that the word is used deliberately to establish setting and character in Huck Finn

The book is supposed to be a reflection of society at the time. Not reading the n word aloud would be erasing the past

What does this have to do with reading that word aloud?

So precious ears and brains can hear it and be reminded of this nation's past

People SHOULD feel bothered by the word but we should never forget that it was said

They're not forgetting what was said, the word is right there on the page. The question is about reading it aloud.
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Why is it even okay to say n-word when everyone hears the whole word in their mind... when they hear n-word?
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A_Good_Boy posted...

They're not forgetting what was said, the word is right there on the page. The question is about reading it aloud.

If you don't say it out loud there's no impact
People should say it when they're reading a book or poem aloud

Present the artists work as it is
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YOUHAVENOHOPE posted...

A_Good_Boy posted...

They're not forgetting what was said, the word is right there on the page. The question is about reading it aloud.

If you don't say it out loud there's no impact
People should say it when they're reading a book or poem aloud

Present the artists work as it is

It does have impact, the kids are fixated on the word cause it's taboo. That's why TC is asking what they should do when they're at that section.
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Medussa posted...

any teacher who has kids read a book like that aloud is an idiot, and is only asking for trouble.

It's Huckleberry Finn, not Mein Kampf. Jesus Christ, you people need to rethink your lives.

Also,
Medussa posted...

edit: actually, reading aloud in class is fucking idiotic, full godsdamned stop. the good kids can read faster to themselves and are held back. the bad kids get exposed, which, while it could lead to help from the teacher, can also just lead to them losing any hope of interest in getting better. There is just not enough good to be had from it. imo, it's just lazy teaching. busywork designed only to fill time.

Found the slow reader in the class. I imagine I'd get the cold sweats about reading the N-word out loud if it took me thirty seconds to stutter it out too.
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nope. I was the one trying to tune out the other kids because I was four pages ahead already. I do have some serious social anxiety, though it wasn't too bad so long as I didn't have to see being seen. If anything, I sucked at reading aloud because I talked too fast trying to get through it.

but please, everyone, keep trying to belittle me for not wanting to listen to your racist asses salivating over getting kids to slur in public without consequences. groom the next generation by any means, right guys?
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It's fine to say it in that context, but I don't think I'd be comfortable saying it, personally. It's important as a work of art, and like To Kill A Mockingbird, I believe it actually does more to undermine the cause that champions the word, but for me the implications of racial slurs and the history behind them makes me incredibly uncomfortable using them.

Even as a fast out loud reader, having to endure kids who took 30 seconds to read a sentence is a pain anyway.
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Medussa posted...

nope. I was the one trying to tune out the other kids because I was four pages ahead already. I do have some serious social anxiety, though it wasn't too bad so long as I didn't have to see being seen. If anything, I sucked at reading aloud because I talked too fast trying to get through it.

but please, everyone, keep trying to belittle me for not wanting to listen to your racist asses salivating over getting kids to slur in public without consequences. groom the next generation by any means, right guys?

What a drama queen. Apparently, expecting teenagers to be mature enough to both understand that old books use old language and learn the history of said word and why it is no longer acceptable not only makes me a racist, but equals "salivating over blah blah blah, tears".

I'm pretty sure that "serious social anxiety" isn't the only mental problem you have.
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omega cookie posted...

expecting teenagers to be mature enough

I'm not against your argument, but you can't go around saying this. lol
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I remember our teacher said to say "n" if we were uncomfortable saying it.

I don't think I ever had to read a part where it came up actually. Though we did take turns reading it as a class.

Medussa posted...

I love how you can come in swinging at me, but can't take it yourself. maybe you should worry about your own damn self before you try to interact with the rest of the class again.

The fuck is wrong with you? What universe do you live in where openly mocking you for throwing around the word racist with making it very, very clear I think you're a very "special" kind of stupid constitutes "not being able to take it"? I don't know if this is a gimmick or you're trying to look like you won the gold medal at the Paint Drinking Olympics, but it's just pathetic either way.

Medussa posted...

also, that's a great discussion to have. doesn't mean the kids, or even the teachers, need to be using that kind of language while having it. it's not about maturity, it's about respect.

Respect for who, the imaginary character in the book who gets called the N-word? It's a fucking book. If someone reading Huckleberry Finn out loud is enough to upset you, life is going to be real hard for you. You might want to worry less about words used in a hundred and thirty year old book and worry more about not being such a pussy.
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SpinKirby posted...

omega cookie posted...

expecting teenagers to be mature enough

I'm not against your argument, but you can't go around saying this. lol

I mean, we had to read it out loud in both middle and high school, and other than a few laughs the first time it came up nobody really cared. It didn't open the flood gates for racial slurs, nor did it magically make us racist, and the black kids in the class didn't collapse into piles of sweat and tears. We just wanted to get through the book because it was fucking boring.

It's like anything else "taboo" when you're a teenager. Funny or exciting the first time, but it quickly loses it's shine. Like I keep saying, it's a fucking book.
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Oh wow, he nuked every post he made. Good times.
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