The N word

We were reading Tom Sawyer tonight and reached the chapter that introduces Huck Finn and he refers to a black man using the N word. I was so shocked to see it that for a moment I hesitated to read it. I decided that Ora 5 would hear it someday and better that he hear it from me so that I can explain it to him. I read through several lines of dialogue that contained the word several times and then stopped and asked Ora if he knew the word. I was thankful that he did not and I explained what it meant and that we never use that word.

It reminded me that I first heard that word and learned what racism was when watching Driving Miss Daisy as a kid and I learned the word suicide from Star Wars (Han Solo: "What good is a reward if you ain't around to use it? Besides, attacking that battle station is not my idea of courage. It's more like, suicide.")

Labels: books

posted on Tuesday, December 29, 2009