A new film adaptation of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is set to cause a storm because it will include the word “n*****”.
The offensive word, one of the most inflammatory in the English language, was used liberally by Mark Twain when he wrote his classic, which was published in America in 1885 but set in the 1840s.
Donald Rosenfeld, a former president of Merchant Ivory Productions where he was associate producer on the award-winning films Howards End and The Remains of the Day, said: “The book has never been properly honoured on screen, being treated as a kid’s story, so I can understand why you take some of the language out for a movie aimed at them.
“But in our version [aimed at adults] you need the word which Twain himself used in the context of the times.”
The screenwriter Jonathan Feldman also defended the use of the n-word, but admitted: “Of course it is controversial and I’m expecting rows.”
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Huckleberry Finn stars the boy, known as Huck, who lives close to the Mississippi River; his alcoholic father, who gets his son to extort money to feed his addiction; his childhood friend Tom Sawyer; Miss Watson, who lives with Huck’s “adopted” family; and her slave Jim, who becomes close to the youngster. It is a very dark adventure in which Huck witnesses some dreadful acts.
The n-word is used in both the narrative and to describe Jim. The book, which is an often scathing satire on racism, is still banned in some American schools and libraries because of its language and perceived racial slurs, particularly over the portrayal of Jim.
Feldman said the book and new screen version are as relevant in America today as they were in the 19th century.
Sarah Churchwell, a professor of American literature at the School of Advanced Study at London University, said the use of the n-word was the right decision. “Changing it is whitewashing slavery and making it sound like antebellum [pre-American Civil War] Southerners were polite and respectful to blacks. They weren’t. They were insulting. That’s why accurate language matters,” she said.
“Slavery is offensive and Twain intended it to be offensive. Cleaning it up and using euphemisms like ‘the n-word’, ends up sanitising racists.”
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The writer and broadcaster Bonnie Greer disagreed: “Using the n-word now assumes we don’t know this word was used to refer to Jim. So it’s not only redundant but causes the film to put a weight on the story that Twain didn’t intend.
“The book is about Huck and Tom, not Jim. We know what Jim is called. It’s not necessary to say it. A film shows it.”