We are delving into the world of great literature this year. Dickens, Shakespeare, Twain, everyone is fair game. After finishing Romeo and Juliet, I thought I'd try something lighter. So every afternoon, after history, but before the kids are free to play and wander the neighborhood in joyous abandon, I attempt the challenging dialect presented in Tom Sawyer.
'Hey! You're from Texas! Don't you already talk like Tom Sawyer?' you might be asking yourself. No'm. I ain't talked like this in my ever lovin' life. My mama done raised me right. Sho nuff.
But the southernly slangy dialect is the least of my worries. Yassir, the least of my worries indeedy. And I quote:
"Why, he told Jeff Thatcher, and Jeff told Johnny Baker, and Johnny told Jim Hollis, and Jim told Ben Rogers, and Ben told a n******, and the n***** told me!"
Only when I said it, there was a pause after 'Ben Rogers' and an "Uhhhhhh...hold on." And I honestly didn't know what to say. "What is it?" they asked, expectantly waiting for some scandalous or exciting tidbit. "Uhhhhh...." pause, fumble, pause. The best I could come up with was that they used a word that we don't say and we can never ever say because it's a very bad word, despite what their gangsta rap downloads are telling them.
"What is it???? We'll never use it!!!!!!" You should've seen their round little eyes, anxiously planning on using the aforementioned word on each other in battle. "No," I insisted. "It was a terrible word that people used to use for black people and I'm not going to say it." They were disappointed indeed.
Listen y'all, I put down Henry Miller's The Tropic of Cancer last night because I couldn't take the repeated use of the 'f' word. I'm telling you I'm virginal. At least my ears, eyes and brains are. So you can bet I'm censoring the 'n' word from Tom Sawyer. And guess what? They don't really know the difference. It's certainly the only way I'm attempting this book while my chil'luns are this little.
PS - My kids LOVE love love this book.
5 comments:
"So you can bet I'm censoring the 'n' word from Tom Sawyer. And guess what? They don't really know the difference. It's certainly the only way I'm attempting this book while my chil'luns are this little."
Maybe that's a sign that they aren't ready for this book. I think it's great they are learning about great literature, but not all great literature is appropriate for 4-8 year olds because they don't understand the context in which the story takes place. So, for example, much of Romeo & Juliet may be lost on them because they don't have the experience to understand what this kind of love and feuding is about. It's great adult literature, but I don't see how kids can truly appreciate it.
Likewise with TS, which admittedly is great children's literature. However, if you don't want to say the "n word" in front of them because you don't think they'd understand how bad it is and why they shouldn't say it, maybe they aren't ready to hear it. I could see my 9 year old "getting" it (and shriveling up every time she read the word), but I don't think my 4 year old is ready to understand the context of the word and why it is so inappropriate to use these days.
Not a criticism of you; just sayin'...
i think i agree. i don't think my children have ever heard the word. karson knows about Jews but not that aspect of american history. i cringe when i hear it, but i love those southern novels. especially "to kill a mockingbird" i auditioned for Mr. Ewell and i had to say it. i understand it was only acting, but still. i guess i would wait or maybe just tell them the stories.
you do what you think is best.
Hey dgm,
I'm doing a whole post on your comment. Hope you don't mind. :)
Chuck,
Me too. Can't say it.
Gee, that would be a tough call. Glad you were firm though. That's important.
Hey, how are things going with the candy machine?
We are picking the candy machines up on Saturday. I'll be sure to keep you posted. :)
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