In my opinion , when reading stories or passages dated pre civil war It is important to keep the original language even if it is offensive because it keeps the authenticity. In history the people who lived through racism and prejudice did not have a choice to turn a blind eye to it , as readers and as students it is important to gain a full perspective on the experiences individuals faced during that time . for this reason I do not think racial slurs or derogatory language should be omitted . it is part of our privilege to pick and choose weather we want to read that language , unfortunately for those who came before us they had no choice at all . It may be uncomfortable for us to have to read but I can only imagine it was even worst to live through . to educate ourselves is to put ourselves in each others shoes .
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3 thoughts on “Aryanna Figueroa Discussion 9”
Thanks for sharing Aryanna! Although I have a differing opinion to yours, I think that you eloquently and understandably expressed your side. I personally feel that there are ways to demonstrate what word was meant to be there, while not having to read the word completely, especially if it’s derogatory. I do agree that it is uncomfortable to read, and a hope of mine is that when people read it, that does not give them the okay to say racial slurs in real life.
Aryanna, I like what you write about readers having the privilege to pick and choose what they are reading. What you write about readers putting themselves in the shoes of the characters is also a great observation. If “The Lesson” were not written in African American Vernacular English, would Sylvia emerge as the vibrant, authentic character we come to know in the story? I’m just a little puzzled by your comment that this applies to stories that predate the Civil War.
Hey Aryanna, I love the way you worded this! I think you explained your answer in such a beautiful way. Using offensive language opens the gate for people to know what happened back in the past. I think it would be impossible to know what it truly felt like if there wasn’t some sort of realism in the author’s literary piece. I also loved how you mentioned everyone has a choice to choose whether they want to read that language.