Should I say an offensive racial slur outloud when reading a book with students?

[WomanInTheWindow]

We are planning to teach Of Mice and Men at my school next year after not having used it last year. It is no longer a GCSE text and we use it with the younger year group.

It is a predominantly white school, but also has a significant percentage of BME students.

The highly offensive racial slur "the n word" is used often throughout the book. Colleagues a bit divided over whether to say the word, or leave it out, or some other strategy. What would you want for your children? At the moment I do not want to voice it in class, another colleague does.

I would want a brief explanation about how the word is still offensive, no less offensive for being used in the novel but that it would be spoken for context, as part of that novel. This would in no way lessen its power or normalise its use in the modern day.

I'd talk to the students about it, explain how it's offensive and why it provokes such a violent reaction for many people, and I'd also refuse to read it. They know it's there, you know it's there, but I can't imagine it being a word I use or speak under any circumstance, including reading aloud with students.

I think if the children are mature enough to study the text then they are mature enough to understand that the word should not be used outside of context in the classroom. Why is that text in particular being taught to younger children - year 9s presumably? I would choose a different book.

Use it. Whitewashing history and censoring any related fiction is unacceptable.

The character crooks and the use of racist language is representative of the times. It shows how racism had infected America, it shows what it was really like. You don't censor that. You teach it.

I'd explain beforehand that the bit you are about to read contains racially offensive language

I heard an interesting thing that changed my mind about this. When you censor racism (e.g. from a book) you are benefiting the white audience who are able to continue on their way blissfully unaware of it. You are not really benefiting a BAME audience who will have experienced racism and know it exists, and the racism may still be present in the book, just in more subtle and insidious ways. You are just removing a chance to acknowledge and discuss it.

Could you start the series of lessons with an open discussion about the history of the n word and why it's offensive, the historical context in which it's used etc and let each class have a say (maybe a vote) on whether or not they would prefer to have it included or not?

You wouldn't have to go with majority rules you could say it has to be unanimous for example .

I do feel quite strongly that if you choose not to include it, you should tell them you have done so

The reality of racial discrimination in this era is a gulf that cannot be breached. It trumps even poverty, hopelessness, and despair.

That's one of my favourite descriptions of the book. If you remove the language and the racism then you remove the visceral reaction tour students should have, or be learning to have.

Censorship is not the way to teach, no matter how offensive. Just educate them on the difference in the times and how the use of language should show them just how different things were... And in some cases not different at all.

Say it. It's in the text. Talk about the racism of the time. Talk about the racism of today. Usually the kids are horrified by it and it leads to many interesting discussions. Interestingly, the constant misogynist slurs towards curley's wife are rarely reacted to, which I find quite sad.

I read this book at school pre GCSE years so would have been 12, maybe 13. I don't remember the n word being in it but nor do I remember any racism in the book.

Which makes me think that the majority of the book went over the top of my head. Maybe it's best suited to slightly older kids? Or possibly I'm slightly dim!

I've used Roots when teaching slavery, the N word is used a lot as well as others- I explain the context and why it's offensive

I do agree that with a discussion about context and why it continues to be offensive is good.

But I would discuss the issue with the students, and having had that discussion come to an agreement about whether you will use the word or not. And be attuned to the reaction of black students without putting the postigt in them. Even in our very diverse school where kids are very clued in about equality and racism a coupe of very obnoxious kids used a lesson about slavery to deliberately rile up a black classmate by managing to use the language of the issue and the lesson to sneak in some insults, in a way that teens are very well able to do.

It caused a fight and serious upset.

You don't know exactly how exposed some kids might be.

So I completely missed that. I’ve read that book twice and that must have gone completely over my head. Possibly because I was expecting it though? It would be disingenuous to have a piece of fiction written st the time/set in that time that did not have the n word in it. I think ultimately the thing about Steinbeck is firstly that he was pretty woke and secondly that he wrote about what he knew which meant that he treated his subject with respect. He started his career as a journalist and carried this into his fictional work. I think the most touching piece of writing I have read by him is found in East of Eden when he described how he used to harass his (very integrated and definitely not a German sympathiser) German neighbour as a child during the World War One period. The sense of shame and regret was palpable. If he wrote the n word it wasn’t to degrade or dehumanise African Americans it was because that was the truth of his experience. To censor that will detract from the very honest and frank nature of his story telling. Steinbeck was an author who saw beauty and worth in all people and he felt that their suffering mattered. I don’t think you should pretend that the word isn’t in the book. Instead I think you should explain to your students that importance of recognising and respecting the struggles of others no matter how unpalatable they are to us instead of committing erasure.

Explain the historical and cultural context- but use the word. You will alter the power of the story if you don’t.
I was fairly recently shocked reading Huckleberry Finn; the N word is used very frequently.

I think it needs to be read and discussed. To not say it denies the historical context of the novel and means that a powerful message is being potentially diluted or made about you instead of about itself.

Totally agree with TheInvestigator - great post.

I certainly wouldn't teach this wonderful text to anyone below Year 9.

I teach it.

We talk about the context and the situation lots before we start. We discuss how the narrator never uses it, but Steinbeck puts it in the mouths of characters to show us what to think of their prejudices against Crooks.

We do say it as we read. It's part of its importance, and as PP says, whitewashing history does nobody any favours.

I studied this at school a couple of years ago, our teacher spoke to us about the N word first, used it in context, told us the racial connotations and used it to tell the story. You can't read of mice and men without understanding racism, and you can't skip the word, just talk to the students

DD2, y9, has just studied OMAM this term. Absolutely read the word. Explain its level of offensiveness then and now. How can you discuss whether Curly (or whoever) is being offensive without using the word. Surely your students would have to be able to write about it potentially?

I was fairly recently shocked reading Huckleberry Finn; the N word is used very frequently.

Shocked me too. And it was the way slavery was mentioned. There was a line where they talked about "Mrs Thompson's N@#&r." (Can't remember exact quote or name). It was the N word and the casual reference to the ownership of a person that got me. The past needs to be remembered, literature is ideal for that, but needs a lot of explaining.

I'm a bit divided over censorship, and think that it should either be the whole book, or not studying the book at all. I share the concern that a younger age group upon hearing it might use it other than when reading the book, towards others in the school. The last three years in this country has exposed and emboldened many people who have racist views- Stephen Yaxley-Lennon addressing a rally outside Parliament last week, for example.

Huckleberry Finn is shocking to reread as an adult

As a teenager my dad bought me Day they Came to Arrest the Book. [[https://g.co/kgs/ao4BCM The Day They Came To Arrest The Book]] which was an amazing introduction to issues of censorship. Gave me loads of food for thought at the time.

I studied this book for O level, and honestly do not remember the N word at all! I'm wondering now if we had an edited version or maybe I was just so used to the word being commonplace that it didn't register.
Either way, this has deeply bothered me.
There's lots about my education that has disturbed me as an adult. I went to an all girls grammar school. I found out as an adult that the school was founded by a wealthy white man who made his money via the slave trade into Liverpool. We held a founders day event annually giving thanks to him! It makes me ashamed.

Ask the students what would make them most comfortable?

Don't ask the student. You'll get some saying you should use the word because they think it will be funny or whatever and you will get some saying you shouldn't use it because it's "offensive" and they don't yet understand that it being used in character's mouths to show the attitudes and prejudices of those characters and to show the attitudes of the time, and when you remove that, you change the characters and you change the impact of the book.

It's your job to teach them that, and asking them to decide before they understand it's use isn't going to help them learn.

I was recently teaching about the Civil Rights movement, and used a video clip that contained that word as part of a quote from the American President LBJ at that time. The students were shocked, and it led into a good discussion about why it wasn't appropriate. They are a mixed KS3 class. One parent phoned to query the use of the word in class, but was fine once I had explained the context - so maybe a discussion beforehand would be good to pre-empt that kind of call.

Amazing isn't it? 'That word', 'The N word', etc.

The word is 'nigger'.

Yes, it's an offensive term and I would NEVER EVER use it to describe someone, but when we self-censor to the point where we can't talk about what we're talking about it the whole discussion becomes meaningless.

OP, if you can't use the word 'nigger' in an anonymous forum I don't hold out much hope of you being able to read it out loud to a class full of teens.

I agree, discuss beforehand.