The school planner is clear about where it stands on inappropriate language, stating, “You will not use obscene, profane, sexually oriented, vulgar, rude, inflammatory, threatening, or disrespectful language. However, when “words of intolerance” are used in the novels read in literature classes, this policy does not always apply.
This year, as AP English Literature, American Literature Honors and American Studies students read “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and Literature and Writing students read “To Kill a Mockingbird”, the literary value of terms used in these novels often clashed with the cultural meaning.
“The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” has consistently remained on the American Library Association’s Top 10 Censored Books since the 1990s for its “coarse language” and the use of the word “nigger” over 200 times throughout the novel. In February 2011, NewSouth Books published a classroom-friendly version of the novel that replaced the word “nigger” with “slave”. In past debates regarding censorship against profanity, specifically the word “nigger” in literature, advocates for the original version of the text argue that the language offers a cultural perspective to the piece and can often spark discussion regarding why the author incorporated such language.
“[The words] are in the literature and they need to be discussed as part of the literature and you can’t deny the fact that intolerance and profanity exist in our world. So you have to deal with it,” English Department Chair and English teacher Clarke said. “Once you set those ground rules and we all understand that we are using them from a literary and a logical approach, then it’s okay.”
Clarke allows both his freshmen in Literature and Writing and seniors in AP English Literature to use what he calls “words of intolerance” only when quoting the text. In fact, this applied to the majority of the students who responded when asked under what conditions they were allowed to use the word “nigger” in class.
But Catrette feels that the word needs to possess meaning that is crucial for understanding the text on a historical or cultural level for it to be considered appropriate.
“A literature discussion will never revolve around swear words,” Catrette said. “I know for a fact that a lot of kids even at this school think that using [‘nigger’] is okay. They donít really understand the weight, historical context, and extreme venom that that word used to hold.”
Both teachers acknowledge that the meaning of the word “nigger” has evolved over time, making it difficult at times for students to understand the implications of using the word in everyday conversation.
“It was a lot worse in my generation,” Clarke said. “You just didn’t say it. I know African American rappers have appropriated it into their vocabulary and so have teens. But just because African Americans are using it, doesn’t mean we should be using it.”
According to an online survey, 78% of the 648 students who responded also agree that the meaning of the word “nigger” has changed. However, some students who were surveyed claimed that the word “nigga” is not a pejorative term. Rather, it is used for addressing one another in an affectionate, brotherly manner.
In addition to “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”, the novels “Kindred”, “Beloved”, “Invisible Man” and “To Kill a Mockingbird” all use the word “nigger”. However, books containing such language must always be approved by the district, for which teachers must first fill out a form explaining the way the novel will be used in the classroom and its educational value.
“If there’s profanity in the book, that doesnít necessarily disqualify the book, but you need to think about things like the characters in the book, what [they are] being used for and what you’re trying to do with those people,” Clarke said.
Though Catrette admittedly does not have a clear-cut policy regarding the conditions under which a student is allowed to use profanity, his students claim that while teaching “To Kill a Mockingbird” and “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”, he asks them to substitute other words in the place of derogatory or racial slurs.
Senior Michelle Jiang spells out the word in her essays simply because she considers it to be part of the text. Substituting words or using symbols to suggest profanity in her essay is, to Jiang, a misrepresentation of the author’s intentions.
“Profanity is put in books for a reason,” Jiang said. “[Changing the words of the text is] kind of like erasing part of our history. It seems as if we are unwilling to accept the past actions that we have done and the consequences of those actions.”
Though Catrette acknowledges that his own comfort zone is one of the reasons for drawing the line, he feels that he tries to recognize the different comfort zones of his own students as well.
“I’ve just realized over the years that there are some students that are very sheltered from that type of stuff and they feel almost overwhelmed by it,” Catrette said. “It’s more of making everyone feel comfortable.”
