Literature

I am an English minor. I know right? Who in their right mind would take a reading-intensive major like Psychology and combine it with a reading-intensive minor like English? Me, that's who. The me before I realized how many hundreds of pages I have to read a week that is. I could have chosen basket weaving, or maybe some sort of film minor. Or bowling. Do they have a bowling minor? I don't know, but I imagine I would do well at that. Not because I'm a great bowler, but I am consistent.

Speaking of consistency, while I have not been getting as good grades this semester (I'm sitting at about half B's and half A's) I have been extremely consistent. All of my tests, assignments, and papers are within about a five point range within each class. Impressive? I think so too sometimes.

Anyway.

I am an English minor. As such, I have heard all about the different theories of a certain book called Huckleberry Finn, which I have read probably only once because apparently when you get out of Junior High and High School everyone has a problem with that book. Along with these theories, I have heard many professors say, and read many articles write, the n word. They say it in academic settings, so I have never felt the slightest bit uncomfortable (of course, with serving a mission in Cleveland I've becomes so inundated to the word that it doesn't make me uncomfortable anyway, but that's another story).

That's a lot of background for a little story.

I was sitting in my world lit class and my professor was talking about how 1001 Nights is banned in much of India for some reason I can't quite remember. Then he asked, "does anyone know what the most banned book is?" This was followed by a silence accompanied by 30 blank faces, and he answered "Huckleberry Finn." A girl to my right exclaimed, quite loudly, "WHY?" To which I turned and said, quite succinctly, "it says n***** a lot."

Note, while I did speak without thinking, I meant no offense or harm, and I'm glad none was taken.

A stunned silence, lots of laughter, and a slightly exasperated and amused look from my teacher later, he tried to salvage the moment and clarified it just a little bit.

Apparently only teachers can say that word academically. Who knew?