Latest News

Arts & Entertainment, Theatre

The Tempest

by Brahna Siegelberg on

More in Arts & Entertainment:

aceshowbiz.com

Modern adaptations of Shakespeare often face a dilemma: to remain true to the original play or to adapt the story for a modern audience? While adaptations like 10 Things I Hate About You and She’s The Man have taken the “modern” to the extreme, the visionary Julie Taymor leaves the latest adaptation of The Tempest in its proper 17th century context, but artfully manipulates its themes to raise questions that are more timeless.

In Shakespeare’s play, Prospero, the former Duke of Naples, is banished from the kingdom by his brother and exiled to a remote island with his young daughter, Miranda. A skilled sorcerer, Prospero is able to exploit the natural resources of the island—including a deformed creature named Caliban, and Ariel, an ambiguously formed spirit who creates the tempest that shipwrecks the Duke and his fellow courtiers on the island. With the traitors now stranded, Prospero can at last exact revenge.

In Taymor’s version, Prospero is Prospera—a ruthless female figure (played by the always-domineering Helen Mirren) who must negotiate between acting as a strong model for her daughter, and realizing her long-fantasized revenge. By positioning the character of Prospero as a woman, Taymor subtly reclaims the female experience; after all, a 17th century woman practicing magic would likely have been persecuted for witchcraft. Similarly, by casting African actor Djimon Hansou as the morally ambiguous Caliban, Taymor enlivens the inherently colonialist subtext of Shakespeare’s play. The Tempest is a fresh look at a classic play that exposes issues of race and gender with which we continue to grapple.

Student Life

WebCT quotation of the week

by on
  • Author

More in Student Life:

Subject: Final Exam

Student 1: Hey guys,

Does anybody know what day our final is? I am using a loaner computer from the library and the PDF won’t load! If you could let me know that would be great. Does  anybody want to form a study/reading group to go through some stuff before the test?

Cheers.

 

Student 2: Our final exam is Dec. 6th at 2 p.m. at BRONFMAN 423 (Ada – Mora) or BRONFMAN 599 (Morl – Zap)

 

Student 1: Dec 6 is today… you mean 16?

 

Student 2: No, it’s today at 2.

 

Student 1: Damn…

Science & Technology, Student Life

7 gadgets to look for in 2011

by Iain Macdonald on

More in Science & Technology:

1. Mitsubishi 92″ 3D HDTV

Look for 3D televisions to start taking off in 2011. It may not be the biggest television to hit the market, (Mitsubishi is marketing a 155″ OLED TV), but it is one of the largest 3D TVs. While the TV is a rear-projector type television rather than an LED or LCD, it will still offer stunning quality on a screen twice the size of typical big screen televisions.

2. Smart Digital Picture Frames

The eStarling picture frame is similar to many other digital picture frames on the market, with one notable exception: it has an e-mail address. The picture frame is Wi-Fi enabled and, when connected to a network, can receive images via e-mail and RSS feeds. It then automatically adds the downloaded images to its display loop. The frame could be a great solution for less tech-savvy seniors who want to stay in touch with family, or those who don’t want to swap our flash memory sticks to get new pictures.

3. LePad

Many people wouldn’t give up their laptop for an iPad, but they might for a LePad. The gadget is both a tablet and a laptop. When used normally, it opens up like a standard notebook, with a full keyboard, mouse, and modestly powered hardware, but the screen can also be popped out from the case and used as a tablet. With hardware comparable to its main competitor, the LePad could prove to be a serious alternative to the iPad.

4. AMD Fusion

While many netbook users might be impressed with eight-hour battery potential on modern portables, AMD isn’t. The processor manufacturer plans on taking the term “all-day battery” to the next level with its new line of processors, AMD Fusion. The small chip combines several core elements of a computer into one tiny package. AMD claims the chip will be able to provide more than 10 hours of battery life for mid-sized laptops, significantly better than other models.

5. Touchscreens Everywhere

While the Acer Iconia dual touchscreen laptop is the not the first of its kind, it is one of the first that seems mainstream bound. However, there are still numerous issues technologically, meaning it might not hit the market for a few more years. The laptop offers a traditional screen and another screen in place of the keyboard, both of which are multi-touch enabled. The bottom screen is typically used for control, with a keyboard or some other type of system interface.

6. Windows Phone

Four years after the release of the first iPhone, Microsoft has finally realized that developing a smartphone might be a good investment. Look for more and more “Windows Phone 7’s” to appear on the market in 2011, along with their iPhone and Android counterparts. Many of the telecommunications companies will also start moving to 4G wireless in the coming year, promising faster speeds.

7. ChromeOS

With Google shipping Cr48 ChromeOS notebooks in a pilot program in late 2010, users can expect to see ChromeOS notebooks on the shelves later this year. This web-based operating system is unlike most other operating systems. From the instant the user logs on, the experience is in the cloud. Users can purchase web apps from the store, for use on the computer, or use free applications, like Google Documents.

Opinion

University after university

by Alastair Morrison on

More in Opinion:

I remember once, probably as a junior, back in 2006 or 2007, complaining to a friend that I didn’t have opinions or feelings, just clammy analytical observations. The remark embarrasses me now. It’s too obviously aimed at the implicit expectation of my own English degree flakery. It’s also demonstrably untrue; I had, then as now, altogether too many opinions.  If the comment named anything real at all, it was my anxiety about genre. We’d been asked to write a “reading response” in a poetry class.  University doesn’t teach you how to write about yourself.

That principle in mind, I’ve ransacked other articles in this category, looking for a place to start. The thing that keeps coming up is coffee. Appropriately enough, my habit first became serious as a freshman at McGill, where the residence cafeteria had stinky urns of it, all hours of the day, caffeinating the atmosphere. Beyond its obviously attractive chemical properties, coffee was common culture. It followed me out of rez, and now, to a different city in a different country.

New York has a much more utilitarian stimulant culture. The black stuff isn’t the the solvent against social silences that it was for me in college. Nevertheless, it has a place in my every morning. On a good day, I buy it at 10 a.m. somewhere on the east side of Broadway between 110th and 116th Street, between my apartment and a campus half-reminiscent of the one I left in 2008, without the  ill-advised brutalist architecture, but also without a mountain.

The coffee follows me into Low Library, named in a poem by Louis Zukofsky, the poet on whom I wrote my honours thesis at McGill, the poet I proposed to study when I applied here. Zukofsky was an undergrad at Columbia. He worked and wrote in this building. But it’s no longer an operating library, just as I no longer have anything to say about Louis Zukofsky. I’m here to replace a student card that has stopped swiping.

The coffee, at least, remains constant. Now I bring it to a building, which is actually a library, where I check emails, mostly from students but including the one which prompts me later to write this. There will be a meeting with doctoral advisors next week. One student wants me to read his paper before he turns it in. I carry the coffee to my office hours. Nobody comes (nobody ever comes), so I read, a ceremonial preparation for the distant, rumbling, apocalyptic examination that stands between me and writing my doctoral dissertation. Office hours end far too quickly. By now I’ve finished my coffee.

I eat lunch. An apologetic salad (again, this is a good day) and more coffee. I go over my notes before class, making sure I’m capable myself of doing the exercise I wrote the night before for my students. I photocopy the exercise. Learning to work the photocopier was a major and hard-won victory. I climb stairs to the room where I teach. Some students are there, others still to arrive. I sit on an awkward precipice between engagement and non-engagement, between chatting with these freshmen as though I were one of them, and avoiding “going over my materials.” I remember with acetic clarity how well, or how poorly, every discussion leader managed this time at McGill. Somebody calls me professor. I’m secretly gratified, but I demur identification. I’m an instructor, this is my class, but I’m not a professor.

Then class starts. A class in which I teach students how not to write about themselves. University writing isn’t about that, I tell them. And if you’re like me, you’re never going to leave.

Recipes, Student Life

Peppermint Bark

by Shannon Kimball on

More in Recipes:

Holly Stewart

There’s no reason that peppermint bark can’t be enjoyed year round. Nor should Williams Sonoma have a monopoly ($30 per box) on this refreshing treat.

The store-bought version has a layer of dark chocolate, a layer of white chocolate, and crushed peppermint candy on top. Adding peppermint extract creates a stronger mint flavour throughout the chocolate, and marbleizing the chocolates adds a personal touch.

All of the proportions in this recipe are to taste.

Ingredients

Equal parts dark and white chocolate, roughly chopped

Crushed peppermint hard candy or candy canes

Peppermint extract

Directions

1. Line a rimmed baking sheet or brownie pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

2. Put the peppermint candy in a plastic bag, cover the bag with a dishcloth, and use a rolling pin, hammer, or kitchen mallet to crush into small pieces. Pour the candy through a mesh strainer and discard any candy dust that goes through the strainer.

2. Melt the chocolate in the microwave on medium power in 30-second increments.

3. Stir the peppermint extract into the melted chocolate.

4. Pour the chocolates in the pan. Swirl the chocolates together with a rubber spatula to create a marble pattern.

5. Sprinkle the crushed candy on top of the chocolate.

6. Chill the bark in the refrigerator for two hours.

7. Break into chunks and count down the days until Christmas.

Student Life

Overrated Holidays

by Tori Crawford on

More in Student Life:

HALLOWEEN

Pressure: In elementary school, Halloween was a one-day event that required one costume, usually purchased at Wal-Mart. In a university setting, Halloween is a four-day event. Each day requires a different costume, and each costume must be original and witty.

Cost: If you find your costumes around the house, Halloween can be pretty cheap. But if you pick out four different outfits from American Apparel or a costume store, you’re looking at at least $50 per costume. Inflated event ticket prices and enough alcohol to give you the confidence to wear a spandex jumpsuit only add to this expensive holiday.

Romance: At the club, you thought he looked great in his sunglasses and wig. The next morning, you wish he was still in costume.

Aftermath: Just because you wore a costume doesn’t mean people couldn’t tell who you were. This is clear from the Facebook photos where you’ve been tagged doing a keg stand with your “sexy cowgirl” skirt over your head.

 

NEW YEAR’S EVE

Pressure: In reality, New Year’s Eve is no different from any other Friday or Saturday night, except there’s a countdown thrown in at midnight. Despite this, there’s intense pressure every year to make it the “best party ever.” For some reason, a night of drinking with your friends on December 31 is supposed to be so much better than every other night. Don’t get me wrong: I like to party as much as any other undergrad, but not when it’s forced.

Cost: Clubs hosting New Year’s Eve events use the evening as a money grab, charging upwards of $50 per ticket. Add drinks, transportation, and a new outfit to that and it’s easy to spend at least $200. Even if you’re just going to a house party, a decent bottle of champagne will set you back $60.

Romance: Along with a forced party, New Year’s Eve also tries to force romance with the midnight kiss. No one wants to be that one awkward person with no one to kiss, so if you’re single at a bar at 11:30, start looking for someone quick before you’re left with the dregs.

Aftermath: Although many people make New Year’s resolutions to “get healthy,” most wake up on January 1st feeling nauseous with a pounding headache, then head for a greasy breakfast to soothe their stomachs. You’re also starting the new year significantly poorer, and with a midnight kisser who won’t stop texting you.

 

VALENTINE’S DAY

Pressure: Men seem to bear the brunt of the Valentine’s Day pressure. The standard flowers and a box of chocolate gift is trite and unoriginal, so guys are expected to come up with a brilliantly romantic evening for their partner. Between girls, pressure comes when friends compare notes on what wonderful things they and their partner did to celebrate.

Cost: Thai Express isn’t going to cut it for dinner on this night. A nice meal for two with wine at a restaurant, plus a piece of jewelery, will run upwards of $250.

Romance: There’s very little romance in a day created by greeting card companies on which every couple in North America is obligated to acknowledge their love for each other. Shouldn’t this happen every day in healthy relationships? And objects like teddy bears and diamond bracelets don’t necessarily equal love.

Aftermath: Valentine’s Day is a lose-lose situation for many men. If you don’t do enough, or, heaven forbid, do nothing because your partner told you, “Oh, don’t worry, we don’t need to do anything,” you will pay the price for months to come. Alternatively, if you pull out all the stops, you’re only going to have to top that every following year.

Features

Media Diets at McGill

by on
  • Author

More in Features:

The Atlantic Wire regularly prints a column entitled “Media Diet,” in which prominent writers and editors describe how they sift through the masses of information available everyday through various media outlets. Although these students have not reached the same level of literary fame as the Atlantic’s contributors, their media diets are evidence of the wide variety of media sources students look to on a daily basis.

     Most mornings, I roll over in my half-awake state, grab my laptop, pull it into bed, check the weather and then quickly skim National Newswatch and Bourque, news aggregators that give a good overview of what’s happening in Canada. I look at the Green News folder in my RSS feed and my @amarapossian/climate-news Twitter list, open a few environment-related articles I would like to read in tabs, close my laptop and get ready to leave.  

 Throughout the day, whenever I get a chance, I read the articles I have opened. I generally prioritize Rabble.ca, the Guardian’s Environment Section, Huffpost Green, articles in Yes! Magazine’s Planet Section, and articles on It’s Getting Hot in Here. I’m also on Environment Canada’s electronic news notification service and receive the latest updates, media advisories, and news releases by email.    

     I don’t rely on social media, but I like to use it as a filter. Twitter, Facebook, and Digg give me a pretty good idea of what people think is important right now. I skim my @amarapossian/enviro-people-and-orgs Twitter list daily, and while I don’t post many articles on Facebook, I have a number of go-to Facebookers that always seem to know what’s going on.  

  What I read changes depending on the time of the year. During the UNFCCC climate negotiations, for example, the Climate Action Network Canada, the IISD’s Earth Negotiations Bulletin, and a few youth delegations provide news before it appears in the mainstream media.  

 As for my reading material unrelated to the environment, my homepage is the New York Times. Marmara and Agos give me my Armenian news fix. I get my McGill news from the Tribune, the Daily, and the Bubble. Absolute Relatives is my go-to blog for thoughtful miscellany, and the Satorialist is my guilty pleasure.

Amara Possian

U3 joint honours Political Science & Middle Eastern Studies

Until this September, my daily reading routine always began in the same, predictable way: The Globe and Mail then The New York Times. Since I submitted my law school applications this fall however, I have developed an embarrassing addiction to the online forum for prospective Canadian law students, lawstudents.ca. This message board is populated by hundreds of eager applicants, all of whom lack any real knowledge of the acceptance policies of individual universities, yet rely on each other to analyze their chances of getting into certain schools. I read every new relevant post (though I never post anything myself) in the hope of gaining some kind of information, or at least catharsis.

      Once I’ve finally torn myself away from these message boards, I comb through the Globe and Mail and the New York Times using my Google Reader. Thursdays and Saturdays are my favorite days of the week, since I worship at the altar of Gail Collins. For my daily dose of smut, I next log on to Jezebel. I also rely on my boyfriend to comb through the mass of sports articles and pick out what interests me, which usually comes from Bill Simmons. Next, I check the blog of my ultimate idol: Martha Stewart. Hers is also the only magazine I subscribe to. After this, I usually listen to a podcast while I get ready for class. My weekly favorites are Slate’s Culture Gabfest, DoubleX, and This American Life.

Tori Crawford

Editor-in-Chief

 Alarm clock rings…  Snooze … alarm clock rings … I grab my computer and open the Internet to ESPN.com. That is how my day begins every morning. I sift through the homepage, check the headlines, and explore those worth reading. Then it’s straight to RealGM.com to check their Wiretap Headlines. These are crucial for following sports, as all the headlines and rumours found on other websites are compiled into one list—the Wiretap. The site is divided into basketball, baseball, football, and hockey, and each section has its own wiretap. At around this point, I realize I’ll be late for class, grab a quick shower and a muffin, and head out. Later in the day (and during some of my boring classes), I go back to ESPN to see if there are any interesting opinion pieces and, specifically, if Bill Simmons has written anything new. While he’s a homer for Boston teams (and I hate Boston teams), he’s the best combination of humour and sports knowledge online. His Mailbags are a must read. Also on ESPN, I look for Gene Wojciechowski. He provides an original and intelligent viewpoint in a well-written fashion. Next, I try and make myself feel well-rounded by going to the New York Times and CNN to read their headlines. Following that, if the season is still on, it’s back to ESPN to read fantasy football analysis. Finally, not living in the cities of my favourite teams, an important way I stay up-to-date with them is by looking at the sports section of their hometown newspapers.

Jonathan Rosenbluth

U0 Management student

Despite my age and my nearly completed biochemistry degree, my daily reading repertoire resembles that of a shallow 12 year-old girl. My selections include the kind of stuff that makes you question whether or not you should have children in the future. I start with Perez Hilton, which I obsessively check at least 12 times throughout the day. If Justin Bieber launches a new nail polish colour for Wal-Mart, I need to know. I then move over to College Humor, where I read all the new articles and watch all the new videos over and over. Then, and only because by this time I’m likely to be in a public place where people will notice that my tabs only contain Facebook, Cracked, and Harry Potter Fan Fiction, I quickly skim the headlines on the New York Times website. I know very little about the relevant goings on of the world, so I quickly get confused and start entering New York Times buzz words on Wikipedia (which I may or may not set to Simple English).  Once on Wikipedia, it’s all downhill from there. Now that I think about it, I spend an embarrassing amount of time there. That’s how I know that zebra drawn carriages exist and that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle believed in fairies, two facts I’m sure will be integral to my future endeavours.

Ioana Varlan

U3 Biochemistry major

    This may make me unusual, but I rarely turn on my computer before class in the morning. When I start reading between classes though, it’s The New York Times, especially for breaking news, such as this weekend’s Arizona shooting. After scanning the headlines, I work through a few sections: International, National, Business Day, and Technology. Occasionally, I’ll even read Real Estate. I try not to miss David Carr’s “Media Equation” column on Mondays and David Leonhardt’s “Economic Scene” on Wednesdays, as well as anything by Frank Bruni or David Segal.

  After that, I usually read a few articles from other newspapers: The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The Toronto Star, and The Financial Times. For broader reading, I follow a number of journalists on Twitter, who often link to stories I would never find otherwise; The Post’s Ezra Klein and The Times’s Catherine Rampell are particularly good.

    In print, I subscribe to The New Yorker, which is the only publication I’m not sure I could live without. I try to make it through at least a couple of the longer articles each week, and I always read James Surowiecki’
s “Financial Page” and David Denby’s film reviews. They’re fantastic. If I had more time to read, I might subscribe to Esquire as well.

     As for other types of media, I can’t get enough of 30 Rock, and I occasionally watch The Daily Show in the afternoon. I’m almost always too far behind course reading to make it through a book during the semester, but I’m already planning my summer reading. At the top of the list: Andrew Ross Sorkin’s Too Big to Fail, Kingsley Amis’s Lucky Jim, and Robert Caro’s The Power Broker.

Theo Meyer

Managing Editor

   The first thing that I need to do every morning is check the news. If I don’t, I can’t function correctly. It all started off very innocently in my first year as a Political Science student. I thought it would be wise to at least take a quick peak at what was going on in the world in case the profs made some reference to the news in class. I started off with CNN. Then, speaking to my parents who are still back in Spain, I realized that I was completely ignorant of the happenings in my own country. So every morning before class I also read El Mundo.

      Before I knew it, I was reading over 25 different sources of news every day, not including Google News, or time spent listening to or watching news related programs on the radio or TV. It takes me at least two to three hours to go through them, as I don’t just read about what happened once, I have to check all the different point of views before I am satisfied.

   Now it’s gotten to a point when reading the news interferes with my everyday life. Instead of going to class I have to read the news. If by any chance I have summoned the will to go to class without having read the news, it’s a waste of time. If I find myself in class without knowing what has happened in the world, I will check all of my beloved sources without paying any attention to what the prof is saying.

     I have a problem. My name is Borja and I am an addict.

 

Borja’s Hit List:  

1. CNN

2. La Razón

3. El Mundo

4. ABC

5. El País

6. BBC News

7. La Gaceta

8. La Vanguardia

9. El Economista

10. Público

11. Cinco Días

12. El Plural

13. National Post

14. The Globe and Mail

15. The Gazette

16. CBC News

17. The New York Times

18. The Wall Street Journal

19. Al-Jazeera

20. Granma

21. Financial Times

22. Le Monde

23. The Guardian

24. Google News

25. The Huffington Post

26. Many other political blogs plus radios and TV stations

27. The Economist

28. Foreign Policy Magazine

29. Foreign Affairs Magazine

Borja de Aristegui Arroyo

U3 Political Science major

Off the Board, Opinion

Health care gets personal

by Tori Crawford on

More in Off the Board:

Most Canadians perceive general flaws in the country’s health care system, but report positive individual experiences. Until recently, I counted myself among those who held this idea: I knew there were gaps in the system, but had always received excellent care. I strongly believed that despite these gaps, Canada’s public system was effective and fair, and that even a two-tiered option would seriously undermine its workings. However, after two negative experiences in recent months, for myself and for a close family member, my perceptions are changing. When the systemic issues are no longer simply numbers on paper, but affect someone you love, it becomes much more difficult to support that which caused them.

In both cases, the problem was not caused by a lack of intellect on the part of individual doctors and nurses. Instead, the cause was systemic: too few staff taking care of too many patients, and facing serious organizational defects. Regardless of where you stand on the merits of single-payer healthcare systems, the reality for Canadians seeking medical care is that the country’s health care system is over-extended, in terms of staff, resources, and finances.

This problem will only grow as our parents’ generation ages, putting what some say will be terminal stress on the system. Put simply, the balance sheet isn’t going to balance. In order to continue operating efficient, effective healthcare systems, taxes will have to be raised or the government will have to divert funds from other areas, including education—which has already begun.

While disaster is still impending, my recent experiences laid bare the existing strains faced by health care workers, and how these budget and staffing issues can have negative consequences on the hospital floor. To optimize your treatment and overall experience, there’s one clear strategy: advocate for yourself.

This doesn’t mean reading about a collection of symptoms on the Internet and insisting on your own self-diagnosis. Instead, it means never being afraid, embarrassed, or at all hesitant to ask questions. Ask about timelines, recovery information, pharmaceutical details, additional costs, and anything else you might be wondering about. This is especially important if you are dealing with multiple doctors or therapists. Get engaged in your diagnosis and treatment so you’re aware of what’s happening to your body. This also has the potential to augment the quality of care you receive.

Also, don’t always follow a “don’t call us, we’ll call you” rule. Hospitals, especially large ones in cities, process hundreds of lab samples each day. Some get lost in the shuffle. If you’re still sick or are even just nervous, make the call.

In the case of more serious illnesses or injuries, it may help to consider obtaining the services of a professional health care advocate. Recently, numerous private businesses had emerged across the country that offer to act as a patient’s advocate as they navigate the sometimes byzantine health care system and accompanying bureaucracy. These professional advocates are usually trained doctors, nurses and therapists familiar with the inner workings and flaws of Canada’s medical system. While these services do require a fee, it’s still cheaper than seeking private care across the border.

As the health care system, one of our country’s sacred cows, starts to disintegrate, more and more patients will be individually affected by the on-the-ground realities of budget shortfalls. For individuals using the system, the most effective means to protect yourself is to be your own advocate, or find someone to advocate for you. That being said, as I saw in Montreal recently, even the best advocate is of little use if you can’t even get in the door.

Opinion

Common courtesy not so common

by Holly Stewart on

More in Opinion:

There are ¬many complaints I can lodge against McGill students. They’re loud in the libraries, they insist on handing out flyers at the Milton gates, and they have a chronic inability to distinguish recyclables from non-recyclables. The list goes on and on, and as many people can attest, I have an exceptional ability to whine about my peers. It wasn’t until a recent encounter in the Vancouver airport, however, when I realized at least one thing that I do appreciate about McGill students: their sense of common courtesy.

Like most students, I treat my computer like a fifth limb and can barely go a few hours without checking something on the Internet. So naturally I decided to do a little web snooping while waiting for my plane to leave. This activity involves scoping out the perfect place to sit: a spot that’s well lit, comfortable, and most importantly, right next to an electrical outlet. I’d found my ideal spot, and now the only thing standing between me and my battle with Minerva for a reasonable class schedule was a man’s jacket thrown casually on the chair. Imagine my surprise when, in response to my polite request for him to move the coat, he sighed with exasperation and said, “Seriously? Can’t you sit somewhere else?”

In my two and half years at McGill, I’ve never encountered someone who wouldn’t move their belongings off a chair, share an electrical outlet, reach down to plug in a computer, watch someone’s stuff while they go to the bathroom, or any of the other millions of minor courteous gestures that people regularly do. I suddenly realized that common courtesy isn’t something universal, but that it might be particular to McGill students. I stumbled through an explanation of why I needed that seat near the electrical outlet while thinking to myself that this would never happen on campus or in any of the dozens of student-filled cafes. Opinion pieces are so often complaints about the student body, but instead I’m applauding all you McGill students who courteously make space for others, share desks, tables, and electrical outlets. Know that you surpass the rest of the world in terms of common courtesy— or at least certain Vancouver airplane passengers— and keep being polite, at least until I graduate.

Opinion

Confront, don’t sanitize the American past

by on
  • Author

More in Opinion:

McGill Tribune

Issues of censorship, freedom of speech, and political correctness being major concerns of the Tribune, we were alarmed to read that Alan Gribben, a prominent American Mark Twain scholar and Harvard professor, will be re-issuing the classic novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn with two small changes: the inflammatory word “nigger,” used 219 times in the book, will be replaced with the more moderate term “slave,” and the term “Injun” is being removed from name of the character “Injun Joe.”  According to Gribben, his lecture audiences and discussion groups are more comfortable with the revised version of the book.  A culturally-sensitive option should thus make the book more appealing to teachers who are otherwise hesitant to read and discuss the book in classrooms.  

One of the issues at hand is maintaining artistic integrity in the face of censorship. Twain’s use of both terms is representative of the culture and language of the late 1800s, and not an intentionally hurtful epithet. Although it’s only one edition of the book it would still set a precedent which could lead to further revisions of the novel that take away from its powerful message. If this edition is successful, publication houses may be tempted to publish “clean” editions of other novels in order to appease public sensibilities. Revisions by the present American culture of past literary classics would represent a disturbing trend were it to continue. There is truth, historical and otherwise, contained in a work like Huckleberry Finn, a sanctity in the complete work which cannot be altered, even in the most seemingly insignificant way.

The more disturbing problem is America’s collective unwillingness to deal with its racist past (and present), and a culture that permits revisionism is one that will continue to avoid the discussion of ugly truths. While bringing Huckleberry Finn and the frank racial discussion accompanying it into more classrooms is an ambitious and worthy goal, the revision is yet another counter-productive attempt to smooth over tragedies in American history rather than confront them. The Tribune empathizes with Gribben’s objective, but we are concerned that the proposed substitutions would preclude honest discussion of America’s racist past, thus negating any of the positive benefits of bringing the book into more classrooms. Glossing over the word is certainly easier than convincing teachers, parents, and society as a whole to confront that which continues to make them so uncomfortable. But the easy solution is not necessarily the right one.

Keeping Twain’s original text obviously doesn’t give students permission to use the word casually. In a larger social context, high school students are bound to encounter the word at some point, and a classroom is safer and more open to discussion than most other situations. Just listen to a few popular songs—the word can’t be avoided for a person’s entire life. It’s better for teachers to engage their students in the necessarily controversial discussion about the use of the word in the historical context of Twain’s novel than to promote and encourage a smoothing over of American history’s rough edges by its omission.

1 … 1,249 1,250 1,251 1,252 1,253 … 1,367

Read the latest issue

Read the latest issue