I would guess that in conversation in a fictional work, it would be 
appropriate to reproduce the words that would be used, but in the context of 
explaining what happened in a historical context one would be expected to 
use the less abrasive terminology. Just as you would not use the term "crip" 
to designate a disabled person in an academic work, it is now no longer to 
refer to a "slave" or an "owner" without referencing the fact that we now 
understand that such designations reduce the humanity and dignity of the 
person so labeled.

It takes a lot of explanation of what is acceptable today, in teaching such 
works of literature as Huckleberry Finn. The concern is that students will 
see the "n" word in common use in the praised literary work, and think it is 
OK to use the same term in today's world. This is most important at the high 
school level, and diminishes as the student moves into the rarefied 
atmosphere of the university where students are expected to understand the 
difference between literary language and every-day language.

Anne

Anne Pemberton
[log in to unmask]
http://www.erols.com/apembert
http://www.educationalsynthesis.org 

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