By way of not contributing to RaceFail.
I have a question of procedure, and would like some input and opinions from PoC on my flist.
IF a story is set in 1871, in the American midwest, and
IF the Point Of View character is a 13 year old black girl who was raised in an orphanage, and
IF the core themes of the story involve deeply entrenched, flagrant, malicious racism,
is it evil to use the N-word where it naturally fits in the story, or is it disingenuous and deceptive to dodge the word, and pretend that it wasn't in use at the time? I find myself disinclined to (you should pardon the term, because I can't think of a better,) whitewash the historical issues in play at that time, but I also do not want to be accused of being the kind of racist that I'm depicting in the story.
I do understand that by even broaching this question in the current online environment, I am potentially painting a gigantic target on myself, but I have been wrestling fruitlessly with this question since I finished the story, and I really do need other opinions to factor into my decision making process. I expect there will be opinions falling on both sides of the question, and it is a matter of some stress that I am going to have to discard some input when I finally do decide which way to go with it, but that bridge remains to be crossed, so it's no good stressing over it just yet.
Please do believe me when I say that if you choose to offer your opinion on this post, I AM going to give it due consideration. The only people who will be blown off will be those who throw poo, because I refuse to dignify crazy screechy monkeys with response in public. (No, that was not a racist statement; to me, all humans are just primates with out-loud communication skills, and hard currency, and so there's a potential crazy screechy monkey inside every homo sapien, wanting only the right triggers to begin reaching for the crap arsenal. And that, my friends, is the only Common Sense Disclaimer you get on this post. Because you're all adults, and I know your parents raised you with manners, and the sense to use them.)
IF a story is set in 1871, in the American midwest, and
IF the Point Of View character is a 13 year old black girl who was raised in an orphanage, and
IF the core themes of the story involve deeply entrenched, flagrant, malicious racism,
is it evil to use the N-word where it naturally fits in the story, or is it disingenuous and deceptive to dodge the word, and pretend that it wasn't in use at the time? I find myself disinclined to (you should pardon the term, because I can't think of a better,) whitewash the historical issues in play at that time, but I also do not want to be accused of being the kind of racist that I'm depicting in the story.
I do understand that by even broaching this question in the current online environment, I am potentially painting a gigantic target on myself, but I have been wrestling fruitlessly with this question since I finished the story, and I really do need other opinions to factor into my decision making process. I expect there will be opinions falling on both sides of the question, and it is a matter of some stress that I am going to have to discard some input when I finally do decide which way to go with it, but that bridge remains to be crossed, so it's no good stressing over it just yet.
Please do believe me when I say that if you choose to offer your opinion on this post, I AM going to give it due consideration. The only people who will be blown off will be those who throw poo, because I refuse to dignify crazy screechy monkeys with response in public. (No, that was not a racist statement; to me, all humans are just primates with out-loud communication skills, and hard currency, and so there's a potential crazy screechy monkey inside every homo sapien, wanting only the right triggers to begin reaching for the crap arsenal. And that, my friends, is the only Common Sense Disclaimer you get on this post. Because you're all adults, and I know your parents raised you with manners, and the sense to use them.)