Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word

摘要: In Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word, Harvard Law School professor Randall Kennedy grapples with key term in the lexicon race relations. He traces history word nigger, showing that it has been primarily employed as an insult, probably most notorious racial epithet America, and perhaps, world. also demonstrates, however, people have used nigger other ways. Some written or spoken order merely to document its usage. Others condemn it. Still others attempt transform meaning, convert from negative slur into positive gesture solidarity. All these uses are intensely controversial, many observers believe everyone should refrain using given history, continued use wounding slur, very real risk will hurt feelings regardless intentions speaker writer. describes assesses arguments counter-arguments. Along way he introduces readers intense debates over such issues propriety assigning students Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn (in which appears 215 times), wisdom imposing special speech codes on college campuses, conflicting ways defining dictionaries, contending approaches disciplining those who respond violently insults.