I am writing a paper for a 7th grade writing assignment. We have to quote our books and one of my quotes uses the word "Negro" and I do not know if I should put that in my paper or if I should put asterisks instead. (If it helps the book is "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee)
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1It's more a political than a linguistics question.– Edwin AshworthCommented Mar 22, 2016 at 1:13
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1If you are quoting and you choose that quote, you must quote it exactly or it’s not a quote.– JimCommented Mar 22, 2016 at 1:17
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2@phoog - It’s seventh grade...– JimCommented Mar 22, 2016 at 1:30
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1I would suggest that you ask your teacher. Some will expect you to quote exactly, some will expect some bowdlerization. In any event, "Negro" is not commonly regarded as "obscene" (unlike "nigger"); it's simply an antiquated term. (Note that it is still part of the name of the United Negro College Fund.)– Hot LicksCommented Mar 22, 2016 at 1:53
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2In seventh grade the right thing to do is ask your teacher if it's appropriate to use that word in a quote. If you have a coloured friend ask them how they would feel if you used it like that.– DJClayworthCommented Mar 22, 2016 at 5:49
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2 Answers
Here a quote from TKAM:
"Scout," said Atticus, "nigger-lover is just one of those terms that don't mean anything—like snot-nose. It's hard to explain—ignorant, trashy people use it when they think somebody's favoring Negroes over and above themselves. It's slipped into usage with some people like ourselves, when they want a common, ugly term to label somebody."
The first consideration here is that it's a quote. You should not alter that quote and keep the attribution. Harper Lee didn't write ni**er, and you shouldn't maintain that she did. There's no reason to place [sic] after the word either. That means that the word is somehow lexically inappropriate or mistaken as it stands, and in Lee's novel that's certainly not the case.
Secondly, by bowdlerizing the epithet you undercut the meaning the author is trying to convey in the passage as well as introducing an anachronism into the text.
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As well as the reader now paying specific attention to the word rather than the context.– Stu WCommented Mar 22, 2016 at 1:43
If the word is part of a quote, then it shouldn't be a problem. However, if you are concerned about it being acceptable, you could suffix it with [sic] (roughly meaning thus was it written).
