Personal Reflection- Vulgar language, relevance, and preferred method of studying history (based on Book of Negroes)

I don’t think hurtful or derogatory words in the novel should be removed or replaced with less offensive words since in reality, hardly anyone would just ask you that before they offend you or say something hurtful.  Keeping these words would make the novel as authentic as possible since it’s an account on what slavery was like, so taking out some important words would be like lying to the reader on the realism of the experience.  The message would also be quite diluted overall, seeing as making the whole slavery experience seem more pleasant than it actually was defeats the whole purpose of the novel.  Something else that should also be taken into consideration is the comparison between the accuracy of the historical events versus the language being used.  Shouldn't they both be truthful, in order to ensure the reader has a clear viewpoint on slavery and how it affects others?

This novel is relevant to today’s society in the sense that in some areas of the world, things like this still happen.  People are not always treated like a human being, or called words that they like.  Racism still exists, and derogatory words are still being used frequently.  Women and men are still not even paid the same amount of money, for the same work!  Slavery, racism, and gender equality are both reoccurring themes in the novel, as well as in the modern world.  Though this novel is based from the 1700’s- 1800’s, it still has a lot of qualities that make it comparable to present day life.

I believe it is partially possible to learn about history through reading literature and fiction.  If the alternative was studying history textbooks, than the majority of students would have no interest.  I've become exposed to the history of slave trade through The Book of Negroes, and would not have been otherwise.  Textbooks are just compressed facts page after page.  Reading history through fictional literature allows readers to capture the emotions and problems the character goes through on a more empathetic level.  Also, the attractiveness of the plot will keep the readers reading whether their main purpose is the history or not.  This way, they will be effectively exposed to our unfortunate past. This proves literature and fictional reading materials more valuable than studying from a history textbook, from a student’s perspective.  Although, this novel cannot entirely replace a textbook since it’s not entirely factual, but textbooks display no personality in comparison.  A novel should never really be used in place of a history textbook, but rather as a means of depicting a more passionate insight into the realm of time that is being “witnessed” through the novel.  Overall, it depends on your opinion when comparing the usefulness of a novel versus that of a history textbook, since both get the point across in their own ways, and with their own sets of strengths and flaws.