# Stuff you didn't notice in novels I.E. Tom Sawyer **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 14, 2013, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-you-didnt-notice-in-novels-i-e-tom-sawyer/676281 "2013-12-14T00:10:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-you-didnt-notice-in-novels-i-e-tom-sawyer/676281/41 "2013-12-18T17:02:18Z")
> [@Dave\_Hartwick](#): > > Not in my experience. Discussions and plans to censor Sawyer and Finn are recent and have always, to my knowledge, centered on terms for African Americans that are now considered repulsive. In other words, the N word. Well, yes and no. There have always been “Children’s editions” of many of the classics- shortened, simplified, and expurgated. But those are specifically for the really young crowd. ---
**Author:** ![from\_a\_to\_z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5fc32e/32.png) [@from\_a\_to\_z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/from_a_to_z)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-you-didnt-notice-in-novels-i-e-tom-sawyer/676281/42 "2013-12-18T23:52:59Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Who the hell is Silas? > [@](#): > > The Lady Eve: I wonder if now would be the time to tell you about Herman. > Mr. Pike’s son: Herman. Herman? Who was Herman?! (2 characters) ---
**Author:** ![Dave\_Hartwick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@Dave\_Hartwick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dave_Hartwick)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2013, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-you-didnt-notice-in-novels-i-e-tom-sawyer/676281/43 "2013-12-19T10:02:53Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Well, yes and no. There have always been “Children’s editions” of many of the classics- shortened, simplified, and expurgated. But those are specifically for the really young crowd. I’m sure you’re right, and I appreciate the diplomatic way you put it. I’m confused, on the other hand, that the first part of my post, which had phrases like “to my knowledge” and “in my experience” returned a few comments, but the second bit, where I baldly claimed that a freaking Disney character became a junkie in the 1940s, got none. The former is quite true, although I see now that I didn’t phrase it in as bulletproof terms as I thought I had, the latter is just something absurd that I made up. Is that something people didn’t notice? ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2013, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-you-didnt-notice-in-novels-i-e-tom-sawyer/676281/44 "2013-12-19T11:17:02Z")
I noticed, but since I’m given to such evidently outrageous and out of my left elbow, yet perfectly clear, examples myself, I saw no reason to remark upon it. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2013, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-you-didnt-notice-in-novels-i-e-tom-sawyer/676281/45 "2013-12-19T19:56:26Z")
> [@Dave\_Hartwick](#): > > I’m sure you’re right, and I appreciate the diplomatic way you put it. > > I’m confused, on the other hand, that the first part of my post, which had phrases like “to my knowledge” and “in my experience” returned a few comments, but the second bit, where I baldly claimed that a freaking Disney character became a junkie in the 1940s, got none. The former is quite true, although I see now that I didn’t phrase it in as bulletproof terms as I thought I had, the latter is just something absurd that I made up. > > Is that something people didn’t notice? We figured that was a joke. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stuff-you-didnt-notice-in-novels-i-e-tom-sawyer/676281.md?page=2)