We recently learned that Roald Dahl, author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, James and the Giant Peach, and many other classic children’s books, had had his work bowdlerized by a publisher. The revisions, explained the London Times, related to “weight, mental health, violence, gender and race.” The offensive words “mothers” and “fathers” had been replaced with “parents.” A “female” became a “person.” A “man-eating giant” became a “human-eating giant.” The word “attractive” was changed to “kind,” altering the meaning. The color “black” was now “dark,” even though the original connotation had absolutely nothing to do with race.
When it comes to sanitizing language, one can never be too careful, I guess. But you know you’re old when you struggle even to grasp why they’re pretending to be offended. How is an “old hag” any more upsetting to a reader than an “old crow”? Why is the phrase “taught him how to spell and write sentences” any more unpleasant than “volunteered to give him lessons”? Mysteries.
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