Chesnutt

Chesnutt's Goophered Grapevine has something in common with the last three storied we have read in class. This is the use of dialect, especially with racial stereotypes and words such as the "n" word. Although it can be upsetting to read it makes the story what it is, and forces readers to look at reality.
People have a hard time now days reading words like the "n" word because they are no longer politically correct. It is not acceptable to go around using them in every day conversation. Therefore, when we see them in stories we tend to cringe and are unable to say them when we read them outloud. This is because we, as a scoiety, feel a sense of shame and guilt for the rougher edges of our past. Certainly everyone does not share feelings of guilt, many also feel angerness and bitterness. But whatever the emotions, they are underlying. People are constantly making stereotypes like they used to in the past. The fact that these words are used makes people so uncomfortable because it brings back those feelings. While our society has come a long way since the time of the civil war, we have a long way to go. We have set rules that have made our stereotypes and and angry feelings become politcally incorrect to bring up often, or in the wrong way. But, they certainly still exist.
I think it is very important for authors to be able to use these words and write in the real way people used to talk. The freedom of press is meant exactly for that. So authors can have the ability to say things, even if they are hard for poeple to hear. It forces all of us to face our past. Only in facing and learning from the past can we move forward.