Posted by FRANK RICHARDS on January 27, 2023, 10:10 pm
9 .... The nabob grinned. Fisher T. Fish had been regarding him with a curious look. Wharton guessed that he had the common American prejudice against the black race. but he could see, of course, that Hurree Singh was not a negro. ....
13 “By gum!” said Fish, staring at Hurree Singh. “What sort of a critter do you call that?” “Nabob of Bhanipur, King of Timbuctoo, Emperor of Utopia---” “Oh, ring off, do! Blessed if I like the colour!” said Fish. “Is that what you call good manners in the Rocky Mountains?” asked Nugent sweetly. Fish snorted. “I hail from New York,” he said. “Well, isn’t New York in the Rocky Mountains?” “Huh!” “And both are in Canada, I believe?” said Bob Cherry solemnly. “Well, you chumps,” said Fish, “is that what you call a knowledge of geography over here?” “Ha, ha, ha!” Fish’s face broke into a grin. “Oh, I see, you’re pulling my leg. I guess!” “I guess we are,” said Harry Wharton. “But while we’re on the subject of Inky, we may as well have it out. Inky isn’t a ######---he’s an Indian, which is as unlike a negro as an American is. And if he were a ######, we should like him just as much, and he would be just as good a sort. And we don’t share your ridiculous prejudice against coloured people, and if a ###### ever comes to Greyfriars, and you put on any airs about it, we’ll jump on you. Is that quite clear?” “I guess so.” “That’s settled, then. Hallo, here’s Bunter, and he’ll show you to your study...”
“The Yankee Schoolboy”, The Magnet, 24 December 1910
Posted by sinister burt on January 28, 2023, 12:11 pm, in reply to "The nabob grinned."
That's nice frank, thanks. Always some nuance - I haven't read your books, but I guess it's still possible to perpetuate the iffy stereotypes and attitudes of your time while not being an out and out racist, so I'd still be a bit uncomfortable reading the books to my young kids.
And it's always possible to do a bit of counter quote mining: eg ‘Me velly bad boy – tellee whoppee! No tellee truth like English boy. Allee samee in China.’ not cool.
No biggie frank it's a long time past now (though I must say you're sounding well for it)
on January 27, 2023, 10:10 pm