In mid-February 2023, Puffin Books sparked controversy when news broke that Roald Dahl’s children’s books would be rewritten to be more inclusive. The British author, who died in 1990, was well-known for his books such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Fantastic Mr Fox. Beloved by children for his subversive take on the typical children’s book, creating worlds where the adults were often cruel, and the children were forced to take control of their own lives. The announcement has led to a larger debate regarding the rewriting of books, and whether it should be endorsed.
Should we let authors off the hook? Or should we acknowledge that authors can create beloved books, and hold outdated views that could be present in these beloved books?
The sentiment behind wanting to remove offensive language or out-of-date terminology is incredibly understandable, but not productive. By attempting to erase problematic elements of an author’s work, we remove the opportunity to discuss these elements, and why they are no longer acceptable nowadays, particularly in children’s books. As argued in the case for racist language in Mark Twain’s books, Nicole Longpré, the Acting Associate Dean at Bellevue College Library, argues that: “Any discussion… should include what was happening in the world at the time, and the larger manifestations of those situations.” This assessment is equally applicable to Dahl’s work. Rather than removing questionable language, an editor’s note at the start of the book would provide the reader with the context of the time period, and allow them to read with a full understanding of an author’s intentions and worldview, whether positive or negative.
Inclusivity is incredibly important, and it is wonderful that we are seeing more and more books with an inclusive cast of characters. The debate over rewriting books is a complex one, without a clear answer. In general, I think books should be kept as they were published, particularly when the author has passed and has no say in the matter. However, as The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew series demonstrate, books can be rewritten to remove racist or distasteful language fairly easily. Removing problematic aspects of Dahl’s stories may make him more marketable in the modern day, but it does come across as an attempt to hide Dahl’s viewpoints, rather than teach children that authors can hold certain views, and also create beloved stories. Ironic, considering Dahl was regularly praised for refusing to sugarcoat the cruelty of the world in his novels.
Words by Emily Nutbean