"grunting in their ape-like speech..." > It doesn't matter if no language period is really like that, it's just a fucking description of a fantasy language in a fantasy story...<
It's also imagery and mood. "...grunting in their ape-like speech..." makes his opponents sound more savage and intimidating, and also dehumanizes them somewhat for the eventual kill. I'm not defending Howard's racism (or non-racism, whatever the case may be) in anything more than this sentence... But I think this sentence is much more of an obvious author's device than an intended slur on the darker races. Shane Guy -----Original Message----- From: Scotty Henderson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Thursday, January 03, 2002 3:29 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [rehfans] Howard and racism ----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, January 03, 2002 12:57 PM Subject: Re: [rehfans] Howard and racism > Gary Romeo writes: > >like the guttural tongue of an ape. De Camp went on > >to explain how no African language is really anything > >ape-like. > Must be referring to this paragraph: > > But they attempted no reprisal, nor did they accept Conan's urgent > invitation to approach within reach of the bloody chain in his hand. > Presently, grunting in their ape-like speech, There goes de Camp again, popping off instead of fantasizing. It doesn't matter if no language period is really like that, it's just a fucking description of a fantasy language in a fantasy story.. It is not a racial slur, unless you want to think that. All you have here is people who happen to be black who have a language that has grunts and barks and whatever else and sounds similar to an ape. I've heard people who sound like dogs, and others that sound like snakes. So what. Don't read in what isn't there. Scotty Henderson
