Before starting in on Remus tales translations, you might want to see the songs, proverbs and the tales in dialect at Uncle Remus (tales, sayings, songs).This site may or may not include the songs, proverbs, or sayings, though. Those are for adult analysis and were not part of my growing up. This site focuses on the tales - see the 1946 film at "Song of the South" at /www.imdb.com/title/tt0038969/", and //www.songofthesouth.net/.
Before dismissing Uncle Remus as stereotypical and therefore to be hidden, read the background of Uncle Remus, and the inland rural slave-heritage dialect (see //www.bartleby.com/226/2011.html) in which the stories are presented,. Go to the introduction in the original (now on the net, a Google book) and see discussion on The Joy of Equivocating, earlier post on Uncle Remus.
Translations - be careful, but they can be useful. Use them to get at the plot, then go back to the originals - immediatlely. These stories are difficult to skim in the dialect, unless the dialect is yours. Be prepared to focus on endings. When does Uncle Remus state a firm conclusion, and when does he leave it open, tantalizing, and only coming to a resolution a story or two later. True to life. Why do later translations and movies have to move the resolution up. Wrap ups are premature that way. False to Uncle Remus.
Many issues in the Uncle Remus' era tales are laid out at Joy of Equivocating, Remus sites. That site explores uses of the unclear, and how positive that element can be in literature, for storytelling (like Uncle Remus), for entertainment and life's lessons; and how negative lack of clarity can be, in selling political ideas or in commerce with intent to deceive, where the sellee has little means of testing out truth from his or her own experience.
Political correctness. I believe that focusing on dialogue fits political correctness, if anyone disputes. The behaviors and speech patterns of Uncle Remus in the context of a slave-origin culture, brought survival - and should be respected a such. Take pride in the flexibility and genius of it.
A child's braided hair: This illustration from the inside cover of Harris' "Uncle Remus" 1928 reminds me of the styles in Nigeria when I was there in the 1960's - the carefully patterned and sectioned hair on adult women and children, then twisted neatly with coiled black thread, like carpet thread in strength. Cool, neat under a head wrap, shampooing was easy - multiple immersions, and rinses.
There is a fine line, though, and well recognized here, between any representation of an actual hair style and its use in "Jim Crow" issues. See Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia, Ferris University . Spend thoughtful time at that site. I believe the effort here, however, to broaden interest and appreciation in the tradition of Uncle Remus' times and thought, is consistent with respect: recognizing the joy and wisdom that lived on in an oppressed race, in spite of the context. Not an easy area. Recognized.
Note also who is in the chair, and who is on the floor. Discuss that as well.
Uncle Remus is not one historically identifiable individual, to my knowledge. Like Robin Hood, stories from many sources may coalesce around a single figure as traditions are passed on. You can look at the logs in Nottingham, for example - all the nameless petty thieves brought in to the sheriff for this or that were called Robin Hood. There are many of them, over several hundred years, as I recall. See England Road Ways, Nottingham and Robin Hood.
Joy of translating. What's in and what's out. I do take the liberty not to translate or keep in actual words designating skin color, race, or terms now pejorative. You can find those at the originals, Uncle Remus (tales, sayings, songs), but I find them distracting to the purpose here - common humanity.
Further background on Remus: Joy of Equivocating, Uncle Remus posts; Joy of Equivocating, Uncle Remus' Rhetoric, Ambiguity, Dialect. For an absurd book review, see www.conservativebookservice.com/products/BookPage.asp?prod_cd=c6987. Simplistic, off base, and clearly the reviewer had not read beyond the charming first half of the book tales of animals, to the second half of the book and the caricaturish behaviors required of the people there, in interacting with whites. Read it yourself - the entire book, and see what had to be coped with. Point: trust no reviewer. Read the original yourself.
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