03-24-2019, 12:19 PM
In the last book I wrote, I felt weird writing "Chinaman" and "Mohammedan" because those are outdated labels that impart varying degrees of offense. The time period the story takes place in, those terms have everyday usage, so the characters would say those things like it was normal (because it was). I've read a few modern "historical" fiction novels where the open minded folks are the protagonists who (big surprise) would fit right in place in 21st century American and have to correct the mean and grumpy racist antagonist. Modern writers are really arrogant in that regard: they don't think that any other view of word choice morality is acceptable except theirs, so any "good" person you would find in history would think and talk just like us.