Weeks 1 & 2 The Blue Lotus
Questions. Chose one or two questions to answer rather than all of them. Some questions might be combined in your answer. Remember to respond to other bloggers. Please answer in the comment section - do not create a new blog!
1) Are comics just a children's medium. What does Blue Lotus show us?
2) How does Farr (1991) justify Tintin's appeal to adults?
3) How does The Blue Lotus relate to what Said (1997) terms 'Orientalism' ?
4) Is The Blue lotus a racist text? Give your reasons.
5) Herge used the expression 'the wind and bone' to refer to his art work. What do you think he meant.
Question 4.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the Blue Lotus I feel as though there is definitely an underlying racist theme. All the trouble that Tintin has been shown to get into is because right at the start he stands up for Chinaman who is a rickshaw boy who had run into a white man on the street and as the comic points out the white man gets very angry that a European kid thought he had the right to stop him from teaching the native a lesson. All these themes throughout show that all of the fights started because they were of different races. As a children’s comic these are most definitely underlying themes and not so obvious because it needs to be able to engage with the children’s interests and keep them interested in what the comic is talking about. I feel as though the most obvious part of the text which outlines the racism throughout the text is when the white man is complaining about how the native people of Shanghai didn’t have any manners and how he thinks white men have made the country a better place for them and they should respect them as they have given them many benefits from “their superb western civilisation.” This shows the racism that is underlying throughout the text, one man thinking he is better than the other and using the colour of their skins to represent the men.
You need to reference your work by referring to secondary sources.
DeleteI think you might be confusing the depiction of racism in The Blue Lotus with it being a racist text. the fact that Herge shows racism toward Chinese people by Europeans could be seen as commendable. It is after all the Europeans who are depicted as "evil" in this context.
1) How does the Blue Lotus relate to what Said (1997) terms ‘Orientalism’?
ReplyDeleteIt is apparent that there is some sense of Orientalism in Tintin and The Blue Lotus. As Tintin, being narrated from a widely Western/European point of view (Herge being European), the portrayal of both the Japanese and the Chinese differ to the portrayal of the Europeans. As Said (1997) mentions “the imaginative explanation of things Oriental was based more or less exclusively upon a sovereign Western consciousness”. If Tintin had been written by an author of Asian descent or ‘Oriental’ descent, the depiction of the Japanese in the text would be very different.
Said then states that “orientalism depends for its strategy on this flexible positional superiority, which puts the Westerner in a whole series of relationships with the Orient without ever losing him the upper hand” (Said, 1997). This is evident in the text with the relationship between Tintin and Mr Mitsuhirato, Tintin always has the upper hand – and ultimately wins over Mr Mitsuhirato. This is further showing the Japanese in a negative way.
2) Is the Blue Lotus a racist text? Give your reasons.
The Blue Lotus incorporates many different races and ethnicities, mainly those being Japanese, Chinese and European. At the time of Herge’s writing of the comic, there was significant political tension between the Japanese and Chinese, leading up to World War 2. We can see from Tintin and The Blue Lotus that the Japanese are portrayed negatively, in the way that they are drawn with stern faces and a demeaning appearance. In contrast, Herge has represented a very neutral and non-conforming European with Tintin’s features, for example his rounded eyes and clear complexion. Thus, with the representation of both races, it is apparent that there is some level of racism in the text. The negative views about the Japanese are portrayed in such a way that it is obvious to the reader; the reader can decipher the political tension between races. This text is told from a highly Eurocentric point of view which heightens the negative portrayal of the Japanese. The illustrations in this particular Tintin comic provide a visual representation of the racism in this text.
Delete1: "If Tintin had been written by an author of Asian descent or ‘Oriental’ descent, the depiction of the Japanese in the text would be very different." Avoid these kind of hypotheticals. Would a Chinese author really have depicted the Japanese in a less pejorative way than Herge? How important was the input of Herge's Chinese friend, Chang, on the text?
2: good analysis of drawing style, but how are the eyes of the Chinese represented?
DeletePlease reference secondary sources.
A particular character in Tintin and The Blue Lotus, Chang, is indeed based on Herge's real life friend, Zhang Chongren (Chan Chong-jen). Herge's newfound friend taught him a great deal about the China and the Chinese culture, as well as particular drawing techniques. It was because of Zhang that Herge steered away from traditional Chinese stereotypes, ”he [Chang] led me to discover and appreciate Chinese poetry and Chinese calligraphy” (tintin/chang, 2017) and thus seen with the representation of Tintin's friend Chang in the story. It is apparent that Chang and Tintin look fairly similar, with no significant distinction between the two, no doubt influenced by Zhang. The seemingly normalised drawings of both Tintin and Chang establishes the racial divide, dividing the Japanese from both of them. Both the European Tintin and Chinese Chang have rounded eyes and a clear complexion which shows Chang Chong-jen’s impact on Herge’s depiction of the Chinese, it was because of him that the Chinese were represented in such a neutral way in Tintin. The relationship between Herge and Chan Chong-jen inspired Herge’s “sympathy for the chinese”.
DeleteTINTIN / Chang! (n.d.). Retrieved October 03, 2017, from http://en.tintin.com/news/index/rub/100/id/3706/0/chang
Alan Riding, “Chang Chong-Jen”, The New York Times, sec. A, p. 13
Said, E. (1977) Orientalism. In Ashcroft, B. Griffiths, G. & Tiffin, H. (Ed.), The Postcolonial Studies Reader (pp.87-91). London: Routledge.
Are comics just a children's medium? What does Blue Lotus show us?
ReplyDeleteComic books have an extensive history spanning back almost two centuries. In its American conception, Wolk (2011) found that its intent was to provide entertainment for children but as it became a more popularised form of media it developed a more mature approach. As a result, I believe comics are not just a children's medium and that it is entirely contingent upon the content whether the audience is adult or adolescent. Some even transcend age, being likeable for both mature readers and kids. Children's literature expert, Carol L. Tilley, stated: "It’s up to the reader’s personality and intellect. As a whole, comics are just another medium, another genre.”
Many comic series uphold this notion, including Herge's The Adventure of Tintin series. The comic executes this well within the fifth volume of the series - The Blue Lotus. This specific addition to the Tintin series features serious political content and a complex vocabulary but is contrasted with Herge's persistent slapstick humour and of course, Tintin himself, a young male protagonist. With the more mature themes of racial discourse and politics, it's arguable that The Blue Lotus is largely not intended for younger readers yet the manner in which this content is presented is graspable enough for any audience. The vocabulary fluctuates in difficulty with expressions any child can understand to phrases unknown to those without prior political knowledge. These conflicts - and more - deem Tintin a series that straddles the line between children's literature and adult media. The charm of Herge's The Adventure of Tintin series is that it can educate, entertain and engage any reader, as they say, from ages 7 to 77.
References:
Grove, L. (2016, March15). Inside the pages of the oldest comic in the world. The Conversation. Retrieved from http://theconversation.com/
Wolk, D. (2011, June 27). How Comics Became Literature for Adults. Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://huffingtonpost.com
Doran, M. (2009, November 6). New Study Finds Comics Are Legitimate Kid's Literature. Newsarama. Retrieved from http://www.newsarama.com
Calamur, J. (2017, January 11). Tintin, not just a teen read. DNAIndia. Retrieved from http://www.dnaindia.com
Great, good use of sources, could be improved by a specific example from the text such as a quote.
ReplyDeleteAre comics just a children’s medium? What does Blue Lotus show us?
ReplyDeleteWithin the comic genre, there are comics directed specifically at children as well as specifically at adults. However where this gets complicated is when these two often overlap. Often more than not we see comics marketed for children, but still appealing to adults. An example of this in what the original comic books have developed to today (a cartoon graphic movie) would be the Lego Batman movie, which on the surface is marketed at children but has purposely been created to appeal to both children and adults with a mixture of themes and ideas.
As we learnt, Herge’s previous experience within the publication industry was affiliated with a politically right winged newspaper. So as we can see in his particular comics there is an underlay of right wing political propaganda within his storylines. For children, it is masked over by an adventurous story that appeals to that age group, however the mature ideas thrown in appeal to adults who are able to understand the subliminal message. In the Blue Lotus this can be seen through the ideas of Orientalism, and a Eurocentric view that resonated with older European readers.
Blue Lotus and other comics of that particular time period were the starting point for comics that that were suitable and appealing for children, but also held messages that were understood more by adults. Today we often see comics in newspapers commentating on political events in a comedic way- obviously directed at adults. And also children cartoon programmes or movies that hold more mature ideas that are smothered over with child friendly themes.
Question 4:
ReplyDeleteOne of the greatest and withstanding literary series of our age is the Tintin series. The comics, depicting Tintin, an adventurous European young boy who travels the world solving various mysteries, as the main character, have been in publication since 1929 and have increased exponentially in popularity ever since (Owens, 2007). They have become so popular that the comics are still read by children and adults alike all over the world! This popularity can be due to Tintin’s various adventures in so many distinct parts of the world, meaning more people can relate and identify with the places he has traversed.
One of Tintin’s greatest adventures in a country far away from Europe was Tintin and the Blue Lotus. In this comic, Tintin is called away on an adventure to China, where, with his new friend Chang and the help of the Sons of the Dragon, he is able to stop the illegal opium trade being unleashed in the depths of China (class text). While this story is full of normal “Tintin-esque” adventures and plotlines, there is an important distinction between this comic and the rest of the Tintin series. With Tintin and the Blue Lotus, there has erupted large amounts of debate as to whether or not this particular comic depicts racial content. There are several points to support both sides and it is important to analyze each side carefully.
For those who say that the comic does, in fact, contain racist content, may only have to point to the illustration alone to make their point. In the story itself, the Japanese villains are the ones behind the entire opium trade. The Japanese, in this comic, are depicted with oversized, intimidating eyes, disgustingly large sets of teeth, and permanent, exaggerated scowls on their faces (class text). While it can be argued that the villains must have an evil sort of look on them, Herge takes this to the extreme when depicting the villains in a way that suggests underlying racism towards the characters and the Japanese themselves. Also, in a short incident between a Chinese pedecab driver and an American businessman, the American is depicted as being highly racist and condescending towards the Chinamen, suggesting a subconscious prejudice against Americans’ behaviors as well.
While the illustrations of the characters may support the idea that the comic displays racist content, Herge actually does a fairly decent job of inputting several scenes of oppression-bashing into the comic as well. In one scene where Tintin rescues his friend Chang from being drowned in a river, he tells Chang that “all white men aren’t wicked” and that “different peoples don’t know enough about each other” (class text). Here, Herge is clearly showing how there are bad racist people in the world but they are just ignorant and do not know enough about others’ cultures. In this point, Tintin does a very clear job of telling audiences that racism is wrong and just plain silly when it comes down to it.
Now, as to the overall decision on whether or not Tintin and the Blue Lotus is a racist text? I am forced to say that the comic does have underlying racist content depicted throughout the story. Although Herge uses Tintin to blatantly bash racism as idiotic and just plain ignorant, his prejudiced illustrations of both Japanese and American characters forces me to view the comic overall as having an underlying racist and biased tone towards these two cultures.
http://www.tintinologist.org/guides/books/pubdates.html
REVISED VERSION
DeleteQuestion 4:
One of the greatest and withstanding literary series of our age is the Tintin series. The comics, depicting Tintin, an adventurous European young boy who travels the world solving various mysteries, as the main character, have been in publication since 1929 and have increased exponentially in popularity ever since (Owens, 2007). They have become so popular that the comics are still read by children and adults alike all over the world! This popularity can be due to Tintin’s various adventures in so many distinct parts of the world, meaning more people can relate and identify with the places he has traversed.
One of Tintin’s greatest adventures in a country far away from Europe was Tintin and the Blue Lotus. In this comic, Tintin is called away on an adventure to China, where, with his new friend Chang and the help of the Sons of the Dragon, he is able to stop the illegal opium trade being unleashed in the depths of China (class text). While this story is full of normal “Tintin-esque” adventures and plotlines, there is an important distinction between this comic and the rest of the Tintin series. With Tintin and the Blue Lotus, there has erupted large amounts of debate as to whether or not this particular comic depicts racial content. There are several points to support both sides and it is important to analyze each side carefully.
For those who say that the comic does, in fact, contain racist content, may only have to point to the illustration alone to make their point. In the story itself, the Japanese villains are the ones behind the entire opium trade. The Japanese, in this comic, are depicted with oversized, intimidating eyes, disgustingly large sets of teeth, and permanent, exaggerated scowls on their faces (class text). While it can be argued that the villains must have an evil sort of look on them, Herge takes this to the extreme when depicting the villains in a way that suggests underlying racism towards the characters and the Japanese themselves. Also, in a short incident between a Chinese pedecab driver and an American businessman, the American is depicted as being highly racist and condescending towards the Chinamen, suggesting a subconscious prejudice against Americans’ behaviors as well.
While the illustrations of the characters may support the idea that the comic displays racist content, Herge actually does a fairly decent job of inputting several scenes of oppression-bashing into the comic as well. In one scene where Tintin rescues his friend Chang from being drowned in a river, he tells Chang that “all white men aren’t wicked” and that “different peoples don’t know enough about each other” (class text). Here, Herge is clearly showing how there are bad racist people in the world but they are just ignorant and do not know enough about others’ cultures. In this point, Tintin does a very clear job of telling audiences that racism is wrong and just plain silly when it comes down to it.
Now, as to the overall decision on whether or not Tintin and the Blue Lotus is a racist text? I am forced to say that the comic does have underlying racist content depicted throughout the story. Although Herge uses Tintin to blatantly bash racism as idiotic and just plain ignorant, his prejudiced illustrations of both Japanese and American characters forces me to view the comic overall as having an underlying racist and biased tone towards these two cultures.
http://www.tintinologist.org/guides/books/pubdates.html
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