In the opening sequence of Herge’s comic book, “The Adventures of Tintin; Tintin In The Congo” a young white male reporter and his dog are depicted boarding a vessel as they prepare to embark on a journey to the Belgian Congo. Upon arrival, they are enthusiastically greeted and ceremoniously welcomed as guest by the dark-skinned Congolese people. However, a careful analysis of the illustrations and dialogues sequences shown in the comic begin to paint a marred picture of the author’s ideological beliefs. Herge’s work is a great example of intentionally utilizing children’s literary work to reinforce racial stereotypes and popularize prejudice based ideologies.
For instance, during the initial sequences of the story the author chooses to make a stark distinction between white and dark skinned individuals. One of these distinctions consists of portraying white people such as the protagonist of the story as well dressed, highly educated and culturally …show more content…
Stated differently, Mr. Herge’s comic book grotesquely popularizes a racist based ideology that severely hinders a promising children’s comic book known for its adventurous plots and lighthearted comedic sketches. In fact, the abhorrent influence of white supremacist ideal are so clearly depicted throughout the story that inflammatory language such as “White Master and all powerful good White-man” become the prevailing attitude of the Congolese people. Consequently, this type of racial indoctrination is precisely what Eduardo Bonilla-Silva labeled in his book as “symbolic racism.” (Racism without Racist, 2003). In essence, the context in which language and symbolic images are used in the comic book only help to create a depraved Eurocentric fallacy that focuses on reinforcing 20th century discriminatory practices against people of African
For instance, during the initial sequences of the story the author chooses to make a stark distinction between white and dark skinned individuals. One of these distinctions consists of portraying white people such as the protagonist of the story as well dressed, highly educated and culturally …show more content…
Stated differently, Mr. Herge’s comic book grotesquely popularizes a racist based ideology that severely hinders a promising children’s comic book known for its adventurous plots and lighthearted comedic sketches. In fact, the abhorrent influence of white supremacist ideal are so clearly depicted throughout the story that inflammatory language such as “White Master and all powerful good White-man” become the prevailing attitude of the Congolese people. Consequently, this type of racial indoctrination is precisely what Eduardo Bonilla-Silva labeled in his book as “symbolic racism.” (Racism without Racist, 2003). In essence, the context in which language and symbolic images are used in the comic book only help to create a depraved Eurocentric fallacy that focuses on reinforcing 20th century discriminatory practices against people of African