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.
How can we call The Blue Lotus a racist text when the origin in the word itself racist was not properly used in the context we use it today until the 1930s, a new term in the era in which The Blue Lotus was written. The words racism and racist replaced the words racialism and racialist which are now defined in different ways with regards to the animosity in the word racist compared to simply awareness that different races possess different qualities and cultures in the word racialism, which can be identified as a basis for racism. But that is a different question altogether.
ReplyDeleteThe Blue Lotus may be considered a racist text in the context of modern society, where cultures have developed and become highly individualised and sensitised. Particularly if categorised as a text considered for children, which some may argue it is, for censorship purposes the text may be considered racist as it instils stereotypes in the minds of the easily influenced.
We must also however we must also consider a text in the context in which it was written. I believe that if we look at the text from the context of the era in which it was written Herge’s intention was not that of a racist commentary but perhaps more so a political stance. As Herge was told by a Belgian general, “this is not a story for children… it’s just a problem for Asia!” As Farr (1991) states, particularly if compared to his earlier works, The Blue Lotus was not a racist text as Herge was an authentically informed writer when he wrote it with the help of Chang, however his portrayal of the Japanese is still bias. Herge manages to deconstruct the idea of the Orient by distinguishing the different cultures in his text The Blue Lotus. He may have succeeded to an extent with the portrayal of the Chinese however still falls into the trap of generalising the Japanese within the context of Orientalism which, as Said (1997) agrees the term is too vague and general. The Japanese villain Mitsuhirato in the text for example has had his features accentuated to make him look more demonised compared to the peaceful looking and clever Chinese. The idea of Orientalism was so instilled in the Western consciousness that although Herge allowed Chang to penetrate his perception of China consequently introducing the young Chinese boy character named Chang, without a Japanese counterpart his portrayal of the Japanese fell into the trap of Orientalism. His bias towards the Japanese would have been heightened with the contribution of Chang’s own bias towards the Japanese as a colonising culture to his own. One could argue that the de-Asianisation of the Chinese in itself a racist comment as the comment seems that aligning the Chinese (Chang in the text) with Europeans (Tintin in the text) no longer makes them the Other therefore avoids the concern of Herges’ racist portrayals. This portrayal however removes the vast culture associated with China and Herge has inadvertently used Orientalism in his depiction as a Western style for dominating, restructuring, and having authority over the Orient (Said, 1997).
References
DeleteFarr, Michael. (1991). The Blue Lotus. In Tintin: the complete companion (pp.50-59). London: John Murray.
Said, E. (1977) Orientalism. In Ashcroft, B. Griffiths, G. & Tiffin, H. (Ed.), The Postcolonial Studies Reader (pp.87-91). London: Routledge.
I don't think that the time at which the term racism was coined is relevant to the question. We are analyzing the text in 2017.
ReplyDeleteThe rest of your argument is pretty good. I agree that Herge probably did not intend the Blue Lotus to be racist text, and the historical context is important.
break your answer to paragraphs and work on writing short introductions and conclusions.
Herge used the expression 'the wind and the bone' to refer to his art work. What do you think he meant? How and why are comics becoming more accepted as an art form?
ReplyDeletePART 1
The first use of this expression comes from Herge (2005, 1935). "That is to say the wind of inspiration and the bone of a firm drawing line. For me it was a revelation. I owe to him a better understanding of the sense of things: friendship, poetry and nature". Here we see Herge link this expression directly to the relationship formed between him and Chang Chon Chen, a Chinese sculpture student. The wind of inspiration I think is the epiphany that Herge had upon befriending Chang, that more importance needed to be given to historical and cultural accuracy. This became the turning point in both Herge's plot lines and illustrations (although in The Blue Lotus we continue to see Japanese characters, caricatured and exaggerated to fit orientalist stereotypes). Where Herge's previous stories "conform to the pictures or clichés held in the 1920's-30's" Farr, Michael (1991). explains that The Blue Lotus was "firmly rooted in reality". The 'wind of inspiration ' is translated into the art work of The Blue Lotus in scenes that Herge meticulously researched, for example the street scene on page 6 is inspired directly from a photograph of a Chinese street. Other examples include the correct use of Chinese characters in background advertisements.
The 'bone of a firm drawing line' refers to the Ligne Claire (French) style of illustration used in the Tintin series, first coined by Dutch cartoonist Joost Swarte in 1977. According to an article by Pleban, D. (2006). Investigating the Clear Line Style. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://comicfoundry.com/?p=1526 , Ligne Claire "gives equal weight and consideration to every line on the page. By forgoing shading with Ink, the artist creates a depth of field on the page that brings The equal amounts of focus to the background and foreground". In The Blue Lotus this style of illustration therefore also places equal importance to the background setting (China) as well as the central characters, making Tintin's adventures more convincing when paired with the realistic settings. Herge also went on to influencing the artists who worked on the Tintin comics also known as the 'Brussels school', to use the Ligne Claire as a framework or 'bone' of their illustrations.
PART 2
ReplyDeleteThis sort of attention to the art style in comics is one example of how and why they are becoming more accepted as an art form.
Like artists of traditional forms like painting, each has their own unique style influenced by their cultural and social backgrounds or predisposed outlooks on the world. Similarly, cartoonists and illustrators draw in their "own particular style" and "begin to develop their own internal world" making their work recognizable of them, Dylan Horricks discusses in his chapter 'The Perfect Planet' (2004) from writing at the edge of the universe, Christchurch : u of Canterbury press.
The visual structure of comic books themselves tell us how they compare as an art form. The use of frames or panels allow unintentional imagination in our minds to "connect moments" (Horricks, D. (2004) not explicitly written or illustrated in a comic book. Scott McCloud (1993) calls this the "invisible art" of comics, in his book (2014). Understanding comics: The invisible art. For example, one frame could illustrate a character in a setting during night time and the next frame could illustrate them in a different setting during the day time. Even if no words accompanied this panel, an audience might come to imagine similar ways to 'fill in the gaps' between these frames; for example assuming that time has passed, the character sleeps, methods of travel between settings etc. Like artwork, especially those that are abstract or show little resemblance to forms occurring in the natural world (e.g surrealism, expressionism and such movements), the creator of the work might not explicitly define their intent, but they, like comic illustrators can speak to audiences in this same subtlety because humans share a "unified reality" based on actual human experiences that enable us to find themes and understandings shared by all e.g love, grief, family etc. This is the backbone of all art forms to which Herge came to understand and apply in his illustration style. Traditional art and comic book art work also share their use colour, style and composition to make social and political commentary. An example of this is The Blue Lotus is the caricaturistic depiction of the Japanese vs. the humanised Chinese.
How does Farr (1991) justify Tintin's appeal to adults?
ReplyDeleteWhen an adult first picks up a comic book, it might seem like a children’s book, or immature even. However, when one looks a bit closer and begins to read the comic, the in depth message demonstrates the idea that it is not only for children. While the comic itself is decorated to appeal to children, with animated drawings and what seems to be funny jokes, the subliminal messages in some are directed towards adults. Michael Farr agreed with this when writing somewhat of a review on Tin Tin.
Farr explains how Tin Tin appealed to different age groups because it could be interpreted differently (1991). While kids enjoyed the short reading and creative drawings, adults were able to get somewhat of an insight on current world events. Herge included parody portions, puns, and many political satires that only adults really understood (Farr, 1991). For example, in the Blue Lotus Herge subjectively talks about the current problems (back then) with the Japanese and Chinese. Because Herge’s works were heavily influenced by the views of those in the West (orientalism), a lot of the bias in his works appealed to his audiences. Even if there was no bias, the entire comic covers serious issues that were occurring during the time so while the adults might have not agree, it still underlined the events that they needed to be aware about or were cognizant about.
I also wanted to touch on the connection between the drawings and the text. Some of the children who read these books do not know how to read and just look over the pictures. In this case, the pictures, in no way, tell the story in a historical sense. Even a child who can read, will more than likely read on the surface and genuinely believe that the story is solely about Tin Tin, and Tin Tin alone. That is why the connection between the drawings and text is so essential when analyzing this work of art (The English Studies Book, 1998). If the connection between the two is not made, then yes this may be considered only to be interesting for children. However, Farr created that connection in which case makes the text appeal to adults.
Overall, with the connection made between the text and drawings and then the comic to the audience, I agree with Farr when stating that TinTin appeals to adults. With the combination of political satires and subliminal messages, it is clear that they were put there for adults to understand and enjoy, not necessarily children.
Are comics just a children's medium. What does Blue Lotus show us?
ReplyDeletePart 1
Most of the time, when people talk about children's media, they talk about media that is created for children, and not meant for adult enjoyment. Often this means simply that the target audience is children, and that children or child like characters are prominently featured as protagonists. (Thompson & Snider, n.d.) However, there is another thematic level to children's media that distinguishes it from adult media. Children's media often focuses on teaching for example social values or general knowledge. Children's media also tends to be very fast paced. (Kirkorian, Wartella & Anderson, 2008) Overall, in my experience, children's stories have an unforteunate tendency to abandon logic and character development for cheap laughs or a fun action scene. Adult media tends to be thematically darker and more mature than children's, though cheap laughs and pointless action can certainly be found as well.
When looking at The Blue Lotus specifically there are a few traits that seemingly identify it as a children's story. First of all the main character is Tintin, a 14-15 year old boy. (Assouline & Ruas, 2011) He also follows the common trope of being child who, for reasons never addressed, is exploring the world and getting into life-threatening situations on a daily basis, without any adult supervision.
The Blue Lotus also has a fair amount of things to teach its readers. Tintin spends nearly a full page of the comic debunking racist stereotypes, and shows a lot of restraint when faced with aggression. On top of that he throws around phrases like "Your conduct is disgraceful, sir." and "The shot… it was providential!" (Hergé., 1946) which no real person would actually say but often appear in children's stories to familiarise them with a broader vocabulary.
However, all of these are traits that can make a story appropriate for children, without diminishing the value of the story for adults. What truly makes me think that The Blue Lotus is at its core a story for children is it's structure. It took me a while to put my finger on what exactly bothered me about the way that tThe Blue Lotus was constructed but I have come to the realisation that the comic lacks story beats. Story beats are moments in a story that trigger reactions and new moments. ("What, Technically, is a “Beat” in a Screenplay?", 2009) Beats create a "this happens, and because of that this happens, and because of that this happens…" structure, which is what you want, because it makes internal sense and give the characters purpose. The issue that tThe Blue Lotus has it that it is missing the "because." Tintin, rather than being a character who act based on his motivation, simply reacts to the things that happen around him. The individual things that happen to Tintin don't seem to have any connection to each other and follow no proper arch. For example, when Tintin arrives in China and is told to leave again he makes plans to leave. Next he gets attacked by a guy on the street and just sort of shrugs it off. Next, he is being shot at and he chases the person who attacks him. Rather than having proper story beats as laid out above, Tintin's story has a structure of "This happens, and because of that this happens. This happens, and because of that this happens." It's jarring and interrupts the flow of the narrative to the point that you start wondering if you even need to read that scene.
In my opinion, this kind of structure makes the comic unreadable for adults. For a children's story, however, this fast paced, action packed way of telling a story would probably be appealing. I suppose it could be seen as fun, and it certainly goes along with the tendency of children's media to value action and humour over characters and story.
Are comics just a children's medium. What does Blue Lotus show us?
ReplyDeletePart 2
While I personally believe that the Blue Lotus is more of a children's story, there is certainly something to be said for the appeal that the comic might have for adults. First of all, the most common way to identify a story meant for children is to look at the author's intent and Hergé intent was for his Tintin comics to be appealing to everyone aged seven to 77. ("Les Aventures de Tintin - Tintin", 2011) When reading the Blue Lotus you can see why Hergé would say that his stories are appropriate for adults, too. Mostly it's the focus on politics that is simultaneously very obvious, but subtle enough not to be disturbing, that will be appealing to adults. Beyond the political satire and parody, adults may also enjoy the puns and prescience present in the story. (Farr, 1991)
Overall, I believe that while The Blue Lotus does have some appeal for adults, it remains a story for children. The way it is written, keeps it from being elevated to being enjoyable for adults too. That, however, does not diminish the value of the comic or indicate that they don't deserve being considered well loved classics.
References
Assouline, P., & Ruas, C. (2011). Hergé. New York: Oxford University Press.
Farr, Michael. (1991). Introduction. In Tintin: the complete companion (pp.8-9). London: John Murray.
Kirkorian, H., Wartella, E., & Anderson, D. (2008). Media and Young Children’s Learning. Princeton University.
Hergé. (1946). The Blue Lotus. [Place of publication not identified]: Egmont Books.
Les Aventures de Tintin - Tintin. (2011). En.tintin.com. Retrieved 28 September 2017, from http://en.tintin.com/personnages/show/id/15/page/0/0/tintin
Thompson, C., & Snider, S. CMI - Defining Childhood: What is Children's Media?. Cmi.byu.edu. Retrieved 28 September 2017, from http://cmi.byu.edu/Articles/DefChild.html