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?
3How 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.
The Blue Lotus is one of many in a series of popular comics consisting of high quality drawings and compelling narratives.There is a huge amount of detail within the illustrations and lots of depth and background research done to establish plots to associate them with reality. The Blue Lotus includes many different key aspects. Each aspect appealing to a different age group creating a wide range of readers. The Blue Lotus is a comic that appeals to both children and adults of all ages. I believe that the Character of Tintin, the adventure, excitement and comedy is what attracts the children. Tintin as a character is someone children could be drawn to. He is portrayed with the qualities of a caring individual with a down to earth, hero like persona. Children could aspire to be like him and go on the adventures that he experiences within his comics. Its interesting as throughout the comic there are no clear indicators that Tintin is in fact a journalist, this makes me question whether children who read Tintin know of this fact or whether their simply to caught up in the action and thrill to care. On the other hand although adults could to be attracted to the action, adventure and hero like character Tintin, there are aspects of The Blue Lotus more suited to attract their attention. Farr believes Tintin appeals to adults as it provides Political satire and parody, puns and presence. It’s quite obvious that children may not always understand the references or connections to real world events but this is one key aspect that I think would really attract the adults. The Blue Lotus involves drugs, smuggling and the action of blowing up the train track causes the start of a war. These factors are what are more suited to the adults. There is also lots of racism within the comic. However it’s unlikely any kids pick up on this. For example, when the man carrying Tintin in the carriage transportation crashes with gibbons he yells, “Dirty little china man, to barge into a white man” this is the first we are exposed to the racism in the comic. I do believe this comic is racist however I don’t believe it is any worse than many movies, TV shows or everyday life. Although people try not be racist and stereotypical it’s still a huge factor within society he just exposes it on paper.
ReplyDeleteThis is well written, Taylor, and quite perceptive, but suffers from lack of research into the ideas of others on this matter.
DeleteWhat do you mean by ideas of others ? Who are the others?
Delete1) Slapstick
ReplyDeleteSlapstick is a style of humour involving exaggerated physical humour that exceeds the physical boundaries of normal comedy. The term slapstick comes from the Italian word ‘batacchio’ which means clapper. In the 16th century, Italian stage performers would use a device called a slapstick when hitting other actors on stage. This club-like object was made from splitting a long stick and makes a slapping sound when hitting another actor on stage, it emits a very loud sound without harming any of the actors.
Shakespear used to also incorporated a lot of “slapstick humour” in his comedic plays i.e chasing and hitting scenes, for example in the ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ the main character and his servant have a miscommunication about knocking (on someone's door). The protagonist asks his servant to knock the door for him but the servant thinks his master is asking to get knocked down, he kept refusing because he didn't want to beat his master down and because he kept refusing, he (the servant) was the one who got beaten up by his master.
Slapstick features a lot in silent movies for example; all of the charlie Chaplin movies, cartoons like tom and jerry and loony toons, and also modern comedies like Mr. bean, Ace Ventura, Dumb and dumber and much more.
2) Ideology
An ideology is a set of beliefs that affects our outlook on the world. Our ideology is our most closely held set of values and feelings, and it acts as the filter through which we see everything and everybody. In fact, these beliefs are often so close to us that we do not realise that they are there. We simply think that our beliefs are natural and obviously true. Religion is one type of ideology, and religious belief affects a person’s views.
3) Orientalism
In 1978, one of the most important cultural figures of the 20th century, a Palestinian-American scholar published a book called "orientalism" which forever changed the meaning of Orientalism.
Originally orientalism and orientalist referred to (orient meaning east) the study of the east or someone who had a deep fascination (e.g collector) of all things eastern. In his book, said used the word orientalism to describe the representation of Asia in a stereotyped way that is regarded as embodying a colonialist attitude. Said describes how scholarly western writings presented inaccurate, misleading and stereotypical representation of the eastern people and their culture.
He argued that the Orient is the stage in which the whole east is grouped together and that these biassed perceptions (the West has of the east) hindered a true understanding of Asian and middle eastern cultures.
Excellent answer, well researched.
DeleteVocabulary Week 1&2
ReplyDelete1. Orientalism
Orientalism is a way of seeing that imagines and envisions a culture a certain way, distorting the differences making them seem as though they are strange are wrong. This is specific to Asia and the eastern culture.It refers to their traits, qualities and mannerism.
2. Slapstick
Slapstick is a style or form of humour that involves physical activity which is exaggerated and exceeds what people believe to be the normal boundaries. Generally seen as absurd actions involving violent and vigorous motions.
Jim Carey would be a perfect example of a character that utilizes or embraces slapstick comedy.
3. Ideology
An ideology is a system of beliefs or ideas that form the basis of economic or political theories. These beliefs may be something that has been shared and learnt through by our closest family or simply something an individual feels strongly about. People dont always know that their ideology exists however it is closely connected with feelings. Religion, The green Party, Republicans all have a type of ideology.
Orientalism is not quite what you say. Needs to be looked up! Basically, it is about western attitudes to eastern culture.
DeleteOkay ! haha Must have misunderstood
DeleteComic books are a form of art used to show and tell stories through the use of imagery which generally leads people to associate comics as a child’s medium. Most comics are aimed at a younger audience such as the popular comic made TV show Dennis the Menace (authors: Hank Ketcham, Marcus Hamilton and Ron Ferdinand.) Blue Lotus is a well-rounded comic that appeals to all ages. Farr (1991) describes the allure of Tintin perfectly, “The child will be gripped by the excitement of Tintin, the comedy, even farce. The adult will additionally find political satire and parody, puns and prescience.” Herge combines adventure, conflict and slapstick comedy (exaggerated physical activity) to create a compelling series that everyone can enjoy.
ReplyDeleteI found the closer you looked into the story the more there was to it. A child could read the comic and appreciate the adventure and humour as slapstick is hard to miss. An adult can comprehend the depth behind the pictures and see that a world of drug smuggling and opium dens gave the comic its name. Blue Lotus being the name of the opium den. I believe that some themes within the comic is suited towards a mature audience however the reader doesn’t have to understand everything to appreciate the story. Along with the themes is the historical aspect of brewing conflict between Japan and China which provides realism to the Blue Lotus and I don’t believe children could make the connection between the story and the real life events.
Tintin also has minimal facial features which allows the reader to focus more on the story itself and let their imaginations run wild, and this applies to every age group.
Herge’s ideology of Asia had been influenced and reshaped by his close friend Chang which made Blue Lotus more sophisticated and considerate than Herge’s earlier work. This is another area that I believe adults may pick up on but children would remain oblivious.
Farr, M. (1991). Tintin: the complete companion. London.
Hi Shannel,
DeleteVery nice and thorough analysis on Tintin! I found it very interesting learning about the deeper message to the Blue Lotus as I guess I only took it for it's outer appearance- being a kids comic and all. I found your last comment regarding his friend very interesting too since it gives more depth into Hergé's reasoning for choosing the Chinese culture for some of his comics.
-Tereise
Solid answer, Shannel. Something in Tintin for both children and adults.
DeleteHey !
DeleteReading through your analysis it is really well written and really clear in terms of what you are trying to explain. I 100% agree with your points and the aspects that relate to each age group, being both adults and children. Its interesting how he manages to integrate history into the comic, it provides a much more in depth story line. :)
1) Are comics just a children's medium. What does Blue Lotus show us?
ReplyDelete2) How does Farr (1991) justify Tintin's appeal to adults?
For starters, comics are a means of visual expression in that unlike novels, comics are combined with text along with other imagery or visual information. Due to the heavy use of visuals, it can be expected for comics to give out a childlike attraction although the demographic for comics can range from young children to older adults so to say that they are a children's medium can be subjective.
Referring back to comics, the Blue Lotus is the fifth book in The Adventures of Tintin comic series written and illustrated by Hergé where in this story, Tintin travels to China.
I came across a thesis written by Alexander S. Laser- Robinson stating that "The Blue Lotus was written to inform the European public about the oppression suffered by the Chinese under colonial rule, while attempting to convey deep messages about the error of cultural stereotypes."(n.d, p.4) so as well as Hergé exploring multiple themes of action, adventure and slapstick comedy, he explores the social and political issues of China through his comics.
As an adult, it can be possible to discover the deeper themes in the story and to also comprehend well with Hergé's depiction of the drug smuggling and opium dens underneath the vibrant visuals. However, as a child it is clearly less obvious to them as they would most likely read the comics for the action and adventure that Tintin endures in each comic, many kids thrive on a hero protagonist and his sidekick being a dog makes the story more personal and intimate, even for adults especially if they own a pet. Michael Farr further elaborates on this with great precision, “The child will be gripped by the excitement of Tintin, the comedy, even farce. The adult will additionally find political satire and parody, puns and prescience.” (1991) Despite Tintin being simply being a comic book series, the social and politcal issues that Hergé addresses in his stories can appeal to adults and thus be an open opportunity for discussion or debate. Adults can also sympathize with Hergé seeing as Hergé’s close friendship with Chang Chong- Jen was a driving incentive behind the political message in the book. Their friendship sparked a sympathetic aura in Hergé towards the Chinese culture and found it crucial to bring their issues of conflict to the forefront.
Alexander S. Laser- Robinson. (n.d). An Analysis of Hergé’s Portrayal of Various Racial Groups in The Adventures of Tintin: The Blue Lotus Retrieved from http://www.tintinologist.org/articles/analysis-bluelotus.pdf
Farr, Michael. (1991). Introduction. In Tintin: the complete companion (pp.8-9). London: John Murray.
Hi
DeleteWas a really good idea to provide that opening information regarding comics it set a really nice platform for the rest of your writing to follow. I hadn't heard of Alexander S myself so enjoyed reading about what he said. I agree with many of your points and find that although children and adults may enjoy different aspects of the comic is is appealing to both.
Your analysis is really good ! :)
A very good answer. Great to see you reading Alexander S Laser-Robinson.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 4
ReplyDeleteIs The Blue Lotus a racist text? Give your reasons
Answer:
George Remi, known as Herge is know as one of the most controversial comic book authors of the 20th century. He was the creator of the world-loved comic book series The Adventures of Tintin. Tintin and his dog Snowy travelled the world fighting crime and corruption, even though, Tintin is just a journalist. There is some controversy surrounding the series questioning concerns the influence of extreme right-wing ideologies in a series of Tintin comics. The Blue Lotus was created based on events that were taking place in China at the time. Around the 1930s, China was ruled by Japanese and western colonial power and culture . Herge created the Blue lotus to inform the European public about tue oppression suffered by the Chinese under colonial rule, while trying to convey deep messages about the error of stereotypes. Herge’s motivation to depict the ihumanity of colonial oppression in The Blue Lotus is offset by his dehumanizing characterization of the Japanese… ( Japanese bad people, Chinese poor good guys . Herge may have been fully aware of this, but either for publication reasons or out of his sense of urgency at the events in China felt it was more important to support the Chinese by any means possible, regardless of the inconsistencies it may have caused his message.
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete5) In 1934 Herge met Chang, a Chinese art student who was studying in Belgium at the time. Chang taught Herge about Chinese poetry and calligraphy and helped him transform from a simple illustrator to graphic artist. As a result, Herge referred to his artwork as "wind and bones", 'wind' was the poetic inspiration he got for his work and 'bones' refers to the graphic structure.
ReplyDelete2)
ReplyDeleteThree main reasons stood out to me when reading farr 1991 book (tintin, the complete companion) ; in his introduction, he explains that each age group, from young child readers to adults, we all have our own understanding of the text, we all see the same image but interpret it differently. Here are three main reasons, according to Farr on why Tintin appeals to adult readers.
1) adult themes such as real life current and historical events that make it relevant for an adult readers. For example, in the explorers on the moon, Herge mentions the attack on pearl harbour and in blue lotus, the blowing up of the train tracks was based on a real incident ( the Mukden Incident in 1931)
2) political satire, parody, prescience and hidden messages and dark undertones.
3)The self self-generating process, which means the people who start reading Tintin as children eventually grow into adults themselves and keep reading the comic and intern will most likely introduce it to their children too.
Farr, Michael. (1991). Tintin: the complete companion. London: John Murray.