The final line made me think that yes, Mimio is better than any human. He/she could be considered to have some of the best qualities that humanity can provide to the world especially selflessness. What is interesting and profound is that Tezuka did not specifically assign a gender for Mimio (there was once or twice "he" was used to refer to Mimio). He also had Mimio disguise himself/herself as a human girl and a human boy. These points show that it does not matter if you're a boy, a girl, or something not "human" because it demonstrates that one's choices are what make one who they are.
The use of simple, cartoonish style for the characters and realistic imagery for the backgrounds are similar to Tintin. However, the contrast between simplicity and realism not only help bring the audience into the story but also emphasizes the realization in the story that human beings are not all that good even though we are the dominant species. We can relate this to colonialism, slavery, stereotyping and other forms of discrimination where a group believes that they are superior to others. Sometimes simplicity is best to explain an important point because it creates an engaging, fun, easy-going environment that leads to a larger impact at the end after realizing what just occurred.
What about the Underground Men - do you think that they could also be an extension of what Mimio represents?
What about the Underground Men - do you think that they could also be an extension of what Mimio represents?
While I agree with most of what you're saying, various characters throughout the book refer to Mimio as he/him around 15 times when he's not disguised. I still think that him disguising himself as both genders helps to hammer home the point that gender doesn't affect your status as human, but it's worth noting that Tezuka frequently refers to Mimio with male pronouns.
ReplyDeleteI thought this parting line was a very interesting way to end the book, and combined with the confusion around Mimio's gender, I feel like it is indicative of Tezuka's refusal to give Mimio human status. "Greater than" does not provide Mimio with the equivalency to humanity that he so desperately craves. It drives home the hearbreak that is Mimio's dream-even when he, above both of his human companions- saves humanity from termite invasion.
ReplyDeleteI think the point about gender is interesting, but I also think it is worth noting that the book could also be viewed as a sexist portrayal of women. The vast majority of the characters, including all of the protagonists, are male. The only female (at least that I can remember) in the entire story, the Queen, is the primary villain. While Mimio does disguise himself as a girl for a large portion of the story, it could be argued that, since he is actually male, the only real representation of the female gender is the queen, who is ultimately defeated by a male character. That said, another argument on the side of gender not mattering is that Mimio is treated no differently than the other characters when disguised as a girl.
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