Someone in class brought up the point that because of Tintin's childlike appearance it seems necessary that scenes of violence against him be sillouetted. However, scenes where Tintin is commiting some violent act on someone else are left depicted in the book. This comes from the idea that violence against a child is a particularly despicable act that cannot be shown. So in many cases when Tintin is put in danger or is being attacked, the comic leaves it to the reader to imagine the violence. This ties into Hergé's problematic depiction of Native Americans in "Tintin in America".
From the first few panels where they are introduced, the Native American characters are protrayed stereotypically. These characters talk with poor grammar, they are always fighting, and they are easily tricked. However, one panel in particular caught my attention as I was rereading this passage. On page 24, Hergé depicts Big Chief Keen-eyed Mole slapping a Native American child with the colored stars. While he is unable to depict violence against the childlike Tintin, Hergé is okay with depicting a Native American child being slapped. This doesn't necessarily mean that Hergé that sees Native Americans as lesser, but rather his view of how Native Americans are violent people. Hergé may have not intentionally created this panel to show a particular stereotype. However, when it is viewed in comparison to how he treats Tintin through out the story, this racial stereotype becomes more apparent.
I definitely agree with the accentuation this contrast elicits. In my post I talked about how from Tintin in America and Cigars of the Pharaoh to the Blue Lotus, it is clear that Hergé changed his approach to dealing with these cultural and social issues. I wonder what prompted his dramatic change. I am also extremely impressed/interested by how despite the more political correctness in The Blue Lotus (not to say there is much more of it, but comparatively there is), Hergé is able to maintain this pride/superior Western European image whilst treating foreigners with respect and shaming cultural negligence and prejudice.
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