Nazia Week 1

How might Hergé's The Blue Lotus address or relate to what Said (1977) terms 'orientalism'?


The idea of “Orientalism” in the view of Said (1977) is an idea constructed by the West. It romanticises the reality, depicting it as a place of “...exotic beings, haunting memories and landscapes...” (p.87), created as a polarization to Western culture and viewed as the “Other”. Said has stated “European culture gained in strength and identity by settling itself off against the Orient as a sort of surrogate and even underground self”, he goes on to say that the idea of “other” is a relationship of power and domination on part of the West. Herge’s Blue Lotus addresses these issues. This particular work is a progression from his previous works which were viewed as racist (for example Tintin in the Congo).

In the Blue Lotus there is a particular scene in which Herge directly addresses this idea of “Orientalism”. This scene is where Tintin saves Chang from the river and a conversation follows about the various stereotypes that both cultures have of one another. As Said has stated in his text, the “Orient” is more than a political notion, it was created to make easier to understand a culture that was foreign to the West. I think this is relevant to The Blue Lotus because it is evident that Herge has tried to remedy this idea by making sure that he has correctly portrayed aspects of the Chinese culture, for example in case of the street signs, clothing, the landscape, the people, etc through the aid of his friend Chang Chong-chen. However, there are still small mistakes, such as the costumes worn my Thompson and Thompson which is something usually worn by an emporer. This is a contrast to what Herge had done with Tintin in the Congo, where the African features were exaggerated.


References

Said, E. (1977) Orientalism. In Ashcroft, B. Griffiths, G. & Tiffin, H. (Ed.), The Postcolonial Studies Reader (pp.87-91). London: Routledge.