Tintin Forums

Hey, so I'm studying Geography at university and interested in imaginary geographies, such as how things are represented. Whilst there's a lot of work on nation-making and 'othering' in Tintin (i.e. how cultures are represented) I'm looking for literature on how nature is depicted.

Any recommended articles or books would be very much appreciated, thanks.

What exactly do you mean by that? Are you looking for material on how Herge depicted the countryside and animals?

Yeah those could be included, essentially I'm looking for backup to support an idea, for example, that Hergé represents nature in 'Tintin in the Congo' from a Capitalist perspective where nature is viewed as a means for exploitation through the hunting of animals etc. Does that make sense?

"Tintin: The Complete Companion" by Michael Farr would be a good place to start. It did open my eyes to the social and political aspects of the stories which, until then, I had considered as being about just humour and adventure. Pages 22-23 of the book dwell on the issue of hunting in "Congo" and how Tintin's encounter with a rhino was changed in non-French editions.

Farr had access to Herge's archives and thus goes into detail about how he did his research and how his stories were influenced by events he heard about or even witnessed.

Other examples include how gangsters in "Congo" are exploiting the local diamond trade; or how in "America" the Indians are forced off their land in order to make way for oil exploitation and a city. Oil exploitation is also raised in "Broken Ear" and "Land of Black Gold" in which competing oil companies literally fuel the conflict between local opposing rulers.

In "Picaros", when the drunken Arumbaya natives strip Calculus, the professor remarks: "Dipsomaniacs!... That's what 'civilisation' has done for those 'savages'." Apparently that was Herge's reaction when he saw Sioux Indians abusing alcohol in South Dakota.

read the books carefully, then write the paper and post it here, please...

To find the right theoretical model to view your ideas against, consult your professor. (S)he will know what (s)he likes, and choosing the the method, literature to use and font size according to your professor's liking is the best bet for good grades as far as I can recall.

Not much help I'm afraid, but maybe the better approach here would be first to have the theory, and then we'll try and help you find the suitable examples.