Should we burn babar?
The stories of Babar were written during a time when the French were colonizing Africa. While there might not have been any direct links to racism, there were definitely some symbolic representations of it, after all we are talking about Africa and Europe in the 1930s. As a child reading Babar books I did not notice the racist contents in the stories. However, as an adult reading the books I did notice some oppression and assimilation in the text. Kohl stresses the importance of power. He also suggests that in Babar the power lies within the people and not in the animals (Kohl 5). So does Babar's mother's death, at the hands of a hunter, show the power that the people had over the animals? Could it be that the mother's death represents death to Africa? Could Babar's running away to the city represent a rebirth of a new Africa, with the French in control? Or did it represent assimilation? How about the rich old lady, does she represent oppression in a classist society? After all she did take Babar in clothed him, educated him and furnished him with material things. Picture this, France sends in their me
Not only Babar has lost his identity, but the old lady oppresses him, by making Babar depend on her for money. He had no choice in the matter, if he did not become like the dominant group he would have been killed, just like his mother. So, should we burn Babar? I say no. Maybe Babar's stories are a way of sugar-coating what France was doing at that time in Africa. It creates an illusion that money can by love and happiness, and it would certainly make children expect something for nothing. Babar is apart of children's literary history. I think that there are a lot more other negative influences we as parents have to worry about other than what was printed in some books 74 years ago. Please do not throw them out just because it might be something in there that you do not agree with. Was de Brunhoff ashamed of his country for doing this? Maybe that is why the hunter is faceless in the book? Babar, being just a child, is all alone with no guidance. I guess that could mess up a child. According to Kohl, the rich old lady's money creates a power over Babar (Kohl 7). So we should expect some things in those books to be offensive to some. She showers him with gifts, educates him, and then she exploits him to all her friends. I would think that we as civilized adults can get over it. Now after reading all that it may sound strange, but imagine how I feel when I read articles by adults whose job it is to criticize and critique children's books.
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Acceptance Essays
