Racism In Childrens Books Essay, Research Paper

Children are susceptible to symbolism portrayed in literature. H.A. Rey is a clever man, who guilefully has incited prejudice views for nearly six decades, through his works of children s literature. The authors tales prevail in stores and in classrooms propagating throughout the world in disguise of a curious monkey. We must bring a stop to the folly of this collection of literature… Ending the frolics and diableries of this devious rascal. I am not referring to the monkey. My comments pertain to H.A. Rey and his monkey tricks of symbolism. You may find the following evidence simple coincidences. I think not. In Rey s first volume of Curious George we ascertain the first instance

between the collection s preeminent monkey, Mr. Curious George, and the man with the yellow hat. George is gay and peaceful in the jungles of Africa, until the man with the yellow hat decides that he wants the monkey for his own pleasure. The man with the yellow hat devises a trap to trick the monkey into a potato sack. Succeeding in doing so, the man slings the bagged chimp over his shoulder and embarks onto a boat, home to America. I recall a lesson in Global Studies about, say, a few thousand Africans who were captured and shipped to America against their own will. The monkey symbolizes an African man… and the man with the yellow hat portrays the slave traders. The white man, (i.e.: man with the yellow hat) had to disrupt tribal order and create havoc all over the coastal areas of Africa. Those captives were happy in Africa, with their own isolated civilizations. The author establishes the man with the yellow hat as the godsend through all of this, ignoring the fact that the man with the yellow hat is a drossy larcenist. The monkey makes a desperate attempt to escape by plunging out into the waters and trying to swim away from the boat. Those quick and crafty sailors rope that monkey back onto the ship before George could even see the shore. George arrives in America and is indentured to the man with the yellow hat. Tis the dawning of a new rapscallion, as the curious monkey ventures out-inciting riots and running amuck through the streets of this once irenic settlement. The curious monkey is imprisoned. That clever fellow enshrouds a way to bail out and continue his frolics and rampage of destruction. Alas, the man with the yellow hat attains control over the menace and puts him in his rightful place… the City Zoo. Rey is illustrating the monkey (aka: the black man) as a menace to society. The City Zoo is equivalent to the hood. (A phrase from the ebonics language meaning: da place where you live if yo is down with the g-funk.)

Rey obviously has strong feelings about the rightful place in which all Africans stand… and his perspective is very controversial in a world where everyone should be issued equal rights and respect. In a desperate attempt to spread his beliefs he has aimed his spiteful arrows at today s youth… and we allow this man s tales and taunts of a frolicking chimp to thrive and prosper on our bookshelves and in the hands of our developing future generations. A discriminating nation cannot be a productive nation. We cannot condemn minorities, forcing them back into the cycle of the hoodlums.

They shall not rattle and roar at the Zoo s bars anymore. H.A. Rey is devious fellow. As a country we need to take a stand against such tricksters of the pen.