Revisiting Curious George was shocking and horrifying. When I had originally decided to examine the childhood classic, I was surprised by the story’s upfront and unapologetic allusion to the transatlantic slave trade. This had not come to mind when I, or the many others I talked to, thought of the inquisitive, silly monkey with his friend, The Man with the Yellow Hat. However, this made sense when understood as a common symptom of systematic racism—we are conditioned to uphold societal norms while our ideas about the world are malleable. Witnessing the power dynamics between the socially-deemed “subordinate” and “dominant” in a positive manner primes us to accept and understand oppression as normal and healthy. Because of the story’s relation to race, the unwavering loyalty of a captive from Africa to a profit-seeking white male proves particularly disturbing. What had scared me most as I wrote about the series was that I had never once as a child thought to question if George and The Man’s relationship was wrong, much less why it was, and those who had encouraged me to read about this curious monkey had not either. Although it is appalling to think of the gruesome, racist writings that were once popular, it is more difficult to realize that in a society so many consider “post-racial,” we continue to let children’s literature with such blatantly positive references to slavery and racism slip through the cracks.
This paper is a way for me to help myself and others process how our ideas regarding childhood and innocence as well as how our ability to ignore racism as a society has allowed Curious George to remain so popular; it is still considered a beloved classic while it maintains its association with a culture of oppression and a systematic hatred of black people. It is a way for me to explain how all these years later, this monkey transforms from a carefree, hilarious character to a victim of the oppression and dehumanization all people of color still face nearly 75 years later.
MAYA TERHUNE is a sophomore in Boston University’s College of Arts and Sciences intending to major in public policy and education. She was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY with three cats, the best bagels, and not a whole lot of space. She’d like to give a special thanks to Dr. Anna Panszczyk and Professor Michael Degener for their encouragement, guidance, and critique in helping her develop her writing in this past year. Additionally, she profusely thanks Elena Terhune, Nina Terhune, and Anna Schierenbeck for their continued support, ever-generous nights of editing and advice, and own writings and ideas which have inspired her to become a better writer and a better person.