"Little Nemo in Slumberland" dated April 12, 1908:
Transcript of Tweets by @LittleNemo1905 (OCTOBER 5, 2020):
Well, I have very little to say about this strip… Formally uninteresting (5 tiers of single horizontal panels), there are really only a couple of things that stand out to me. - 1/15
First, I think it's interesting that Nemo transforms the prison into a Candy business. This represents a pretty radical (at least for the early 20th century, I think) view of crime and punishment. - 2/15
We know that our current model of the penal system is heavily prejudicial against those who are socially and economically disadvantaged. It isn't surprising that the Shanty Towners don't like the prison; it's possible many of their loved ones have been incarcerated there. - 3/15
We also know that "the social inequality produced by mass incarceration… is cumulative, and… intergenerational" (Western & Pettit, 2010). Knowing this, and the socioeconomic reality they are situated in, it's possible these kids fear that they too will end up in the prison. - 4/15
For more on "Incarceration & Social Inequality", I recommend the following article (quoted in the previous tweet): - 5/15
In this regard, Nemo transforming it into a Candy factory is (potentially) life-changing and one of the first genuinely meaningful things that we've seen him do towards enacting real social change for these Shanty Towners! - 6/15
This should be celebrated and so the rabbits bursting forth from their candy eggs is notable not only because it's Easter time, but also because the cracked eggs shoot up like confetti! Way to go, Nemo! - 7/15
At this point though, the factory has disappeared completely from the background (I wonder if this was a mistake, intentional, or lack of desire to draw the details) and is replaced by a Church in the next panel. - 8/15
I'll note my trepidation about the Churches involvement… we've seen too frequently how damaging overly zealous religious interference can be and Nemo's ushering the Shanty Towners into the doors of a newly wished for church could be seen as an attempt to evangelize them. - 9/15
Now, knowing McCay's history of rebellion and confrontation with institutional religion, I don't believe that was the intended message. That said, it strikes me as so strange that I really want to ask the one question I usually ignore: What *was* his intention? - 10/15
Nemo says, "Let's all go to Church for a change. C'mon! It won't hurt us!" Even, as an individual with his own deep faith, I can't say that I fully agree with this… - 11/15
Churches certainly have hurt people in the past (See Canada's history of Residential School for starters…), but they are also (often) places of community and togetherness… - 12/15
Obviously, Nemo has been raised in a family with a Christian faith (he goes to Sunday school, remember) so maybe this is just a young boys naivety? Prisons = bad; Churches = good? I'm not sure how to read this, but I'm interested to hear what you all think about it. - 13/15
Finally, I'll just note the strong seriality and continuity here as Nemo brings up visiting the young girls sick sister. I wonder if we'll meet her? - 14/15
This is my reading of "Little Nemo in Slumberland" #131. What's yours? - 15/15
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