"Little Nemo in Slumberland" dated September 02, 1906:
Transcript of Tweets by @LittleNemo1905 (JULY 13, 2020):
This strip is the final of the three Rose Water ocean series and really emphasizes the hierarchal separation in status between Nemo and Flip. - 1/17
While the mermaids are immediately eager to serve at Nemo's command, every character in this strip is ready to laugh at and treat Flip poorly. - 2/17
Sure, it could be argued that he brings it on himself with his behaviour, but it really just seems as though he wants in on the fun now; if they would include him, would his acting out subside? I think it might... - 3/17
Look at Flip's behaviour in panels 2-5. He's not causing trouble, he's just enjoying the moment. He chats with the mermaids and asks the Princess, "what are we going to do now?", simply happy to just be included! - 4/17
I can easily see a different ending where the trio sits on the beach watching the circus and laughing together… but alas, the ethnic exclusion (Flip's "Irish-ness") continues to fuel his ostracism, positioning him snuggly in the bottom peg of Slumberland's social ladder. - 5/17
Nemo though, seems the only character of the bunch who doesn't want to laugh at or hurt Flip. His pleading in panel 1 is for the mermaids to give him a tail so that he might not drown under the water…- 6/17
…which, unbeknownst to Nemo, actually sets off the gag of this strip. - 7/17
Nemo doesn't mean to cause an inconvenience to Flip, he just doesn't want any harm to come to him… it's the mermaids (on orders from the Princess?) who elect not to change him back at the end. - 8/17
Since he ends up on the beach shaking his fists at Nemo and the Princess as they scurry away from the beach, it makes sense that Flip would think Nemo perpetrated his transformation on purpose to trick him! - 9/17
From Flip's eyes this could be seen as immensely cruel; Nemo and the Princess include him (momentarily) only long enough to, once again, kick him to the curb. It's a clever narrative dissonance, but we, as readers, know better! - 10/17
In fact, for me, this strip acts to foreshadow the consciousness that Nemo will soon develop about his power and privilege in Slumberland. - 11/17
Thus far, we've been passive witnesses to this privilege, and Nemo has unknowingly benefitted greatly from it. But here, I see in Nemo's facial/gestural reactions a sort of "coming to recognition" about what exactly he can accomplish with this privilege that he has. - 12/17
Even if his intentions are twisted here and Flip is (unintentionally) hurt by it, this strip is one of the first times that Nemo actually weaponizes his privilege in order to benefit someone other than himself. - 13/17
It's certainly one of the only ones (so far) that I can remember where Nemo commands something of a Slumberlandian to help someone else; sure, it's still out of fear, but it's fear that Flip (not himself) will be harmed. - 14/17
In a couple of months, Nemo will need to again weaponize this privilege in a much more pivotal life-or-death situation and I see this act as preparing us for that moment. - 15/17
This is the Nemo that I really like to see (kind, empathetic, caring, genuine) and I am very excited to see his character continue to evolve! - 16/17
This is my reading of "Little Nemo in Slumberland" #47. What's yours? - 17/17
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