JOIN USEnid Blyton's work called out as 'racist, xenophobic'; Twitter reacts
Famous children's author Enid Mary Blyton, who has written more than 700 books and 4,500 stories, is in the news after a UK-based charity pointed out that there was “racism” and “xenophobia” in her works.
On June 17, English Heritage wrote on its website, "Blyton's work has been criticised during her lifetime and after for its racism, xenophobia and lack of literary merit”. To back its claims, the website also cites a 1966 report by The Guardian newspaper that mentioned Blyton's book The Little Black Doll (1966), in which a character named ‘Sambo’ in the story is accepted by his owner only when its "ugly black face" is washed "clean" by the rain.
The website aims to make revisions in Blyton’s stories "to provide a fuller picture of each person's life, including aspects that people may find troubling".
Calling the work of one of the most cherished children’s authors problematic, the news sparked a debate on social media on the role of art versus the artist.
While some loyal fans said that it was inappropriate to criticise stories written in a different time period, others want the stories to be revised as it could hurt the feelings of various communities.
Enid Blyton hasn't been cancelled. No one is coming to take your books away. You can continue to read these 'classics' to your heart's content while we get to acknowledge that maybe there are some problems here... https://t.co/tCkl3aVAdV
— Christian K Hughes (@hughesck) June 17, 2021
Now Enid Blyton’s work is being termed as ‘xenophobic’ & is said to ‘lack literary merit’.Like millions of readers whose imagination was fuelled by her books,there goes my childhood I guess.The world is a cruel place but the faraway tree & Malory towers had nothing to do with it.
— Pooja Bhatt (@PoojaB1972) June 17, 2021
Enid Blyton was a terrible person.
— Jacques (@JacquesOATrades) June 17, 2021
Sambo in The Little Black Doll, is a doll who’s hated because of his “ugly black face” who gets washed pink by rain.
In The Three G*ll*w*gs, the main characters are G*lly, W*ggie & N****r.
Her black characters are always exclusively criminals pic.twitter.com/0VvpWoknWD
It is not the first time the author of stories like Noddy, The Five Find-Outers, and Famous Five has faced criticism. In 2019, the Royal Mint of the UK terminated the decision to commemorate Blyton on a 50-pence coin, citing the author’s "racist, sexist and homophobic views" as the reason.
Another English author, JK Rowling, best known for her Harry Potter books, was criticised for her transphobic comments in 2020. While fans of her books supported her and her right to express herself, many transgender activists and allies found the comments hurtful.
The incident gave rise to a huge 'art vs artist' debate on social media between users across the world.
In the latest Blyton controversy, many fans are taking to social media to share why they still value her books.
Of course Enid Blyton's stuff had racist overtones. So what? Point it out. Discuss it. But don't "cancel" it. We shouldn't sanitise the past. We should learn from it. And enjoy the good things in it.
— Ramesh Srivats (@rameshsrivats) June 18, 2021
The curious thing about ‘culture wars’ is that people are suddenly furious about things that have been said for decades, as if it’s news.
— James Wong (@Botanygeek) June 17, 2021
I learned about slavery from signs in botanic gardens as a kid, for example.
Could it be it’s the fury that matters, not the actual issues?
you can love enid blyton books and acknowledge that they're problematic it's okay nothing is perfect life goes on
— Shreemi Verma (@shreemiverma) June 18, 2021