Ask a Librarian

Threre are lots of ways to contact a librarian. Choose what works best for you.

HOURS TODAY

10:00 am - 3:00 pm

Reference Desk

CONTACT US BY PHONE

(802) 656-2022

Voice

(802) 503-1703

Text

MAKE AN APPOINTMENT OR EMAIL A QUESTION

Schedule an Appointment

Meet with a librarian or subject specialist for in-depth help.

Email a Librarian

Submit a question for reply by e-mail.

WANT TO TALK TO SOMEONE RIGHT AWAY?

Library Hours for Tuesday, March 19th

All of the hours for today can be found below. We look forward to seeing you in the library.
HOURS TODAY
8:00 am - 12:00 am
MAIN LIBRARY

SEE ALL LIBRARY HOURS
WITHIN HOWE LIBRARY

MapsM-Th by appointment, email govdocs@uvm.edu

Media Services8:00 am - 7:00 pm

Reference Desk10:00 am - 3:00 pm

OTHER DEPARTMENTS

Special Collections10:00 am - 6:00 pm

Dana Health Sciences Library7:30 am - 11:00 pm

 

CATQuest

Search the UVM Libraries' collections

UVM Theses and Dissertations

Browse by Department
Format:
Online
Author:
Roper, Matthew J.
Dept./Program:
History
Year:
2008
Degree:
MA
Abstract:
Academics have raised questions concerning racial imaging in the popular children's book Curious George. Many of these scholars utilize symbolism to warn readers of hidden messages in the book that negatively affect black children. One of the most prominent images includes the capture of an African monkey by a white man, which academics believe reflects American slave history. These arguments, however, fail to address three important issues this research project emphasizes to properly reinterpret an image. First, one must properly outline a historically racist image such as the American Sambo in order to determine who created the image, what messages are being portrayed by it, and why these messages are important to the image's creator and audience. Following the outline of a racial image, the next step is to view the rise and fall of another popular children's book in order to determine how society interprets books over time. The rise in popularity to the outright banning of Helen Bannerman's The Story of Little Black Sambo in the twentieth century fits this requirement because an extensive academic and social archive detailing the book's racial debate exists in newspaper articles, editorials, and academic journals. Lastly, this project examines personal and business correspondence of Curious George's authors, Margret and Hans Rey, and re-interprets the Curious George stories as a mirror of the Reys' immigration history.