Readathon 20/04/20 - Mystery of the Strange Messages

[Anita Bensoussane]

In the Island of Adventure they have also removed certain descriptions of Jo describing him as black, not sure what as I have an original version. That is more acceptable to remove these phrases as I can see they would be offensive. But I think you have to read them in their original context...

This is a bit of a digression from The Mystery of the Strange Messages but I just wanted to say that the alteration of the character of Jo-Jo is problematic. It's true that the original text referred repeatedly to his black skin as though his colour was a major issue, and that there were stereotyped descriptions of his "rolling eyes". However, many young readers now assume the character (renamed Joe and with all indicators of skin colour removed) to be white, meaning that a black character has been lost from the Blyton canon. The renaming may have been done with the best of intentions but it's actually offensive as the editors are criticising and dismissing a genuine name which has important associations in certain cultures, as shown in the following discussion which I've copied and pasted from an old thread:

I have a 2010 Macmillan of The Island Of Adventure, and this is the first time I'm realizing that Jo-Jo was originally portrayed as a Black man. In my edition, which is very recent, you'd never know he was black. They've absolutely removed all the references. And he's called Joe of course. I could maybe understand why they've made him a white guy, but why change Jo-Jo to Joe?

I'm assuming they must have thought "Jo-Jo" sounded too much like pidgin English — the kind of slightly childish name that might have been given to a black servant (or slave) by a white master.

According to the links below, Jojo is a genuine name of African origin meaning "Monday born". In Ghana in particular, it's common for babies to be given a "day name" corresponding to the day of the week on which they were born, and these day names "have further meanings concerning the soul and character of the person":

http://www.thenamemeaning.com/jojo/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghanaian_name" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Editing older texts is a minefield!

[Irene Malory Towers]

Yes good point Anita, they could have removed the reference of "rolling eyes" which certainly isn't very nice and left the rest in. But they are tame compared to what Agatha Christie wrote when she refers to Jews, Black people, gays etc. Some of it is really quite offensive, and I have to say that I skip over these parts quickly and get onto the Whodunnit. I seem to remember in one of Enid Blyton's stories for younger children about toys that there were mentions of gollywogs. I don't have these books now, but I wonder how the new versions deal with that ?

[Anita Bensoussane]

From about the late 1980s, publishers started replacing gollies with teddies, monkeys, pixies, etc.

[Irene Malory Towers]

I am pleased.

[Anita Bensoussane]

The forums have been so busy that I'd forgotten I still had one or two things to say about The Mystery of the Strange Messages. We've already talked about Ern and Goon being of a lower social class than the Find-Outers, but there are a couple of other quite interesting things relating to social class too.

I've noticed that Enid herself as narrator sometimes uses the word "cheap" when describing things associated with working-class people or criminals, e.g. "cheap sweets" in one of her short stories - and I seem to remember "cheap notepaper" somewhere. In this book the messages are sent in "cheap envelopes", probably of the kind I use myself!

Are Enid Blyton's descriptions of middle-class afternoon teas somewhat exaggerated, I wonder? They seem absolutely laden with sweet stuff, though if the children didn't generally eat between meals and their meals were otherwise healthy, maybe they could cope okay with a sugar overload each afternoon! When the Find-Outers and Ern go to the tea-shop one day, Fatty says, "I vote for scones and honey to begin with, macaroons to follow, and either éclairs or meringues after that, with ice-creams to end with." Crumbs (literally!) It does sound fabulous though!

The next point relates to changing fashions rather than social class, but I noticed that Fatty and the others consider Fairlin Hall to be "an ugly old place" with its "great pillars at the front door - and those heavy stone balconies." Minimalism became popular in the 1950s (The Mystery of the Strange Messages was published in 1957) but I can't help thinking that pillars and stone balconies are just right for a large, imposing residence like Fairlin Hall.

Incidentally, this is one of the books that mentions Buckinghamshire villages, when the Find-Outers discuss whether The Ivies might be in Marlow, Maidenhead or Taplow rather than Peterswood.

[Lucky Star]

The next point relates to changing fashions rather than social class, but I noticed that Fatty and the others consider Fairlin Hall to be "an ugly old place" with its "great pillars at the front door - and those heavy stone balconies." Minimalism became popular in the 1950s (The Mystery of the Strange Messages was published in 1957) but I can't help thinking that pillars and stone balconies are just right for a large, imposing residence like Fairlin Hall.

Nowadays such features are seen as desirable. They would probably be called Period Features and push up the price of a house. So yes definitely a case of changing fashions. Mind you many such big old houses have probably long since been converted into flats.

Are Enid Blyton's descriptions of middle-class afternoon teas somewhat exaggerated, I wonder? They seem absolutely laden with sweet stuff, though if the children didn't generally eat between meals and their meals were otherwise healthy, maybe they could cope okay with a sugar overload each afternoon! When the Find-Outers and Ern go to the tea-shop one day, Fatty says, "I vote for scones and honey to begin with, macaroons to follow, and either éclairs or meringues after that, with ice-creams to end with." Crumbs (literally!) It does sound fabulous though!

On my recent re-read of the series I have never ceased to be amazed by the amount that the Find-Outers eat. From my memory it seems to be even more than the Famous Five! They seem to go into that Dairy between almost every meal and eat their own body weight in cakes and macaroons. In one book we are told that the woman in the dairy always looks after them very well because they are very good customers. Some of the best in the village I should imagine. Even though Mr Goon's weight is always referred to as a characteristic it seems that he is relatively restrained. On his few visits to the dairy he usually just has tea and a single bun.

[Irene Malory Towers]

I love their cream teas. Fatty really knows how to eat. I wish I had been one of his friends. And him paying for it all, or most of it too. Yes they are a bit unrealistic but I feel they add to the overall jollity of that group. Some of the sandwiches that Enid write about sound horrible though, the sardine ones, ugh. I can't bear sardines, so slimy. And very sadly for me as I am such an Enid Blyton fan I don't like ginger so I don't like ginger beer.

[Boatbuilder]

I wonder if Fatty developed diabetes later in life.

[Irene Malory Towers]

Just reading out loud the Mystery of the Strange Bundle to my daughter. When Fatty disguises himself as his own visitor his mother calls out rather alarmed "Where's Fatty" ? ". Apart from one or two books - is the Strange Messages she does not normally refer to him as Fatty but Frederick.
Yes he might develop diabetes. Also I hadn't noticed but another reader pointed out that at the top of each page is a small illustration of the five and dog, and Fatty looks enormous compared to the others. It is really funny.

[Wolfgang]

I wonder if Fatty developed diabetes later in life.

I suppose Elizabeth would have stepped in in time before this could happen.

[Lucky Star]

When Fatty disguises himself as his own visitor his mother calls out rather alarmed "Where's Fatty" ? ". Apart from one or two books - is the Strange Messages she does not normally refer to him as Fatty but Frederick.

I have just re-read the whole series and actually she calls him Fatty in at least half of the books. In one book (can't remember which) she does it twice! Mrs Hilton refers to him as Fatty as well once or twice. I don't know whether Enid thought this acceptable or whether she was just so used to writing Fatty that she forgot but it was amazing to me how many times his own mother called him by that name!

[Anita Bensoussane]

That's interesting, John (Lucky Star). I hadn't realised it happened so frequently. Even so, I can't help thinking that it wasn't intended as I really can't imagine Mrs. Trotteville choosing to use her son's nickname!

[Boatbuilder]

You have to remember that his nickname was derived from his name's initials so maybe using the name Fatty wasn't seen as being offensive towards him in any way, despite him being a little on the large side. So maybe even the adults saw the humorous side of it as well and used it occasionally as a term of endearment.

[Anita Bensoussane]

Mrs. Trotteville just doesn't seem the type to have used it though - she's too "proper".

[Boatbuilder]

Well, obviously she wasn't, as she did use it, which goes to show you never really know people like you think you do.