Critical Literacy in Children's Literature: Bias and Diversity
This paper applies Montano and Gonzalez's framework of critical literacy to four works of children's literature: L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900), Hergé's Tintin in the Congo (1930), Rick Riordan's The Titan's Curse (2007), and J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003). Drawing on the argument that mere inclusion of multicultural texts is insufficient to disrupt systemic bias, the analysis examines each book for evidence of racism, linguicism, sexism, and related stereotypes. The paper concludes that children's literature serves as a foundational vehicle for value construction and worldview formation, making critical literacy an essential practice for teachers, parents, and students alike.
- Introduction: Critical Literacy and Children's Literature: Montano's framework for detecting bias in children's texts
- The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900): Baum's classic largely free of bias
- Tintin in the Congo (1930): Overtly racist colonial-era children's book
- The Titan's Curse (2007): Riordan's Greek mythology series and multiculturalism
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003): Rowling's treatment of race, class, and gender bias
- Conclusion: Critical literacy as essential childhood education practice
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper grounds its analysis in a named theoretical framework — Montano's critical literacy — before applying it consistently across four texts, giving the argument coherence and academic structure.
- The selection of four texts spanning over a century (1900–2007) allows meaningful comparison across historical periods, showing how bias in children's literature has evolved rather than disappeared.
- The paper avoids simply condemning "bad" books; it acknowledges complexity, noting, for example, that Riordan's European mythology can still function as multicultural pedagogy.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates applied textual analysis using an external critical framework. Rather than offering personal opinion, the student filters each book through Gonzalez and Montano's (2008) criteria — racism, linguicism, sexism, and subtle privilege — then produces a judgment grounded in that framework. This technique, known as framework-driven close reading, shows examiners that the student can operationalize theory into interpretive practice.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a theoretical introduction establishing critical literacy as the analytical lens. It then proceeds through four numbered book analyses of roughly equal length, each addressing the same categories of bias (race, gender, language) to allow direct comparison. A brief concluding observation closes each section rather than a separate conclusion paragraph, giving the paper a cumulative argumentative arc. This numbered, parallel structure suits comparative literary analysis at the undergraduate level.
Introduction: Critical Literacy and Children's Literature
Montano urges a rigorous critical examination of children's literature for racism, linguicism, sexism, and bias. The importance of this critical examination is to empower teachers, students, and parents to recognize the root causes of bias, prejudice, and stereotype. The function is not simply to point out obvious instances of racism, linguicism, sexism, and other biases. Moreover, it is not enough to include literature written from multicultural perspectives in classroom syllabi. As Gonzalez and Montano (2008) point out, it is important to recognize bias in all its forms: "The mere inclusion of multicultural literature is not enough to disrupt privilege or injustice. Nor is it enough to ask teachers to deconstruct stereotypes in texts and images if teachers are unaware of the subtle biases that exist therein" (p. 77). Montano calls this process of analysis critical literacy.
The process by which critical literacy can be attained varies, but Montano provides a detailed and organized method of analysis. An analysis of the following four books highlights the ways children's literature can become a vehicle for more extensive media literacy as the child grows. As children's literature sets the foundation for value construction, norm building, and worldview creation, parents and teachers cannot underestimate the importance of critical literacy in childhood.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)
L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) may have become more popular in its film format, but the 1939 movie does not completely overshadow its printed counterpart. The book remains a mainstay on children's literature shelves at home and in school and public libraries, making a critical reading crucial. The book details the magical journey of Dorothy Gale, a simple farm girl from Kansas. Dorothy has been orphaned and is raised by Auntie Em and Uncle Henry. After a brutal tornado strikes Kansas, Dorothy and her faithful dog Toto are transported to an alternative universe in Oz. The bulk of the story takes place in Oz, where Dorothy amasses a band of friends including the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion. Along with Toto, the four friends seek the titular wizard so that each can ask for a special gift. Dorothy's wish is simply to be taken home to Kansas.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz remains relatively free of bias. There are no overt references to racism, sexism, or linguicism. In fact, Dorothy's character presents young female readers with a strong and independent role model — and one that comes from a non-traditional household. The Wicked Witch — Dorothy's main foil and the book's primary antagonist — is green, bearing no resemblance to any real-life human ethnic group. As a female foil, she also highlights the multifaceted means by which human power is obtained and maintained without reference to gender hierarchies. Even though the wizard is male, he bears none of the stereotypes of masculinity. Gender stereotypes are near-absent in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, in spite of its having been written nearly a century ago. For these reasons, Baum's book remains a cornerstone of enlightened children's literature.
Tintin in the Congo (1930)
Another classic of children's literature is nearly the opposite of Baum's book in its overt racist undertones and complete disregard for the impact of colonialism. Tintin in the Congo recently came under scrutiny when the cultural director of Stockholm's Culture House participated in a high-profile media event in which the entire Tintin series was moved from the children's section to the adult shelves in a Swedish bookstore. The reshelving was controversial because it carried the scent of censorship, yet the move drew close attention to the importance of critical literacy. In Tintin in the Congo, the hero travels to Africa with his strikingly white dog named Snowy. The tint of race permeates the book from the outset. When Tintin hires a local Black boy named Coco — an overt reference to his chocolate-colored skin — as a helper, the social stratification and racial hierarchies actively promoted during the colonial era surface unmistakably.
Tintin in the Congo is among the most overtly racist of childhood classics; such a book would not be published today by any serious publishing house. The book plays up stereotypes of African culture without acknowledging the diversity of the continent, and broadly supports the practices and worldviews of colonialism. Gender issues are also apparent, mainly in the complete absence of any female characters. Linguicism is similarly evident in the ways African phrases are rendered as if they are merely magical incantations. Tintin in the Congo certainly deserves to be studied from an adult's standpoint, rather than read to children as an example of reality.
Conclusion
Children's literature sets the foundation for value construction, norm building, and worldview creation. Parents and teachers cannot underestimate the importance of critical literacy in childhood. The four texts examined here — ranging from the relatively bias-free Wizard of Oz to the deeply problematic Tintin in the Congo — illustrate that critical literacy is not a single, uniform practice but a flexible analytical tool that must be applied with sensitivity to context, history, and audience. Whether a book invites praise or critique, the act of reading it carefully and discussing it openly remains the most powerful means of fostering thoughtful, informed young readers.
References
Baum, F. (1900). The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
Gonzalez, R., & Montano, T. (2008). Critical analysis of Chicana/o children's literature: Moving from cultural differences to sociopolitical realities. Journal of Praxis in Multicultural Education, 3(1), Article 6.
Hergé. (1930). Tintin in the Congo.
Riordan, R. (2007). The Titan's Curse.
Rowling, J. K. (2003). Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Bloomsbury.
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