A way popular ideas and attitudes are spread in society is through popular culture, such as works of literature. Thus, Tintin in the Congo reveals the popular attitudes and colonialist ideologies that aided in furthering and reinforcing European, but specifically Belgian, colonialism in Africa. The colonization of Africa can be considered to be the paragon of modern imperialism as it perfectly represents an “imposition of a completely external power over people marked as primitive” (Burbank and Cooper 312). Burbank and Cooper further highlight the importance of the role racial divisions, particularly between blacks and whites, played in the maintenance of systems of power within modern imperialism by stating: “The nineteenth century is often seen as the time when empires’ politics of difference took a crucial turn, when race came to be a key, if not the key, division among humankind, a harsh white-black dichotomy replacing less categorical, more relational forms of hierarchy and inequality, a set of practices reinforced by ‘scientific’ arguments that races were distinct and unequal” (325). During this period of European colonization of Africa, colonialist ideology became much more racially charged and included more racist discourse in regards to African colonies.

The popular rhetoric surrounding the colonization of Africa included this kind of patronizing reference to Africans as being “primitive” and “uncivilized” and involved the use of harsh words such as “barbarian” and “savage.” Europeans, and specifically Belgians, viewed their colonial efforts in Africa to be philanthropic and altruistic; it was their responsibility to essentially “civilize” these “inferior” Africans: “…Europeans liked to think of themselves as having higher motives. The British, in particular, fervently believed in bringing “civilisation” and Christianity to the natives; they were curious about what lay in the continent’s unknown interior; and they were filled with righteousness about combating slavery” (Hochschild 29-30). The use of this kind of humanitarian mindset, which was especially present in King Leopold’s Belgium, was a way for Europeans and Belgians to justify African conquest and rule. As Hochschild states, the idea of civilization and civilizing Africans also manifested itself in the form of establishing Christian missionaries. Tintin in the Congo includes a subtle reference to this occurring in Africa during European rule. On page 36 of the comic, Tintin arrives at the Mission where a pastor describes all the institutions they have established such as a school, farm, hospital, etc. The virtuosity of a Mission in Africa is further emphasized with the depiction of a school; Europeans are providing education to the apparently “uneducated” Africans. The pastor also states, “When we arrived here a year ago this was all bush,” implying they have civilized this small part of Africa through their settlement. Snowy even comments, “Missionaries are the tops” at one point. In sum, the comic presents the establishment of missionaries in Africa in a positive light while ignoring the violence and death that come with European and Belgian colonization.

In the comic, Herge creates stereotypical and racist caricatures of African tribesman by portraying them with dark skin, big lips, and with the likeness of apes as can be seen on pages 18 and 30. The image of an actual ape on page 18 is similar to the image of the African tribesman on page 30 in terms of their skin tones, mouth shapes, ears, and even body language. The chief of the “M’Hatuvu” tribe jumps up in anger, much like the way apes stereotypically do. Herge may not have purposefully or even maliciously intended the physical similarities between the ape and the African tribesmen, but this imagery does reveal the unconscious racism and innate prejudice prevailing European society. This is directly connected to the fact that Europeans viewed Africans as being inferior and equated them to animals: “To Europeans, Africans were inferior beings: lazy, uncivilized, little better than animals. In fact, the most common way they were put to work was, like animals, as beasts of burden. In any system of terror, the functionaries must first of all see the victims as less than human, and Victorian ideas about race provided such a foundation” (Hochschild 95). While popular opinion may not have been as overt in its racism against Africans, the ideology was still prevalent in the back of their minds as the comic shows.

Tintin in the Congo is a comic that is representative of its time in that it reveals the prevalent colonialist ideology of its time period, which was significantly racialized and involved a reliance on beliefs of white supremacy. These beliefs of racial and social superiority were means used to further justify European conquest and rule in Africa and other African colonial projects, such as King Leopold’s exploitation of the Congo for his own private ventures. Comics and other forms of literature and popular culture during this time contributed to this new type of racially charged colonialist ideology that solidified European rule in Africa.