Dr. DoLittle

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The Story of Doctor Dolittle book cover by Hugh Lofting

Dr. DoLitte is a famous children's book from the 1950s. The Story of Dr. Dolittle was written and illustrated by Hugh Lofting. The series of Dr. DoLittle children's novels tells a story about a doctor who is able to communicate. This book has been adapted to movies many times. The first movie adaption was Doctor Dolittle in 1967.

Plot

John Dolittle, MD, is a physician who has the abiltiy to speak with animals. After learning the secret of speaking to all animals from his parrot Polynesia, he becomes a veterinarian. One day, a mysterious call summons him to Africa, where a serious epidemic has spread among the monkey population. The good doctor sets out immediately with some of his best friends — Jip, the dog, and Polynesia, the parrot, among others. Along the way, they’re joined by new acquaintances, including the pushmi-pullyu, a remarkable creature that has a head at both ends of its body.[1]

Controversy

Most of the storyline is innocent in a way that a child reader will be engaged mainly by fantasy elements of animals that can talk to each other and now a human being like themselves. The part that becomes racial is the use of derogatory language and illustrations when referencing black people from the original book.[2] There are versions of the book that had been revised to remove the racial issues from the original book. The 1988 edition, the book of Doctor Dolittle removes all references to skin color: “black man” becomes “man,” and “white man” becomes “man” or “foreign man.” In the original version, the book contains a story where Polynesia tricks Prince Bumpo by preying on his desire to be white, however, in the revised version, the line was changed. Polynesia tricks Prince Bumpo by hypnotizing him.[3]

The first appearance of Prince Bumpo in the book was described in a very racist description;

"The Doctor had no sooner gone below to stow away his note-books than another visitor appeared upon the gang-plank. This was a most extraordinary-looking black man. The only other negroes I had seen had been in circuses, where they wore feathers and bone necklaces and things like that. But this one was dressed in a fashionable frock coat with an enormous bright red cravat. On his head was a straw hat with a gay band; and over this he held a large green umbrella. He was very smart in every respect except his feet. He wore no shoes or socks."

Which was later revised to

"The Doctor had no sooner gone below to stow away his note-books than another visitor appeared upon the gang-plank. This was a black man, very fashionably dressed." (p. 128)

The portrayal of Price Bumpo in the original book of Doctor Dolittle

In dialogue with Dr. Dolittle, Prince Bumpo states that he is not happy because he does not have white skin, asking Dr. Dolittle to help him with his "problem".

"White Man, I am an unhappy prince. Years ago I went in search of The Sleeping Beauty, whom I had read of in a book. And having traveled through the world many days, I at last found her and kissed the lady very gently to awaken her—as the book said I should. ’Tis true indeed that she awoke. But when she saw my face she cried out, ‘Oh, he’s black!’ And she ran away and wouldn’t marry me—but went to sleep again somewhere else. So I came back, full of sadness, to my father’s kingdom. Now I hear that you are a wonderful magician and have many powerful potions. So I come to you for help. If you will turn me white, so that I may go back to The Sleeping Beauty, I will give you half my kingdom and anything besides you ask."

Later on, the doctor agrees to help an African prince who wants to marry a Caucasian princess by bleaching his skin.

"When he came back and said that it was done, the Doctor asked Dab-Dab to bring a basin. Then he mixed a lot of medicines in the basin and told Bumpo to dip his face in it.

The Prince leaned down and put his face in—right up to the ears.

He held it there a long time—so long that the Doctor seemed to get dreadfully anxious and fidgety, standing first on one leg and then on the other, looking at all the bottles he had used for the mixture, and reading the labels on them again and again. A strong smell filled the prison, like the smell of brown paper burning.

At last, the Prince lifted his face up out of the basin, breathing very hard. And all the animals cried out in surprise.

For the Prince’s face had turned as white as snow, and his eyes, which had been mud-colored, were a manly gray!"

Christopher Lofting, the son of Hugh Lofting explains why the changes were made in the 1988 reprinting of the book:

"When it was decided to reissue the Doctor Dolittle books, we were faced with a challenging opportunity and decision. In some of the books, there were certain incidents depicted that, in light of today's sensitivities, were considered by some to be disrespectful to ethnic minorities and, therefore, perhaps inappropriate for today's young reader. In these centenary editions, this issue is addressed. . . . After much soul-searching the consensus was that changes should be made. The deciding factor was the strong belief that the author himself would have immediately approved of making the alterations. Hugh Lofting would have been appalled at the suggestion that any part of his work could give offense and would have been the first to have made the changes himself. In any case, the alterations are minor enough not to interfere with the style and spirit of the original."[4]

References