Political messages of Dr. Seuss

“What some may not know is that despite his popular image as a kindly cartoonist for kids, Theodor Geisel, writing under the pen name "Dr. Seuss," was also a progressive and a moralist whose views suffuse his books. Some of his books use ridicule, satire, wordplay, nonsense words, and wild drawings to take aim at bullies, hypocrites, and demagogues." Geisel showed his political ideas in books such as: The Lorax, Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now, The Cat in the Hat, Horton Hears a Who, Yurtle the Turtle, The Sneetches, and The Butter Battle Book. Geisel also had a career in making political cartoons.^[1]

Political Cartoons

Theodore Geisel, or Dr. Seuss, drew over 400 cartoons for the New York newspaper PM. This was during the two years that he was the chief editorial cartoonist (1941-1943). Many of these cartoons were directed towards the war, Adolf Hitler, and Japan. In the book Doctor Seuss Goes to War, published in 1999 by The New Press, over 200 of these cartoons have been republished, most of which hadn't been published anywhere since their original debut in PM.^[2]

The Lorax

Dr. Suess’s, The Lorax appeared in the 1970’s at the start of the environmental movement, just before the first anniversary of Earth Day. Dr. Suess (also known as Theodor Geisel) later called The Lorax straight propaganda, a polemic against pollution. The main point of the book is “The basic message of The Lorax deals with ecosystems and the interrelatedness of all parts- living and non-living - as a viable, functioning unit. Environmental impact is told from a simplistic yet environmentally accurate viewpoint, demonstrating the conflict between natural resources and man-made production. The story starts with what was called the Once-ler, telling the story of the local natural history and how it was once home to the Lorax, the one who speaks for the trees because trees have no tongues. This natural habitat, home to the Truffula Trees, was quickly taken advantage of by the greed of the Once-ler. The Once-ler cut down all of the Truffula Trees to make thneeds. Through this deforestation and pursuit of economic growth by the Once-ler, the lakes in the area become polluted and all of the Truffula Trees are cut down. The Once-ler is the sign of consumerism where he only cares about business and money. Drier States “The Once-ler cares only about making more things and more money. "Businesss is business! / And business must grow," he says. At the end, surveying the devastation he has caused, the Once-ler shows some remorse. The book attacks corporate greed and excessive consumerism.”^[3]

There is another message within the reading; and the message states that young children need to be taught about the environment and how to live in a sustainable way in order to preserve what we have. The children need to learn about how to live without degrading the environment, so that future generations have a clean place to live. This is shown in The Lorax by the Once-ler educating the small boy about the dangers of pollution and degradation of the environment.^[4]

Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now!

Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now! was written in 1972. On the surface, the story is one of Marvin K. Mooney, a young child needs to go to bed and is asked to "go" in many ways. The book was turned into a political statement on July of 1974 with a collaboration with political humorist Art Buchwald. Dr. Seuss crossed out "Marvin K. Mooney" wherever it occurred in a copy of his story, and replaced it with "Richard M. Nixon." With Dr. Seuss's approval, Buchwald and his editors reprinted the markup as a newspaper column, and was published July 30, 1974 in the Washington Post. Read it here. President Nixon resigned ten days later on August 9th as a result of Watergate.^[5]^[6]

The Cat in the Hat

The Cat in the Hat was written as a challenge in 1954 in response to an article written by Life Magazine that claimed that widespread illiteracy was caused by children being bored with books. The book had an underlying theme that endorsed rebellion in children.^[7]

Suess showed more political messages in the sequel to The Cat in the Hat, titled The Cat in the Hat Comes Back. The cat in the hat is symbolic of the southern “colonialist”. The cat tries to clean up a mess he made with a dress that not his, which shows the change from the south aspect of agriculture to trying to manufacture and develop without proper knowledge or instruction. The cat ends up making things worse in the mess, and the cat keeps trying to fix the problem by using other devices that only make the problem worse. The colonialist is similar to this because when the south tried to shift from an agriculture economy to an economy based on development. When the cat realizes that it can’t do it all by himself he brings in other helpers who are almost invisible in comparison to the Cat in the Hat. The helpers solve the problem, which is representative as civilian power. When the cat in the hat realizes the potential of civilian power he recognizes the need for a rights-based approach to development. The recognition of civilian power is Dr. Suess calling out for equal rights for all, and he uses The Cat in the Hat Comes Back to show how this civilian power can be utilized in an effective way if they are seen as equal to everybody.^[8]

Horton Hears a Who

Horton Hears a Who was published in 1958, and it was one of Seuss's most successful books. Horton Hears a Who is said to have many political and social messages, one being about abortion. This article argues that Horton Hears a Who targets mothers, even though many of the main characters in Seuss's writing are male. The book is famous for the quote, "A person is a person, no matter how small." This quote has been the theme for many pro-life groups in defense for the tiniest of humans.^[9] It is unknown whether Seuss actually had a hidden political message about abortion.^[10]

Dr. Seuss also involves many social issues such as conformity. Throughout the book, Horton stands out from the rest of the jungle animals. He is very different, and Horton refuses to conform. It is said that Seuss encourages self-reliance and individuality.^[11]^[12]^[13]

Yertle the Turtle

Yertle the Turtle was published in 1958. There are many connections through the book linking to the rise and fall of Hitler. The famous book is about how all creatures should be free.^[14]

Ultimately, the dictatorial leader falls symbolizing Hitler. The book was removed from many schools for being 'too political.' The quote from the book "I know, up on top you are seeing great sights, but down here on the bottom, we, too, should have rights" was one of the stressed lines for removal of the books from schools. The purpose of the removal of the book was said to protect the children. ^[15]

The Sneetches

The Sneetches, written in 1961, has many undertones of opposition to anti-Semitism, along with racial and religion bigotry. They story of the Sneetches is about yellow bird-like creatures, with some who have stars on their stomachs, and others without. The “in” crowd are those who have the stars, and they look down on those who do not have it. One day, a man named McBean comes to town with a machine to give those without a star, a star, with a “star-on machine” for the cost of three dollars. The original Sneetches with the stars are angered because they no longer have a way to show that they are better than those without. McBean comes up with the solution in the form of a star-off machine that will take the stars of the stomach of the Sneetches for the cost of ten dollars. This way, they can differentiate themselves once again and gain their superiority. It gets a little out of hand, with the Sneetches changing back and forth from having a star, and not having a star to the point that, “until neither the Plain nor the Star-Bellies knew / Whether this one was that one or that one was this one / Or which one was what one or what one was who.” Both groups quickly run out of money and McBean leaves town. After he leaves, the Sneetches come to realize that neither the “plain-belly” or “star belly” is superior over the other. There are clear themes of discrimination and racism throughout the story, with even the star implying a political message. The yellow star was inspired by the yellow Star of David that the Jews were required to wear on the clothing to identify them to the Nazis. ^[16]

The Butter Battle Book

The Butter Batter Book, written in 1984, was a blatant political statement about the danger and implications of the cold war. The book depicts a war between two parties. The Yooks, dressed in blue, are a clear depiction of the Americans, while the Zooks, dressed in red, resemble the Russian army. The book’s premise is about the war that is fueled by the different viewpoints of how one should butter their bread. The Yooks and Zooks constantly try to build better weaponry to scare the enemy, which is a clear correlation to the arms race. The books message is that the arms race could be avoided if the trivial misunderstanding of “which side of bread is to be buttered,” could just be let go, which would lead to each side not needing to increase the power of it’s arsenal. Live and let live, so to speak.^[17]

http://lacigreen.tv/otherish/socialjustice/3927-dr-seuss-secret-messages

Notes

^ Dreier, Peter. "Dr. Seuss's Progressive Politics." Tikkun 26.4 (2011): 28-47. Academic Search Premier. Web. 27 Oct. 2012.
^ UC San Diego Special Collections Library, http://libraries.ucsd.edu/speccoll/dswenttowar/#intro
^ Dreier, Peter. "Dr. Seuss's Progressive Politics." Tikkun 26.4 (2011): 28-47. Academic Search Premier. Web. 27 Oct. 2012.
^ Clare Lowell. “Beyond "The Lorax?" the Greening of the American Curriculum.” The Phi Delta Kappan, Vol. 90, No. 3 (Nov., 2008), pp. 218-222.
^ Al-Khatib, Talal. "The Politics of Dr. Seuss." Discovery News. N.p., 03 Mar. 2012. Web. 06 Nov. 2012.
^ Buchwald, Art. "Richard M. Nixon Will You Please Go Now!" Washington Post. The Washington Post, 30 July 1974. Web. 06 Nov. 2012.
^ Dreier, P. (2011). Dr. Seuss's Progressive Politics. Tikkun, 26(4), 28-47.
^ Burdorff, H. (2012). Subversive Seuss: Global North-South Relations in The Cat in the Hat Comes Back. Interdisciplinary Humanities, 29(1), 77-84.
^ Wilson, Ellen. Human Life Review; Winter2012, Vol. 38 Issue 1, p12-18, 6p.
^ Wolosky, Shira. "Democracy in America: By Dr. Seuss." Southwest Review 85.2 (Spring 2000): 167-183. Rpt. in Children's Literature Review. Ed. Tom Burns. Vol. 100. Detroit: Gale, 2005. Literature Resource Center. Web. 30 Oct. 2012.
^ http://lacigreen.tv/otherish/socialjustice/3927-dr-seuss-secret-messages
^ Wolosky, Shira. "Democracy in America: By Dr. Seuss." Southwest Review 85.2 (Spring 2000): 167-183. Rpt. in Children's Literature Review. Ed. Tom Burns. Vol. 100. Detroit: Gale, 2005. Literature Resource Center. Web. 30 Oct. 2012.
^ Wolosky, Shira (2000). Democracy in America:By Dr. Seuss. Detroit: Tom Burns. pp. 167–188.
^ Miller J. Friends of the Lorax. National Review [serial online]. March 19, 2012;64(5):25-27. Available from: Academic Search Premier, Ipswich, MA. Accessed October 31, 2012.
^ http://now.msn.com/dr-seuss-book-banned-from-class-for-being-too-political
^ Dreier, Peter (2011). "Dr. Seuss's Progressive Politics". The Phi Delta Kappan: 28–47.
^ The Butter Battle Book. (1984). National Review, 36(14), 15-16.

[1] Dreier, Peter. "Dr. Seuss's Progressive Politics." Tikkun 26.4 (2011): 28-47. Academic Search Premier. Web. 27 Oct. 2012.

[2] UC San Diego Special Collections Library, http://libraries.ucsd.edu/speccoll/dswenttowar/#intro

[3] Dreier, Peter. "Dr. Seuss's Progressive Politics." Tikkun 26.4 (2011): 28-47. Academic Search Premier. Web. 27 Oct. 2012.

[4] Clare Lowell. “Beyond "The Lorax?" the Greening of the American Curriculum.” The Phi Delta Kappan, Vol. 90, No. 3 (Nov., 2008), pp. 218-222.

[5] Al-Khatib, Talal. "The Politics of Dr. Seuss." Discovery News. N.p., 03 Mar. 2012. Web. 06 Nov. 2012.

[6] Buchwald, Art. "Richard M. Nixon Will You Please Go Now!" Washington Post. The Washington Post, 30 July 1974. Web. 06 Nov. 2012.

[7] Dreier, P. (2011). Dr. Seuss's Progressive Politics. Tikkun, 26(4), 28-47.

[8] Burdorff, H. (2012). Subversive Seuss: Global North-South Relations in The Cat in the Hat Comes Back. Interdisciplinary Humanities, 29(1), 77-84.

[9] Wilson, Ellen. Human Life Review; Winter2012, Vol. 38 Issue 1, p12-18, 6p.

[10] Wolosky, Shira. "Democracy in America: By Dr. Seuss." Southwest Review 85.2 (Spring 2000): 167-183. Rpt. in Children's Literature Review. Ed. Tom Burns. Vol. 100. Detroit: Gale, 2005. Literature Resource Center. Web. 30 Oct. 2012.

[11] ttp://lacigreen.tv/otherish/socialjustice/3927-dr-seuss-secret-messages

[12] Wolosky, Shira. "Democracy in America: By Dr. Seuss." Southwest Review 85.2 (Spring 2000): 167-183. Rpt. in Children's Literature Review. Ed. Tom Burns. Vol. 100. Detroit: Gale, 2005. Literature Resource Center. Web. 30 Oct. 2012.

[13] Wolosky, Shira (2000). Democracy in America:By Dr. Seuss. Detroit: Tom Burns. pp. 167–188.

[14] Miller J. Friends of the Lorax. National Review [serial online]. March 19, 2012;64(5):25-27. Available from: Academic Search Premier, Ipswich, MA. Accessed October 31, 2012.

[15] ttp://now.msn.com/dr-seuss-book-banned-from-class-for-being-too-political

[16] Dreier, Peter (2011). "Dr. Seuss's Progressive Politics". The Phi Delta Kappan: 28–47.

[17] The Butter Battle Book. (1984). National Review, 36(14), 15-16.

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