preview

The Novel ' Theodor Seuss ' And ' The Lorax '

Decent Essays

Theodor Seuss Geisel was born on March 2, 1904, in Springfield, Massachusetts. Before his death in 1991, Geisel, better known by the pseudonym “Dr. Seuss” wrote and illustrated over sixty children 's books. While being beloved for their effervescent characters and flowing rhymes, these books also contained more subversive ideas that shattered the preconceived notions of children’s literature. Hidden behind the colourfully illustrated pages of “Horton Hears a Who!”, “The Sneetches”, “Yertle the Turtle”, “The Butter Battle Book” and “The Lorax” lie unforeseen underlying meanings that range from the senselessness of war to environmentalism and the shortsightedness of corporate greed. “Horton Hears a Who!” was written and illustrated by Seuss in 1954. The book tells the story of Horton the Elephant, who hears what seems to be voices coming from a speck of dust while enjoying the day in a pool. Horton is soon lead to believe that a microscopic person lives on the speck and places it gently on a clover, promising to protect it. Later, he discovers that the speck is actually a tiny planet, home to a community entitled “Whoville” which is inhabited by small creatures called “Whos”. The Mayor of Whoville asks Horton the elephant to shelter them from harm, which he happily agrees to, declaring throughout the story that “a person’s a person, no matter how small.” (Page 1, Line 14-15). Contrary to popular knowledge, Seuss wrote this story, in part, as an apology for his contribution

Get Access