Chloe’ Bagley | Staff Writer
On March 2, thousands of schools celebrated Read Across America Day, a nationwide reading celebration in honor of the life of Theodor Seuss Geisel, otherwise known under the pen name, Dr. Seuss. Labeled one of America’s most renowned children’s book authors, Dr. Seuss’ silly and witty writing style makes his stories childhood classics—but what many do not realize are the hidden themes of social justice in his best sellers.
Seuss’ Beginnings
According to his biography on the Seussville website, Seuss’ decision to write children’s books was one of opportunity rather than desire. A contract between him and a company he wrote advertisements for called Standard Oil didn’t allow Seuss to write much else. However, he was not prohibited from writing children’s books. Seuss described his interest in children’s literature the best when he said, “I would like to say I went into children’s book writing because of my great understanding of children. I went in because it wasn’t excluded by my Standard Oil contract.”
Seuss’ first children’s book, “And to Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street,” was published in December 1937. Over the next 50 years, Seuss would continue to publish children’s books, many of his early works being influenced by the political climate of events such as World War II and the early environmentalist movement.
Leading into World War II, Seuss became preoccupied with the thought of war, saying, “While Paris was being occupied by the clanking tanks of the Nazis and I was listening on my radio, I found I could no longer keep my mind on drawing pictures of Horton the Elephant.”
“Yertle the Turtle”
According to Dr. Seuss, his desire to combat social injustice came from his experiences of being bullied in school as the grandson of a German immigrant. Following the war, Seuss decided to use his platform to bring his political message to children. For example, according to the book by Judith and Neil Morgan, “Dr. Seuss & Mr. Geisel,” his book “Yertle the Turtle,” published in 1958, is about a “…tyrannical turtle who builds his empire on the backs of his suffering citizens,” and “…took its inspiration from the rise of Hitler.”
“Horton Hears a Who!”
The first of many of his politically-charged tales was the well known “Horton Hears a Who!” Published in 1954, the book tells the story of the Whos, the tiny citizens of Whoville who face decimation unless someone steps in. This book was inspired by Seuss’ visit to Japan in 1953, and the story seems to parallel the bombing of the Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the U.S. The most famous line from this story, “A person’s a person, no matter how small,” points out the differences of the Whos, but the Whos could be representative of any threatened people group. The Des Moines Register labeled it as, “…a rhymed lesson in protection of minorities and their rights.”
“The Lorax”
Seuss eventually took on the controversy over pollution in his 1971 book, “The Lorax.” This book tells the story of a Once-ler whose company destroyed all of the Truffula trees. In doing so he scares away the animals from the forest as well as the Lorax who claims to speak for the trees. The book concludes with a well-known challenge from the Lorax, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” Seuss received an award from the organization Keep America Beautiful the same year it was published. The organization said the book would, “…undoubtedly charm many children—and adults as well—into becoming pollution fighters.”
Dr. Seuss’ Last Message
Dr. Seuss used his platform in children’s literature to help shape the minds of America’s young readers to be politically aware and to fight for social justice. In his 1960 essay “Writing for Children: A Mission,” Seuss said, “…children’s reading and children’s thinking are the rock-bottom base upon which this country will rise. Or not rise…writers are beginning to realize that books for children have greater potential for good or evil than any other form of literature on earth.” Seuss saw the impact that children’s books could have on the rising generation and felt the urgency of the political climate of his day. He used his talent to combat social injustice and as a form of education for children to do the same.
Weeks before his death in 1991, Seuss was asked by Judith and Neil Morgan if there was anything he felt he had left unsaid in his years as a children’s book author. Seuss said, “Any message or slogan? Whenever things go a bit sour in a job I’m doing, I always tell myself, ‘You can do better than this.’ The best slogan I can think of to leave with the kids of the U.S.A. would be, ‘We can…and we’ve got to…do better than this.’”