Dr. Seuss
The Influence of Dr. Seuss
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The Influence of Dr. Seuss
Theodor Seuss Geisel was a very influential man. His books have influenced several generations of children and adults throughout the years of his published work. Although Dr. Seuss passed away in 1991, his vast collection of written material is still influencing people of all ages across the world. Some of his work has been considered controversial, some considered nothing more than children’s fantasy stories, and some politically charged propaganda worthy of stirring huge debates among the affecters and detractors. There must have been a million things going on in the world that would stir such emotion; such simple satisfaction, and such turmoil to come from children’s books. An exploration of Seuss reveals certain influential factors; from the way he viewed things at certain times in his life, to the points he wanted to get across when detailing his ideas in the rhythmic fashion of poetry and prose. The influence of his work can be seen in commercialism, capitalism, and democracy.
Born on March 2, 1904 in Springfield, MA, Seuss started writing children’s books in 1937. His first book, And to Think I Saw it on Mulberry Street, was rejected 27 or 43 times before publication (Baker, 2012, Nel, 2004). That little detail alone stands as a testament to how dedicated he was to being successful. It also makes for an interesting point in the development of his sense of humor. In the book Dr. Seuss: American Icon, Seuss is labeled as a “critically undervalued” talent due to the “slight-of-hand” trickery he was able to master (Nel, 2004, p.337). Seuss was able to accomplish several things with his style of writing combined with that developed sense of humor. He was able to reach children at their own level with vibrant color schemes, rhyming poems, and equality while ambiguously, and, sometimes, laconically relating to adults with his word choice. In fact, in the early part of his career his
Name
College
The Influence of Dr. Seuss
Theodor Seuss Geisel was a very influential man. His books have influenced several generations of children and adults throughout the years of his published work. Although Dr. Seuss passed away in 1991, his vast collection of written material is still influencing people of all ages across the world. Some of his work has been considered controversial, some considered nothing more than children’s fantasy stories, and some politically charged propaganda worthy of stirring huge debates among the affecters and detractors. There must have been a million things going on in the world that would stir such emotion; such simple satisfaction, and such turmoil to come from children’s books. An exploration of Seuss reveals certain influential factors; from the way he viewed things at certain times in his life, to the points he wanted to get across when detailing his ideas in the rhythmic fashion of poetry and prose. The influence of his work can be seen in commercialism, capitalism, and democracy.
Born on March 2, 1904 in Springfield, MA, Seuss started writing children’s books in 1937. His first book, And to Think I Saw it on Mulberry Street, was rejected 27 or 43 times before publication (Baker, 2012, Nel, 2004). That little detail alone stands as a testament to how dedicated he was to being successful. It also makes for an interesting point in the development of his sense of humor. In the book Dr. Seuss: American Icon, Seuss is labeled as a “critically undervalued” talent due to the “slight-of-hand” trickery he was able to master (Nel, 2004, p.337). Seuss was able to accomplish several things with his style of writing combined with that developed sense of humor. He was able to reach children at their own level with vibrant color schemes, rhyming poems, and equality while ambiguously, and, sometimes, laconically relating to adults with his word choice. In fact, in the early part of his career his
References: Arias, R. (1989, October 23). A boy sides with Dr. Seuss’s Lorax, and puts a town at loggerheads. People, 32, 67_68. Baker, Andrew (March 3, 2010). “Ten Things You May Not Have Known About Dr. Seuss.” The Peel. Retrieved April 9, 2012. Cott, J. (1997). The good Dr. Seuss. In T. Fensch (Ed.), Of Sneetches and Whos and the good Dr. Seuss (pp. 99-124). Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. Geake, J. (2000). Primary science for gifted students: Learning from ‘‘The Lorax’’. Investigating: Australian Primary & Junior Science Journal, 16(2), 9-13. Gorney, C. (1997). “Dr. Seuss at 75: Grinch, Cat in the Hat, Wocket and generations of kids in his pocket.” In T. Fensch (Ed.), Of Sneetches and Whos and the good Dr. Seuss (pp. 83-90). Klugman, Karen (1995) ‘Under the Influence’. In Inside the Mouse: Work and Play at Disney World. The Project on Disney. Durham and London: Duke University Press, 98–109. Lurie, A. (1997). The cabinet of Dr. Seuss. In T. Fensch (Ed.), “Of Sneetches and Whos and the good Dr. Seuss” (pp. 155-164). Jefferson, NC: MacFarland & Company. Merriman, J (2013) Personal experience. Nel, P. (2003). THE DISNEYFICATION OF DR SEUSS: FAITHFUL TO PROFIT, ONE HUNDRED PERCENT? Cultural Studies, 17(5), 579-614. doi:10.1080/0950238032000126847 Thomas, J., Jr Wolfe, D. (2008). The Ecological Jeremiad, the American Myth, and the Vivid Force of Color in Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax. Environmental Communication, 2(1), 3-24. doi:10.1080/17524030801936707 Wolosky, S