ShmoopTube

Where Monty Python meets your 10th grade teacher.

Search Thousands of Shmoop Videos

The Lorax 449 Views


Share It!


Description:

Can you imagine some little guy who's constantly up in your business, criticizing your every move, and always trying to make you feel bad about yourself? Congratulations. Now you know what it's like to be a parent. #parentjoke

Language:
English Language

Transcript

00:01

The Lorax, a la Shmoop. For a children's author, Dr. Seuss took on

00:10

some pretty heavy subject matter.

00:12

Especially for a guy who routinely used words like "gruvvulous" and "miff-muffered moof."

00:18

In The Lorax, he takes on the issue of the environment and his message is loud and clear...

00:23

Oh wait.

00:24

What message was Dr. Seuss trying to convey?

00:28

One possibility is that Seuss was trying to point a "you're-killing-the-environment" finger

00:32

at big business.

00:33

Keep in mind when the Lorax was written.

00:36

These days, a lot of people make an effort to stay "green."

00:40

But back in the early '70s, being environmentally conscious was...weird.

00:46

Smog had enveloped cities...

00:49

...a river in Ohio had literally caught on fire...

00:51

We even needed a giant owl to remind us not to litter.

00:55

So, when "The Lorax" was published in 1971, it definitely struck a nerve.

01:01

A lot of this may have to do with the portrayal of the Once-ler.

01:06

The Once-ler set up shop and hooked up all of his family and friends with sweet gigs...

01:10

knitting thneeds.

01:12

His only real desire was to "bigger" his business.

01:15

And we all know how that turned out.

01:17

So does the Once-ler represent capitalism at its greediest?

01:21

Was Dr. Seuss's main message that industry is basically destructive?

01:27

Or maybe it's less about the Once-ler and more about the Lorax.

01:30

After all, the Lorax was not very fun to be around.

01:34

Sure, he had a noble cause.

01:36

But let's face it: he was not the sort to try and meet the Once-ler halfway on anything.

01:40

All he did was lecture.

01:41

It's no wonder the Once-ler kept tuning him out...all he heard was "bad, bad, bad."

01:45

And that was the common perception of environmentalists back in 1971: all they could do is nay-say.

01:52

So maybe Dr. Seuss is also pointing a finger at people who talk a big game, but never actually

01:57

do anything to clean up the environment.

02:00

But there is one more character...and one more possibility.

02:04

In the end, paradise is lost, and the Once-ler reveals that he's in possession of one last

02:09

Truffula seed.

02:11

He is clearly troubled by his previous deeds.

02:14

Even so, he doesn't plant the last seed himself, but instead passes the responsibility to some

02:20

kid he just met!

02:21

The Once-ler got his 15 cents and got to wash his hands of the whole affair.

02:26

So maybe that's the book's main message: it's up to you, young reader, to clean up this

02:30

environmental mess. It's clear that Dr. Seuss was trying to send

02:34

a message about the environment...but what was it?

02:38

Was he trying to blame big business for environmental issues?

02:41

Was he arguing that environmental activism takes more than just lecturing?

02:46

Or was he just saying that it is up to the next generation to, well, fix everything?

02:51

Shmoop amongst yourselves.

Up Next

The Importance of Being Earnest Summary
123036 Views

They say that honesty is the best policy, but Jack lies about his identity and still gets the girl. Does that mean we should all lie to get what we...

Related Videos

The Giver Summary
105891 Views

Ever wish you could remember everything that you ever studied? How about everything that everyone has ever studied? Yeah, pretty sure our brains ju...

Invisible Man (Ellison)
1818 Views

Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man is an American classic. Hope you're not expecting any exciting shower scenes though. It's not that kind of book.

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night
1255 Views

Do not go gentle into that good night. In fact, if it's past your curfew, don't go at all into that good night. You just stay in your good bed and...

Quotes: A fool's paradise
293 Views

Find out the meaning behind "a fool's paradise."