Meet Yertle
- Well, forget what we said about Barbados. We'd rather be there than in this fallen paradise.
- Turns out, that angsty turtle, Yertle, has managed to find the only section of the pond that's pitch black for a nice bout of brooding.
- Is it just us, or is this what The Thinker would look like if he were an angsty turtle? We can just hear the Meatloaf and Bonnie blaring in the background
- So just what is Yertle's problem? Seuss actually lays this one out pretty clearly for us when he writes, '"I'm ruler,' said Yertle, '"of all that I see / But I don't see enough. That's the trouble with me"' (9-10).
- Thanks, Yert. Looks like you've identified the heart of the problem, so we can just pack up this little operation and head on home.
- We're glad that you have such a good sense of self and that now you're going to check yourself into therapy so you can deal with this little fault and…
- What's that about the places beyond? And your throne? And height? You're complaining about all those things?
- Oh brother.
- See what Seuss does here? On its own, saying, "That's the trouble with me," would indicate that Yertle has the power to turn inward to spot flaws. But that's countered in the very next line when he names all of the reasons why the trouble is actually with everything around him. Really, what he's saying is, "That's the problem that's happened to me… because nothing is ever my fault."
- Sounds like our pal Yertle should go into politics.