Butter Battle Book

Theodore Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, wrote the Butter Battle Book in 1984. At this time, the US was in the midst of a Cold War escalation. Since the Nixon and Ford administrations of the early 1970s, US-Soviet relations had been in a period of détente. However, soon after being elected in 1981, President Reagan took a hardline stance against Communist Soviet Union. Reagan began the deployment of missiles, such as the Pershing missiles in West Germany and initiated the famous Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), popularly known as Star Wars, in 1983. These developments perhaps influenced Geisel to present an allegory for US-Soviet relations in Butter Battle Book. Zooks and Yooks represent the Soviets and Americans during the height of cold war. Using the butter battle as a representation of US-Soviet Relations, Geisel highlights the flawed leadership of both the superpowers.

The Wall separating the Yooks and Zooks represent the divide between the Russians and Americans. Early in the book, the Grandpa says, “The Wall wasn’t so high and I could look any Zook square in the eye” As the book progresses, the Wall grew bigger and bigger, until the Yooks could no longer see the Zooks. The growing Wall serves as a metaphor for growing ideological division between the Soviets and Americans. During détente, both Soviet and American officials looked to negotiate peaceful solutions, as evident by the signing of treaties, such as SALT I and the Helsinki Accords. Upon Reagan’s escalation of the Cold War, the separation between US and Soviet officials grew, much like the wall. After the peaceful years of détente, the Soviet-US relationship had grown hostile again, as shown through the Soviet boycott of the 1984 Summer Olympics in LA an...

... middle of paper ...

...es the American and Soviet officials for the lack of tolerance for one another and how that led to unnecessary military tension. Additionally, he uses the story to criticize military-industry complex that led to the Nuclear Arms Race. However, this tale is not only applicable to the Cold War. The wall between the Yooks and Zooks parallels the racial divide that dominated the US. While a seemingly depressing book for children, Geisel ends the book on a hopeful note. As the Yooks and the Zooks are on the verge of destroying each other, the book ends with a blank page to follow. This blank page represents the unwritten future—that the problems of ignorance and unnecessary militarization could be changed. As a novel to the future generations, Geisel’s cliff hanger provides children the opportunity to create their own ending, both for the butter battle in in real life.