Dr. Seuss
Dr. Seuss I took an unconventional approach in the topic I chose for my reading assignment – whereas most groups selected single novels, my partner and I opted to read a collection of short stories by none other than the notorious Dr. Seuss. Were I writing this essay on a “normal” book, I would be able to pose a question about the book itself and answer it in an ordinary sort of way. However, given the subject matter I have chosen, an essay on an individual book, though possible, would be a very tricky thing to do. It would be wiser, and probably easier, to respond to the man himself. My decision to respond to the man himself makes many more choices – what facet of Dr. Seuss shall I ask myself questions about? I think perhaps I first need to give some brief biographical information on the man to understand the background he’s coming from. In 1904, Theodore Seuss Geisel was born in Massachusetts, USA. I have not been able to find too much documentation about his childhood, but he certainly did not come from a terribly poor or terribly unsuccessful family… in fact, his family had owned a local brewery in their home town of Springfield for several years. Ever since his childhood, Geisel had dabbled in the fields we all know and love him for today… for instance, during bible recitals, he read the verses to a rhythm and often in rhyme. In High School he wrote many short essays and drew cartoons for the school paper, and even then he had adopted a pseudonym for himself – “Pete the Pessimist”. Upon graduation, Geisel began studying literature at Oxford university, as his original intent was to become an educator… even then, he punctuated his time at Oxford with his job editing and contributing to the “Jack-O-Lantern”, ...
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...-hungry all of his life, perhaps simply in its early stages when he just started off – he was heavily involved in advertising then, and his stories such as “And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street” were not particularly ethic-conscious. When Seuss died in 1991, however, you get a definite image of a creative, artistic genius of a man… his advertising career had come to a close, his books constantly taught to respect yourself, others and your surroundings, and he exercised his artistic freedom while writing his final two stories, both adult-oriented. Dr. Seuss died an honorable man, and any selling out that he may have been guilty of is definitely, definitely excusable. ''How did it get so late so soon? It's night before it's afternoon. December is here before it's June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?'' -Dr. Seuss (1904-1991)
When he was at oxford he met Helen Palmer then she became his wife in 1927. She persuaded him to give up on becoming an English teacher and to focus more on drawing more as a career. He left Oxford without a degree returned to the United States in February 1927. He immediately started publishing and working on books and drawings. Seuss was a perfectionist when he was writing a book he would throw away 95% of his work. His first book that he had published was called “And to Think I Saw It On Mulberry Street”. It was his first childrens book he wrote and illustrated it was published in 1937 after it being rejected 27 times it was finally published by the Vanguard Press. With that publication he ...
Dr. Seuss is an important figure in the lives of children everywhere. His stories are children’s classics that are fun to read and also tackle some real life issues. Dr. Seuss’s political views are very apparent in his some of his books like The Butter Battle Book, which discusses the issues of the Cold War.
After reading this essay, I now see Seuss and his work in a different perspective. In one way I am disturbed and curious, but another part of me is inspired of the genius that Seuss is. He put a great deal of passion and life lessons into his cartoons and stories. I feel as if children’s books are specifically for children and to encourage them to learn. Because Seuss work is so successful and children will not think this far in depth
Theodor Seuss was born in Springfield, Mass. on March 2, 1904 and died on September 24, 1991. He graduated from Dartmouth College. Dr. Seuss was a children's author who target young readers. His first book was "And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street" and was followed by many other famous stories such as, "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" and to one of his most famous books "The Cat in The Hat". Dr. Seuss is a well know author world-wide.
Dr. Seuss, also known as Theodore Seuss, has written many poems as well as short stories, and is considered one of the greatest children’s author in history. His silly stories are able to excite children in ways that make them want read. His Wife says,” Ted doesn’t sit down to write for children. He writes to amuse himself;” Little do children know that often, in his stories, there is a lot of political undertone, a few examples include The Lorax, Yertle the Turtle, The Sneethces, and The Butter Battle Book. If you were to really critique some of his books or poems, you might see that some of his themes wouldn’t seem to pertain to children. But what he’s doing, is hoping that they will understand the main idea of the story enough that it challenges them to stand against the crowd of judgment and evil. Take notice of the issues around them, and make a change. He feels that they deserve to know about the issues, just as much as adults do. He is showing them early on, telling them that they do not need adults to make a difference.
My articles and illustrations were published in numerous magazines, including LIFE and Vanity Fair. A cartoon that I published in the July 1927 issue of The Saturday Evening Post, earned me a staff position at the New York weekly Judge. I then worked for Standard Oil in the advertising department for 15 years, where I began drawing “Quick, Henry, the Flit!” advertisements. In 1937, I published my first book, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street. As World War II started, I found myself increasingly drawn to the war effort. Therefore I joined the United States Army Motion Picture Unit, in 1943. After the war, in 1954, I published Horton Hears a Who!. In 1957, I published The Cat in the Hat and How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, and became the president of Beginner Books. In 1960, I published Green Eggs and Ham. Unfortunately, in 1967, my wife died, a year after How the Grinch Stole Christmas! appeared on TV. Thus, in 1968, I married Audrey Dimond. In 1984, I won a special Pulitzer Prize for contribution to children’s literature. However, due to oral cancer, I passed away on September 24, 1991 in
The quote stated in the above paragraph is one of his many exact representation of his views on the world. Dr. Seuss is well known for writing many of the children's books my generation has grown up with, but is also known for inspiring and
“Dr. Seuss At Work.” Scholastic News—Edition 1 69.6 (2013): 1. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 5 March. 2014
“Waiting for the Signal From Home…”, PM Magazine, February 13,1942, Dr. Seuss ddndn Collection, MSS230, Special Collections and Archives, UC San Diego Library.
“Congratulations! Today is your day. You're off to Great Places! You’re off and away!” This is how Dr. Seuss captures readers attention in the first paragraph of his book. “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” He is able to capture the attention of all different age ranges, which he is able to do throughout his whole book. There are numerous amounts of lessons and meanings in this book, some are plain as day and some are a little bit more hidden. Dr. Seuss writes this book to get many lessons across to his readers, using biographical criticism you can evaluate just how he appeals to his readers and makes a positive impact on their lives.
"What animal walks on all fours in the morning, on two legs at noon, and on three legs at night?" The famous riddle of the sphinx that has been pondered for many years; it is a universal issue that affects all people of every nationality, ethnicity, religion, or geographic area. We, ourselves, are the answer to this puzzle and yet we fight this explanation with every tool possible. We avoid it, refuse to admit it, read about it, joke about it, and deep down we often dread growing old.
Kurt Vonnegut is an impressive author who combines comic fiction and social satire in his novels. He often writes about the main character Kilgore Trout, who seems to be more like Vonnegut’s alter ego. He has written many books including Player Piano, Cat’s Cradle, Slaughterhouse Five, Galapagos, Bluebeard, and Fates Worse Than Death.
When Seuss was in high school, his art teacher told him he would never draw realistically. After one art lesson, he walked out of the class and never returned. Ted went to Dartmouth College, where he was an editor for Jack-O-Lantern, the college humor magazine. After getting in trouble for drinking gin in his room, Ted began to draw and write under different pseudonyms, including Seuss. Seuss himself claims that he used the name for his humorous essays and drawings, saving the name Geisel for his serious novels (MacDonald, 2004, p. 3). When Seuss became a magazine cartoonist, he began signing his work “Dr. Theophrastus Seuss” in 1927. He shortened that to “Dr. Seuss” in 1937 after his writings in Judge magazine (MacDonald, p. 5), and that is how Ted Geisel became Dr. Seuss.
Dr. Seuss had a drinking problem and it was discovered when he had been caught drinking with some friends in his dorm. He was hosting a rowdy adult drinking problem at Darmouth College, at the height of Prohibition and he was in the early 1920's at this time. He was instructed by the college staff to quit all of his activities or electives, including his editor-in-chief post at the college's humor magazine, the "Jack-O-Lantern." In order to keep writing without the superiors knowing about it, Mr. Geisel adopted the pen name "Seuss."
...hors who got away with moralizing. The quirky illustrations and creative wordplay enable his readers to enjoy his books, while at the same time recognize morals (Hurst). Because of his innovative approach to writing books for children, Dr. Seuss has influenced American society immensely. The Oobleck he created in Bartholomew and Oobleck became the green, slimy gunk now seen on popular television networks, such as Nickelodeon (Ford 66). Furthermore, his publishing company, Beginner Books, produced a new series of children’s books called the Berenstein Bears, enabling children to enjoy more reading (Kaplan).