Whether or not there are political motivations behind Seuss’ works sometimes doesn’t matter; people will use Horton the Elephant’s refrain “a person’s a person no matter how small” on their pro-life stationary and give seminars on the Biblical allegory of Green Eggs and Ham, which Seuss wrote simply to win a fifty dollar bet (Nel, American Icon 179; Fensch 125-126). Nevertheless, some of Theodor Seuss Geisel’s works undoubtedly have moral and political implications behind the bright colors and fanciful illustrations that have captured seven decades of audiences. Seuss propagated a liberal agenda promoting racial equality, disarmament, democracy, and environmental conservation through his children’s books. As his works become adapted for the stage and the screen they lose some of their cleverness, no longer holding the same weight they did when doubling as a political allegory. It is a testament to the genius of Theodor Seuss Geisel that his works continue to live on and be read by millions of people each year; even as their allegorical meaning fades, the simple joy of Seuss remains brilliant.

Works Cited

Fensch, Thomas, ed. Of Sneetches and Whos and the Good Dr. Seuss. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland &, 1997. Print.

Geisel, Theodor Seuss. PM. New York, NY, 1941-1943. Mandeville Special Collections Library: A Catalog of Political Cartoons by Dr. Seuss. Web. 14 Apr. 2011. <http://libraries.ucsd.edu/speccoll/dspolitic/Frame.htm>.

Merriman, John and Jay Winter, eds. “Nuclear Weapons.” Europe Since 1914: Encyclopedia of the Age of War and Reconstruction. Vol. 4. Detroit: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 2006. 1891-1898. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 2 May. 2011.

Miller, G. Tyler. Living in the Environment. 10th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 1998. Print. Wadsworth Biology.

Moje, Elizabeth B., and Woan-Ru Shyu. “The Places You’ve Taken Us, Dr. Seuss!” Education Digest 58.4 (Dec. 1992): 26-30. Rpt. in Children’s Literature Review. Detroit: Gale. Literature Resource Center. Web. 14 Apr. 2011.

Morgan, Judith, and Neil Morgan. Dr. Seuss & Mr. Geisel. New York, NY: Da Capo, 1995. Print.

Nel, Phillip. Dr. Seuss: American Icon. New York, NY: Continuum International Group, 2004. Print.

—. “‘Said the Bird in the Midst of a Blitz…’: How World War II Created Dr. Seuss.” Mosaic: A Journal for the Interdisciplinary Study of Literature 34.2 (June 2001): 65-85. Rpt. in Children’s Literature Review. Ed. Tom Burns. Vol 100. Detroit: Gale, 2005. Literature Resource Center. Web. 14 Apr. 2011.

Payne, Stanley G. “Fascism: A Working Definition.” Introduction. A History of Fascism, 1914-1945. London: UCL, 1995. 3-19. Google Books.

Pease, Donald E. Theodor Seuss Geisel. New York, NY: Oxford UP, 2010. Print.

Seuss, Dr. The Butter Battle Book. New York, NY: Random House, 1984. Print.

—. The Lorax. New York, NY: Random House, 1971. Print.

—. The Sneetches and Other Stories. New York, NY: Random House, 1961. Print.

—. Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories. New York, NY: Random House, 1958. Print.