Seuss
Analysis of Dr. Seuss’
Oh The Places You’ll Go
Theodore Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, created some of the most well known children’s books throughout his life. Each story is presented in a humorous and appealing way that young kids like, but also has hard life lessons. Seuss tends to make bold statements about society and life in general. Some of these books include The Cat in The Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, The Lorax, and my personal favorite, Oh The Places You’ll Go. The book starts out on an adventurous note:
"Congratulations! Today is your day! You’re off to great places! You’re off and away!
You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes, you can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go."
This quote is from the first and second pages in the book, and already the author has made the story personal by addressing the reader as “you’. This makes the audience more engaged by encouraging them to relate the words to their own life. The tone is very optimistic and by using rhyming words, making them more appealing to readers both young and old. These specific words like “any direction you choose” imply many opportunities and a sense of control to the audience. This continues the optimism until the
Thygesen 2 reader reaches the twelfth and thirteenth pages:
"Wherever you fly, you'll be the best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest. Except when you don't, because, sometimes, you won't. I'm sorry to say so but, sadly, it's true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you." This introduces the hard parts of life to children. The author is apologetic in the way he introduces this, but because the “you” is so generalized that he makes bang-ups and hang-ups sound like a normal and unavoidable part of life. Seuss continues this when he shows us “the Waiting Place”.
"You will come to a place where the streets are not
Oh The Places You’ll Go
Theodore Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, created some of the most well known children’s books throughout his life. Each story is presented in a humorous and appealing way that young kids like, but also has hard life lessons. Seuss tends to make bold statements about society and life in general. Some of these books include The Cat in The Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, The Lorax, and my personal favorite, Oh The Places You’ll Go. The book starts out on an adventurous note:
"Congratulations! Today is your day! You’re off to great places! You’re off and away!
You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes, you can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go."
This quote is from the first and second pages in the book, and already the author has made the story personal by addressing the reader as “you’. This makes the audience more engaged by encouraging them to relate the words to their own life. The tone is very optimistic and by using rhyming words, making them more appealing to readers both young and old. These specific words like “any direction you choose” imply many opportunities and a sense of control to the audience. This continues the optimism until the
Thygesen 2 reader reaches the twelfth and thirteenth pages:
"Wherever you fly, you'll be the best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest. Except when you don't, because, sometimes, you won't. I'm sorry to say so but, sadly, it's true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you." This introduces the hard parts of life to children. The author is apologetic in the way he introduces this, but because the “you” is so generalized that he makes bang-ups and hang-ups sound like a normal and unavoidable part of life. Seuss continues this when he shows us “the Waiting Place”.
"You will come to a place where the streets are not