The Lorax
| The Lorax | |
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| Author(s) | Dr. Seuss |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Children's literature |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Publication date | 1971 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover and paperback) |
| Pages | 45 |
| ISBN | 0394823370 |
| OCLC Number | 183127 |
| Dewey Decimal | [E] |
| LC Classification | PZ8.3.G276 Lo |
| Preceded by | I Can Write—By Me, Myself |
| Followed by | Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now! |
The Lorax is a children's book written by Dr. Seuss and first published in 1971. It chronicles the plight of the environment and the Lorax, who speaks for the trees against the greedy Once-ler. As in most Dr. Seuss works, most of the creatures mentioned are original to the book.
The book is commonly recognized as a fable concerning industrialized society and the danger it poses to nature, using the literary element of personification to give life to industry as the Once-ler (whose face is never shown in any of the story's illustrations or in the television special) and the environment as The Lorax.
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[edit] Plot overview
A young boy residing in a polluted, grim world visits a strange creature called the "Once-Ler" (whose two green arms are his only features that are seen) inquiring the history behind the poor state in which the world is now. So, the Once-Ler explains to the boy that he arrived in a beautiful, cheerful world containing happy, playful fauna that spent their days romping around blissfully, but soon began to chop down "Truffula trees" in order to craft a useful invention that he thought of, insisting that his new creation is highly necessary for everybody. Soon the Once-Ler starts to make profit off of these versatile yet simple-looking inventions, contacting all his relatives to help him with his business. However, a small orange creature called the "Lorax" tries to urge the Once-Ler to cease cutting down so many Truffula trees, pleading that doing so could harm the environment, but the Once-Ler ignores him and continues to grow wealthy off of selling his invention. However, eventually the supply of Truffula trees runs out and not only is the land left in serious pollution, but the Once-Ler's new family business goes bankrupt and the creatures that once resided within the forest must leave. After the Once-Ler has finished telling the boy his story, he provides the boy with "the last one [Truffula seed] of all," and tells him to plant this tree and nurture it so he can grow a forest of Truffula Trees. This story is similar to two Bill Peet Books, "Farewell to Shady Glade" (1966), and "The Wump World" (1970).
[edit] Criticism
In a retrospective critique written in the journal Nature upon the 40th anniversary of the book's publication, Emma Marris described the Lorax character as a "parody of a misanthropic ecologist". She called the book "gloomy" and doubted it was good for young children.[1] Nevertheless, she praised the book overall, and especially Seuss for understanding "the limits of gloom and doom" environmentalism.
[edit] Controversy
In 1988, a small school district in California kept the book on a reading list for second graders, though some in the town claimed the book was unfair to the logging industry.[2] Terri Birkett, a member of a family-owned hardwood flooring factory, authored The Truax,[3] offering a logging-friendly perspective to an anthropomorphic tree known as the Guardbark. This book was published by NOFMA, National Wood Flooring Manufacturers' Association. Just as in The Lorax, the book consists of a disagreement between two people. The logging industry representative states that they have efficiency and re-seeding efforts. The Guardbark, a personification of the environmentalist movement much as the Once-ler is for big business, refuses to listen and lashes out. But in the end, he is convinced by the logger's arguments. However, this story was criticized for what were viewed as skewed arguments, particularly a "casual attitude toward endangered species" that answered the Guardbark's concern for them. In addition, the book's approach as a more blatant argument, rather than one worked into a storyline, was also noted.[4][5]
The line "I hear things are just as bad up in Lake Erie" was removed more than fourteen years after the story was published after two research associates from the Ohio Sea Grant Program wrote to Seuss about the clean-up of Lake Erie.[6] The line remains in the DVD release of the special.
On April 7, 2010, Amnesty International USA commented in their blog on the story of the book that "amazingly parallels that of the Dongria Kondh peoples of Orissa" in India, "where Vedanta Corporation is wrecking the environment of the Dongria Kondh people."[7]
[edit] Adaptations
[edit] Film
On March 2, 2012, Universal Studios and Illumination Entertainment released a 3-D CGI film loosely based upon the book. The release coincided with the 108th birthday of Seuss, who died at 87 in 1991. The cast includes Danny DeVito as the Lorax, Zac Efron as Ted, Ed Helms as the Once-ler, Rob Riggle as new villain O'Hare, and Betty White as Grammy Norma, Ted's grandmother. Taylor Swift has also been cast as Audrey, Ted's romantic interest.
[edit] Television special
The book was adapted as an animated musical television special produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises, directed by Hawley Pratt and starring the voices of Eddie Albert and Bob Holt. It was first aired by CBS on February 14, 1972. The line about Lake Erie was spoken by one of the Humming-Fish as they marched out of the river at the foot of the Once-ler's factory. It remains in DVD releases of the show, even though the line was later removed from the book. The special also features more of an in-depth look at the problems, including the Once-ler arguing with himself about what he is doing, and at one point asking the Lorax if shutting down his factory (and putting hundreds of people out of a job) is really the answer. Many of the Lorax's arguments seem to be focused on how "progress progresses too fast", in a sense arguing that things might've been better if the Once-Ler had come to a balance with the forest and slowed down production of the Thneeds. An abridged version of the special is used in the 1994 TV movie In Search of Dr. Seuss with Kathy Najimy's reporter character hearing the Once-ler's story.
[edit] Audio books
Two audio readings have been released on CD, one narrated by Ted Danson in the United States (Listening Library, ISBN 978-0807218730) and one narrated by Rik Mayall in the United Kingdom (HarperCollins, ISBN 978-0007157051).
[edit] Musical
A musical adaptation of The Lorax was originally included in script for the Broadway musical Seussical, but was cut before the show opened. This portion of the show was presented by the Lexington Children's Theatre in Lexington, KY as a separate event.
[edit] Cultural References
- Edward Wuncler of The Boondocks is named after Once-ler.
[edit] References
- ^ Marris, E. 2011. In retrospect: The Lorax. Nature. 476: 148–149. http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v476/n7359/full/476148a.html
- ^ "California: Chopping Down Dr. Seuss". Time. October 02, 1989.
- ^ "Truax". Terri Birkett. National Wood Flooring Manufacturers' Association (NOFMA) Environmental Committee. (PDF).
- ^ http://www.pcdf.org/meadows/truax.html
- ^ http://www.aadl.org/node/9624
- ^ "Dr. Seuss & Mr. Geisel : a biography". Judith & Neil Morgan. Random House. 1995. ISBN 978-0679416869.
- ^ Acharya, Govind (2010-04-07). "They Are the Lorax, They Speak for the Trees". Amnesty International USA. http://blog.amnestyusa.org/business/they-are-the-lorax-they-speak-for-the-trees/. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
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