Freud on Seuss

[SoulWinner]

Freud on Seuss - a book review by Josh LeBeau<br />(copied from the Koala, UCSD’s humour newspaper, which has no copyright<br />notices in it anywhere)<br />The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss, 61 pages. Beginner Books,<br />$3.95<br />The Cat in the Hat is a hard hitting novel of prose and poetry in which the<br />author re examines the dynamic rhyming schemes and bold imagery of some of<br />his earlier works, most notably Green Eggs and Ham, If I Ran the Zoo, and<br />Why Can’t I Shower With Mommy? In this novel, Theodore Geisel, writing under<br />the pseudonym Dr. Seuss, pays homage to the great Dr. Sigmund Freud in a<br />nightmarish fantasy of a renegade feline helping two young children<br />understand their own frustrated sexuality.<br />The story opens with two youngsters, a brother and a sister, abandoned by<br />their mother, staring mournfully through the window of their single family<br />dwelling. In the foreground, a large tree/phallic symbol dances wildly in<br />the wind, taunting the children and encouraging them to succumb to the<br />sexual yearnings they undoubtedly feel for each other. Even to the most<br />unlearned reader, the blatant references to the incestuous relationship the<br />two share set the tone for Seuss’ probing examination of the satisfaction of<br />primitive needs. The Cat proceeds to charm the wary youths into engaging in<br />what he so innocently refers to as “tricks.” At this point, the fish, an<br />obvious Christ figure who represents the prevailing Christian morality,<br />attempts to warn the children, and thus, in effect, warns all of humanity of<br />the dangers associated with the unleashing of the primal urges. In response<br />to this, the cat proceeds to balance the aquatic naysayer on the end of his<br />umbrella, essentially saying, “Down with morality; down with God!”<br />After pooh poohing the righteous rantings of the waterlogged Christ figure,<br />the Cat begins to juggle several icons of Western culture, most notably two<br />books, representing the Old and New Testaments, and a saucer of lactal<br />fluid, an ironic reference to maternal loss the two children experienced<br />when their mother abandoned them “for the afternoon.” Our heroic Id adds to<br />this bold gesture a rake and a toy man, and thus completes the Oedipal<br />triangle.<br />Later in the novel, Seuss introduces the proverbial Pandora’s box, a large<br />red crate out of which the Id releases Thing One, or Freud’s concept of Ego,<br />the division of the psyche that serves as the conscious mediator between the<br />person and reality, and Thing Two, the Superego which functions to reward<br />and punish through a system of moral attitudes, conscience, and guilt.<br />Referring to this box, the Cat says, “Now look at this trick. Take a look!”<br />In this, Dr. Seuss uses the children as a brilliant metaphor for the reader,<br />and asks the reader to re-examine his own inner self.<br />The children, unable to control the Id, Ego, and Superego allow these<br />creatures to run free and mess up the house, or more symbolically, control<br />their lives. This rampage continues until the fish, or Christ symbol, warns<br />that the mother is returning to reinstate the Oedipal triangle that existed<br />before her abandonment of the children. At this point, Seuss introduces a<br />many armed cleaning device which represents the psychoanalytic couch, which<br />proceeds to put the two youngsters’ lives back in order.<br />With powerful simplicity, clarity, and drama, Seuss reduces Freud’s concepts<br />on the dynamics of the human psyche to an easily understood gesture. Mr.<br />Seuss’ poetry and choice of words is equally impressive and serves as a<br />splendid counterpart to his bold symbolism. In all, his writing style is<br />quick and fluid, making The Cat in the Hat impossible to put down. While<br />this novel is 61 pages in length, and one can read it in five minutes or<br />less, it is not until after multiple readings that the genius of this modern<br />day master becomes apparent.