An Analysis Of 'The Sneetches' By Doctor Seuss

Improved Essays
"The Sneetches" is a story by Doctor Seuss where creatures are separated based on

whether a star is present on their chest. The Sneetches with stars look harshly against Sneetches

without because they feel they are the best. Because of this treatment the Sneetches without stars

feel oppressed because of their cruel counterparts. This goes on for a time until Sylvester

McMonkey McBean enters town with a machine that can put stars on and take stars off a

Sneetch. So seeing this grand opportunity the plain belly Sneetches ask McBean for a star on their

chests. The star bellied Sneetches become angered because they have lost their elite status so

they ask McBean to remove their stars off their chests. This goes on for a time until they have
…show more content…
And at one moment all the Sneetches have an epiphany

realizing that whether you have a star or not they are all the same and can coincide and live

together. This story shows the oppression and psychological pain people who are being

discriminated must go through to be accepted.

The plain belly Sneetches in this story have a basic desire to fit in and to be one with the

star bellied Sneetches. This is the fundamental drive to the story and the root of what the plain

belly Sneetches want. This desire that the Sneetches have is known as the id. Children operate

through the id because they have yet to learn social skills, but the Sneetches have acquired this

because they have been consciously become a pariah to society by the star bellied Sneetches.

Because of the plain belly Sneetches superego they do not retaliate against the star bellied

Sneetches until they are given an astounding opportunity Mr. McBean. In the end both the star

and the plain belly Sneetches find a balance between both types of Sneetches, realizing that they

both can live together in harmony.

Interestingly enough Dr. Seuss was all for the Japanese internment back in WWII

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