The Contributions Of Margaretha Christine Geisel

Register to read the introduction… From a young age his parents were able to see that he had potential. When his father would take him to the zoo, Geisel found himself drawing some of the animals he would see. Even though his sister, Margaretha Christine Geisel, would make fun of his illustrations because they were greatly out of proportion, he always stayed true to his unique style and way of thinking. When his father realized how talented Geisel was, he wanted Geisel to send a drawing to The Youth’s Companion magazine to see what they thought of Geisel’s abilities. They said, “Yes…he had talent” (Morgan12). From then on out his father urged him to keep on drawing. “While his father encouraged [Geisel] in his drawing, [his mother] fostered his awareness of the pleasures of words” (Morgan 14). His mother always wanted to go to college but wasn’t able to because she had to tend to her father’s bakery. So she wanted to make sure her children would be able to get a good education and go to college. She started off by reading to them. She would read bed time storied to them to try to encourage them that reading can be fun and succeeded. Geisel later stated that, more than anyone else, his mother was responsible “for the rhythms in which I write and the urgency with which I do it” (Morgan …show more content…
After the war, he started to write some activist children’s books like Horton Hears a Who!, The Sneetches, and Yertle the Turtle. But none were as controversial as The Lorax and The Butter Battle Book. “Most people who read The Lorax see it as a wonderful and important tale. Some, however, do not appreciate its message” (Levine 77). Since this book is focused on environmental conservation, many members of the logging and paper mill industry felt that this book attacked their jobs. One father was especially upset when his second grader came home from school after reading The Lorax and asked him “why he was destroying the forest” (Levine 77). He became infuriated and organized some members from his logging company to try to have the book banned from school. They claimed that “our kids are being brain washed. We’ve got to stop this crap right now!” (Levine 77). Even though this created a heated debate in a school board meeting, they decided to keep The Lorax on the shelves. Geisel’s responded to these complaints by stating “that the book is not a direct attack against specific U.S. industries but about his frustration over the irresponsible waste of natural resources” (Levine 77). Although The Lorax created quite an uproar, none of Geisel’s books caused as much controversy as The Butter Battle Book. This book focused on the dangers of nuclear war and because of this many parents became concerned. They would say that the subject was simply too frightening for a child. Many parents didn’t want their children to be exposed to those kinds of books. One of the biggest problem, however, was about the ending. He intentionally left “the ending hanging in the balance” (Levine 79). Some suggest that he did this in order to send the message that nuclear warfare is an unresolved