Cat in the Hat
The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss is a great book for children when they have nothing better to do, or they just want to read. This book keeps young readers engaged by the countless rhymes and surprises that are thrown into the book. Yet, it is more than just a children's book. It contains important themes for young readers to understand. In fact, it shares several themes with another well-known children's novel, William Golding's Lord of the Flies. One theme that the two have in common is that when adult supervision is absent, children's figurative and literal "beasts" come out.
A reoccuring theme in Lord of the Flies is authority leaving causes evil to come out. In a tropical area, a plane crashes on a deserted island, and the only adult, a pilot, dies in the crash. At first order is attempted; however, over time the order deteriorates into savagery and chaos. For example, Roger throws stones at Henry but does not hit him because he knows adults would consider it wrong. Golding tells us that "There was a space around Henry.... Around the squatting child was the protection of parents, and school, and policeman and the law" (Golding 62). However, by the end of the novel, when Roger murders Piggy he becomes a cold-blooded killer. The "taboo of the old life" deteriorates as does the circumscribed area of "adult" protection around others.
The Cat in the Hat also shares the theme of authority figures leaving causing the "animals" both literally and figuratively. The book starts with two children sitting in front of a window watching rain pour down from the sky as they wait for their mother to arrive. These two children were very bored, when what would show up but a talking cat in a hat. The Cat introduces some fun games to the children, but the fish tries to be the voice of reason and talk the children out letting him stay. "No! No! / Make that cat go Away! / Tell that Cat in the Hat/ You do NOT want to play. / He should not be here. /He should not be about. / He
A reoccuring theme in Lord of the Flies is authority leaving causes evil to come out. In a tropical area, a plane crashes on a deserted island, and the only adult, a pilot, dies in the crash. At first order is attempted; however, over time the order deteriorates into savagery and chaos. For example, Roger throws stones at Henry but does not hit him because he knows adults would consider it wrong. Golding tells us that "There was a space around Henry.... Around the squatting child was the protection of parents, and school, and policeman and the law" (Golding 62). However, by the end of the novel, when Roger murders Piggy he becomes a cold-blooded killer. The "taboo of the old life" deteriorates as does the circumscribed area of "adult" protection around others.
The Cat in the Hat also shares the theme of authority figures leaving causing the "animals" both literally and figuratively. The book starts with two children sitting in front of a window watching rain pour down from the sky as they wait for their mother to arrive. These two children were very bored, when what would show up but a talking cat in a hat. The Cat introduces some fun games to the children, but the fish tries to be the voice of reason and talk the children out letting him stay. "No! No! / Make that cat go Away! / Tell that Cat in the Hat/ You do NOT want to play. / He should not be here. /He should not be about. / He