Racism And Anti-Semitism In The Story Of The Sneetches By Dr. Seuss

The story of The Sneetches by Dr. Seuss gives valuable lesson of racism and anti-Semitism through vivid metaphor. The main theme of this story is that the race and ethnicity should not be a borderline in the society. Empathy is used very suddenly only at the end, but plays an important role to settle down the argument and leads to happy ending that fulfills the role of teaching moral.

A work as a children’s book; each line is polished with rhymes to create a playful tone. The stars on Sneetches’ bellies are significant symbols. It does not only represent obvious differences among Sneetches, but also prejudice of class status. Prejudice created by stereotypical racist and xenophobic mind gives the role of social status to the star, and those who are being discriminated felt more degraded and discriminated than what the reality actually is.

Eventually Sneetches realize the stars are nothing more than just a pattern, and they have only created on their own mind as something powerful and necessary to be better. The image of star has connotation to the history, since it resembles to when Jewish people were forced to put stars on their outfits to be distinguished from others during the Nazi regime. Furthermore, Dr. Seuss choosing a bird for character represents the story is sarcastically pointing out the history of United States. One of the symbols to represent the United States is an eagle. As Sneetches get the stars on their bellies, they said, “That day, all the Sneetches forgot about stars. And whether they had one, or not, upon thars”.

The peace and equality was brought when they no longer knew what they originally were. It became possible since the Sneetches are more complex and started to have more interaction with each other. This theory is similar for people being Americanized after they came to America and lose their identity, which happens quite often for people in my country. Human cannot pay for exchanging skin of color, cultural background, ethnicity, and sex. The lesson taught here is that the solution being sold to by whom, does not actually understand the situation only hide the truth away and creates ramification in the problem. McMonkey Mcbean gives a chance for plain Sneetches to gain stars on their belly for three dollars.

In number symbolism the number three is considered to be a magical number. This number fits the story plot because the star was magical tool to be someone who they are originally not and hopes for a better future. When the group or the society has taken away the social norm, people will start to look through the world in different lenses just like Sneetches. The world turns better when the society becomes blind of the line of social acceptance or norms.