Horton Hears a Who!
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Horton Hears a Who! (1954) is a rhyming story by Dr. Seuss. As in the first book involving Horton (Horton Hatches the Egg), Horton exhibits his willingness to protect others, even at the expense of his own safety.
The Whos would later make a reappearance in How the Grinch Stole Christmas; however, the Whos in the latter book would be of differing height.
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[edit] Plot
The book tells the story of Horton the Elephant who one day, on the fifteenth of May in the Jungle of Nool to be precise, hears a small speck of dust talking to him. It turns out the speck of dust is actually a tiny planet, home to a city called "Who-ville", inhabited by microscopic-sized inhabitants known as Whos.
The Whos ask Horton (who, though he cannot see them, is able to hear them quite well due to his extraordinary hearing) to protect them from harm, to which Horton happily obliges, proclaiming throughout the book that "a person's a person, no matter how small". In doing so he is ridiculed and nearly murdered by the other animals, such as the Wickersham Brothers and the Sourpuss Jane Kangaroo, and the small kangaroo in her pouch, in the jungle for believing in something that they are unable to see or hear. Horton tells the Whos that they needed to make themselves heard to the other animals, lest they end up as part of "beezlenut stew", which they finally accomplish. The Who's finally make themselves heard by ensuring that all members of their society play their part. In the end it is the smallest Who of all, Jo-Jo, who provides the last volume lift to be heard, thus reinforcing the moral of "a person's a person no matter how small".
[edit] Involvement in the United States abortion debate
The book (most notably Horton the Elephant's recurring phrase "a person's a person, no matter how small") has found its way to the center of the recurring debate, in the United States, over abortion. Several pro-life groups have adopted the phrase in support of their views; the American Life League has even published a pamphlet using the phrase as the title. This has brought sharp criticism from Dr. Seuss' widow, Audrey Geisel (who is strongly pro-choice), and at least one lawsuit was filed in Canada in 2001 to stop the use of the phrase. Before his death, Seuss himself threatened to sue an anti-abortion group for using the phrase. [1]
[edit] Adaptations in other media
Horton Hears a Who! was adapted into a half-hour animated TV special by MGM Animation/Visual Arts in 1970, directed by Chuck Jones and with narration by Hans Conried. In Russia, Alexei Karayev directed I Can Hear You in 1992, a 19-minute paint-on-glass-animated film which is based on the Russian translation of Seuss's poetry but features a very different visual style. [2] The story also provides the basic plot for the 2000 Broadway musical Seussical.
Horton Hears a Who! (film) will be another adaptation; utilizing computer animation from Blue Sky Studios, the animation arm of 20th Century Fox. Projected release is in 2008. [3] Jim Carrey will be voicing Horton and Steve Carell will be the Mayor of Who-ville.[4]
[edit] Trivia
- In the animated version of Horton Hears a Who after he has found them in the large field and while the Whos are singing their apology for not believing Dr. Who-vee, there is a Who character singing that bears a striking resemblance to The Grinch.
- Jane Kangaroo, her child, and the Wickersham Brothers appear as characters in The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss.
- The Sour Kangaroo and the Wickersham Brothers appear in the Broadway play Seussical as a sort of evil gang trying to prove that the Whos are not there and is stated in the song "Biggest Blame Fool".
- At the end of the animated film, Dr. Who-vee is confronted by a small speck of dust, and is nervous that it too may speak to him.
[edit] References
- "Sense and Nonsense", The New York Times Magazine, Nov. 26, 2000.
- The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, 3th ed., edited by E. D. Hirsch, Jr., et al. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 200
- "Ontario: Use of Seuss protested", National Post, Jan. 29, 2001.
- "Interview with Philip Nel", Booktalk, ABC Radio National, Jan. 5 2004.
