Secondary Source Annotation

Secondary Source Annotation
I began a search for my secondary sources by using a basic Google search. I found that there is an even more enormous amount of analytical information about Dr. Seuss and The Cat in The Hat than I originally thought. While the position of every article varied based on personal interpretation, I did notice a particular recurring point of discussion-- the theory of "Id, Ego, and Super-Ego". This theory, developed by Sigmund Freud in the 1890's, states that there are there are three pieces, which he named the Id, Ego, and Super-Ego, that contribute to psychoanalytical thinking. The Ego represents oneself and the surface of one's personality. The Id represents the dark or immoral counterpart of personality. And the Super-Ego represents conscience or will to “do good”. According to many sources, all three ideas can be identified with in The Cat in The Hat. Intrigued by this concept, I was able to find my first secondary source, The Annotated Cat: Under the Hats of Seuss and His Cats by Philip Nel, a renowned American scholar of children's literature.
Through out this book, the author explains not only textual, but also visual symbolism with-in The Cat in the Hat. He decodes the genius of Dr. Seuss’ subliminal messages by dissecting fine details and explicitly stating these underlying messages. Nel’s supports his work by providing background information on Dr. Seuss himself. To some extent, this allows readers to understand why Dr. Seuss wrote what he did. Were there possible influences in his life that caused him to be concerned with politics? If so, then why did he choose children as the audience of such an advance message? How and why might children perceive The Cat in The Hat, what will they take away from it? These are questions for which Nel’s compilation does not offer an explanation. Also, Nel assures us that Dr. Seuss was indeed intentional with his complex intricate creations. So perhaps he intended the messages in The Cat in the Hat to only be fully understood by adults, and if so what statement his he therefore making about children and their ability to grasp complexities?
Other source will be helpful in answer these questions. I am going to review Children’s Literature Quarterly, which provides explanations for why illustrations in children’s literature are the way they are. I need to understand this because I still haven’t been able answer an original question of mine: why is the cat depicted in such an un-catlike way? Aside from this source, I will another Dr. Seuss book as a secondary source. I think by reviewing more of Dr. Seuss’ work I will be able to highlight recurring details. The more a certain thing is repeated, the more accurately it can be assumed that Seuss intended that particular aspect to be noticed. As use a 2nd Dr. Seuss book to analyze The Cat in the Hat, I will need to answer questions like are there similar abstract illustrations in both books? Do both books have representations of an “id, ego, and super-ego?” Can both books be interpreted as political commentary?
By using Children’s Literature Quarterly I will better understand, in terms of visuals representations, why Seuss created what he has. I will use the second Dr. Seuss book to support my conclusions and further analyze the details in The Cat in the Hat by highlighting comparisons between the two books. Lastly, using the knowledge of Philip Nel, and his annotation on The Cat in the Hat I will be able to integrate the ideas of a scholar into my source analysis.



Nel, Philip. The Annotated Cat: under the Hats of Seuss and His Cats. New York: Random House, 2007. Print.

Seuss, Dr. Green Eggs and Ham. New York: Random House, 2006. Print.