Reaction Paper - About The Movie Lorax

A POSITION PAPER ON THE MOVIE “THE LORAX”
Submitted by: HENNESSY D. MUGA, JD-2
Dr Seuss’s “The Lorax” is a cute children’s story about the conflict between a
greedy, enterprising Once-ler who invades and destroys the land of the pesky, but
persistent Lorax. I was not sure what to expect after watching this movie. I discerned that
it has rhyming and some funny humor. Although the Once-ler’s ambitions are not slowed
down by the Lorax’s protests, neither wins out in the end. However, the story is more
complex than one may see at first glance. The story clearly exposes Dr. Seuss as a strong
environmentalist intent on influencing his young readers’ views on the environment. He
cleverly makes a strong environmentalist point through the interaction between the Once-
ler and the Lorax, and suggests a powerful message to the young readers of this story
through the boy, who at first seems to play a rather minor role in the story.
Seuss clearly uses Once-ler to symbolize what he sees as the attitude of big
business towards the environment and the damage that can be caused by that attitude.
The Once-ler, who represents the early people began creating factories in a place where
the natural resources can be abused of to make a lot of money. What he does not realize
is the limited supply of those resources and the community evolving them depends on
those for survival.
Upon his arrival, Once-ler immediately sees opportunity in the land of the Truffula
Tree. He quickly builds a successful business on the needs he produces in spite of the
protests from the local ambassador for the area’s natural resources. He turns a deaf ear
to the frequent protests of the Lorax even when faced with evidence that his actions are
causing harm to the local wildlife. Although he claims to care, he makes no changes in
his behavior. Seuss uses Once-ler’s reactions to the Lorax to expose his own views on
industry’s attitude toward the environment, “I the Once-ler felt sad as I watched them all
go, but business is business! And Business must grow.” The Once-ler continues to chop
the trees, failing to recognize the damage he is doing until, at last, it is too late to do
anything about it. Once-ler ironically goes on to destroy the one thing that made him rich.
His business fails, and all that is left is a barren wasteland. The result is clearly Seuss’s
warning to both industry and those who regulate it.
On the other side of the conflict is the Lorax, who clearly symbolizes Mother
Nature’s response to our own abuse of the environment. The Lorax literally speaks for
both the trees and the animals of the land. He repeatedly warns Once-ler of the damage
he is doing just like Mother Nature warns us when we damage the environment. The Bar-
ba-loots are the first among the native animals to get pushed out by the destruction done
by Once-ler. The other animals flee as a result of the pollution, and each are clearly
presented by the Lorax as a warning to Once-ler, just as Mother Nature presents us with
the warnings of red tides, ozone pollution, and increasing numbers of endangered
species. Finally, when the land is barren and useless, the Lorax himself departs, leaving
only a message in the pile of stones. This is Mother Nature’s last plea for help, a message
that remains a mystery to Once-ler, and a message that gives Seuss the opportunity to
present his solution to the problem.
The boy obviously symbolizes Seuss’s solution to the problem created by the
Once-lers of our world. The story opens with the curious boy who asks questions and is
willing to pay the price to learn the answers. He represents the hope of the next
generation. He listens to the Once-ler’s entire story showing how much he cares about
the knowledge that Once-ler can give him. When Once-ler finishes the story, he willingly
accepts the challenge of repairing the land of the Truffula as is seen when he raises his
hands to catch the last Truffula seed. Seuss demonstrates his belief that today’s children
truly are the solution to our own environmental issues by allowing that boy to be the spark
that helps Once-ler figure out the puzzling message left by the Lorax. When he sees the
potential represented by the boy, he willingly offers both resources and advice to make
the boy’s challenge possible.
Finally, when the Once-ler tosses the boy that seed of hope, Dr. Seuss’s message
is just as clear to us as it was to the Once-ler. “Unless someone like you cares a whole
awful lot, nothing is going to get better, It’s not!” That seed represents the same potential
power that is represented by today’s children. If they care enough, they will find that they
can be instruments of positive change. We Once-lers may even find that we can learn a
thing or two from them, and that with their help, the Lorax may even come back to places
we thought were hopeless. Dr. Seuss leaves us no doubt that this is his hope. Otherwise,
why would he send this message through characters that appeal directly to children and
the children within us?
Now for us, we never realized that climate change has strongly affecting the nature
and so we are paying the price. I feel that the Lorax is a good movie to watch and most
especially to the children in the world. It gives a bigger picture as to how children can
make a difference into the world we’re living in. The movie’s lesson also teaches us in a
fun and creative way, that is on how to conserve things and not to take them for granted.
Although other might misunderstand the politics of it, other can comprehend what the
movie Lorax is trying to say. “Don’t use and abuse things that can hurt other people”.
- END-

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A POSITION PAPER ON THE MOVIE “THE LORAX”

Submitted by: HENNESSY D. MUGA, JD-2

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