Essay Questions

How are children portrayed in this story?

The young unnamed boy in the story is shown to be an inquisitive and bright young man. He begins a search for imaginary creatures in his house by roaming around common areas and making up creatures relating to their location. He reflects the curiosity of young children as they get their grips on their surroundings and begin to recognize common parts of daily life.

What was Seuss’ main purpose for writing this story?

Seuss wrote this book as a way to make learning fun for young people. As some of the words are quite difficult for young people to get to grips with, he uses a rhyme to make it easier to remember them. By associating a physical figure to the words, children are more likely to retain the visual and, therefore, the word itself.

What underlying connotations are made in this story?

The most prominent theme running through the story is one of loneliness. The young boy has no one to entertain him so he relies on his imagination to concoct this wonderful experience of meeting new creatures, as perhaps a defense mechanism against the loneliness.