The Cat in the Hat

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Summary: My 2 year old son wakes up asking for 'Hat in Pat'!
Review: A timeless story of mischief and mahem

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Summary: FREUD ON SEUSS
Review: The Cat in the Hat is a hard-hitting novel of prose and poetryin which the author re-examines the dynamic rhyming schemes and bold imagery of some of his earlier works, most notably Green Eggs and Ham, If I Ran the Zoo, and Why Can't I Shower With Mommy? In this novel, Theodore Geisel, writing under the pseudonym Dr. Seuss, pays homage to the great Dr. Sigmund Freud in a nightmarish fantasy of a renegade feline helping two young children understand their own frustrated sexuality.

The story opens with two youngsters, a brother and a sister, abandoned by their mother, staring mournfully through the window of their single-family dwelling. In the foreground, a large tree/phallic symbol dances wildly in the wind, taunting the children and encouraging them to succumb to the sexual yearnings they undoubtedly feel for each other. Even to the most unlearned reader, the blatant references to the incestuous relationship the two share set the tone for Seuss' probing examination of the satisfaction of primitive needs. The Cat proceeds to charm the wary youths into engaging in what he so innocently refers to as "tricks." At this point, the fish, an obvious Christ figure who represents the prevailing Christian morality, attempts to warn the children, and thus, in effect, warns all of humanity of the dangers associated with the unleashing of the primal urges.

In response to this, the cat proceeds to balance the aquatic naysayer on the end of his umbrella, essentially saying, "Down with morality; down with God!"

After poohpoohing the righteous rantings of the waterlogged Christ figure, the Cat begins to juggle several icons of Western culture, most notably two books, representing the Old and New Testaments, and a saucer of lactal fluid, an ironic reference to maternal loss the two children experienced when their mother abandoned them "for the afternoon." Our heroic Id adds to this bold gesture a rake and a toy man, and thus completes the Oedipal triangle.

Later in the novel, Seuss introduces the proverbial Pandora's box, a large red crate out of which the Id releases Thing One, or Freud's concept of Ego, the division of the psyche that serves as the conscious mediator between the person and reality, and Thing Two, the Superego, which functions to reward and punish through a system of moral attitudes, conscience, and guilt. Referring to this box, the Cat says, "Now look at this trick. Take a look!" In this, Dr. Seuss uses the children as a brilliant metaphor for the reader, and asks the reader to re-examine his own inner self.

The children, unable to control the Id, Ego, and Superego allow these creatures to run free and mess up the house, or more symbolically, control their lives. This rampage continues until the fish, or Christ symbol, warns that the mother is returning to reinstate the Oedipal triangle that existed before her abandonment of the children. At this point, Seuss introduces a many-armed cleaning device which represents the psychoanalytic couch, which proceeds to put the two youngsters' lives back in order.

With powerful simplicity, clarity, and drama, Seuss reduces Freud's concepts on the dynamics of the human psyche to an easily understood gesture. Mr. Seuss' poetry and choice of words is equally impressive and serves as a splendid counterpart to his bold symbolism. In all, his writing style is quick and fluid, making The Cat in the Hat impossible to put down. While this novel is 61 pages in length, and one can read it in five minutes or less, it is not until after multiple readings that the genius of this modern-day master becomes apparent.

Copyright 1989, Joshua LeBeau ([e-mail]) and the Koala Newspaper

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Summary: THIS BOOK IS A CLASSIC!!!
Review: THE CAT IN THE HAT IS A GREAT BOOK. WHEN THE MOTHER LEAVES THE CAT IN THE HAT COMES AND MAKES A MESS. IT WAS SO FUN TO READ WHEN I WAS A KID AND NOW ITS FUN TO READ TO MY KIDS. TAKE MY ADVICE READ THIS BOOK!!! END

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Summary: My favorite book as a kid!!
Review: This was my all time favorite book as a little girl. My mom says that I asked for it to be read every single night for months until she almost couldn't stand it. Her hard work paid off because one night, I read it to her. Then that became a favorite living room trick with guests...the 4 year old reading Cat in the Hat out loud and turning the pages in all the right spots...of course because I had memorized it. I am buying it right now for my new little 2 month old boy. I hope he likes it as much as I did!

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Summary: Frightening book for children
Review: The Cat in the Hat is quite a disturbing book considering how young its audience is. This giant mutant cat shows up at the house while mom is out and proceeds to touch and play with everything while the kids look on in terror. They try to get this strange intruder to leave without success, and the cat proceeds to release two "things" which tear around the house, destroying everything. Sure, the cat cleans up everything in the end, but if you or I did this, we'd be lucky to be arrested and not shot on sight. I would expect children to have nightmares from this story.

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Summary: The title is true.
Review: On the front cover, the title says "The cat in the hat", and inside there is a story about a cat who wears a hat! END

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Summary: All about The Cat in the Hat
Review: Dr. Suess teaches a life lesson in this book. He doesn't force the ryme - he tells a funny, entertaining book for beginning readers. This is an excellent book to start your kids on.

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Summary: I THINK THIS IS A GOOD BOOK FOR SOMEONE MY AGE (6)
Review: THIS BOOK I LIKE BECAUSE IT IS FUN,RYMING,AND GREAT FOR ALL AGES!

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Summary: not very diffucult to read, but always holding a moral
Review: i myself do not enjoy this book, but my little sister loves it, so i'll speak for her and give it a 10! Dr. Suess never fails to slip in a little lesson at the end

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Summary: Satanic Undertones! Buyer beware!
Review: I cannot believe that there are still parents out there who havent figured out the simple underlying theme to this book! Clearly the "cat in the hat" represents a satanic creature or symbol, whose sole purpose is the corruption and temptation of the children. He is DEMONIZING them! The fish represents reason and sensibility (God), and the author has made the cat satan... so look at this: Cats EAT fish! (...)Suess has basically said in his story that Satan will eventually devour all that is good and will corrupt all of his children while he watches helplessly from his glass prison. Parents BEWARE!