Throughout the course of history, parables have been used as an effective means of educating people about a particular subject in a way that is palatable and interesting to children and adults alike. Humans are fascinated by a good story, and the mark of a well-told parable is the audience being unaware of the fact that a moral is being illustrated all the while. One of the masters of this type of storytelling was Theodore Seuss Geisel, affectionately known and celebrated as Dr. Seuss.
Out of his myriad fascinating works of fiction, the one that has caught public attention of late is the tale of The Lorax. The Lorax tells the story of how a once-thriving and beautiful forest of Truffula trees is decimated to the point of extinction by the introduction of industrialization, of which the Truffula tree is the main commodity. A resident of the Truffula forest, the Lorax, protests to the mastermind behind the industrialization, the Once-Ler, that the Truffulas are vital to the health and survival to all the creatures in the forest. However, the Once-Ler doesn’t listen, causing eventual ruin not only to the forest, but to his own enterprise as well.
The Lorax is a terrific metaphor for the continued destruction to the environment with regard solely to profiteering, and not sustainable practices. The message was so poignant, even in 1972, that it was made into an animated television special. And here we are in 2012, witnessing the release of a feature film based on the very same story that captivated America’s heart more than 40 years ago. The question now is, will The Lorax have the impact that the author intended when it was originally offered? Or will it be glossed over as yet another outstanding animation project in a long succession of others?
We hope it gets some gears turning…and not on a Thneeds machine!
The Original Lorax Made-For-TV Special Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5jnJdnQPr8
The Original Lorax Made-For-TV Special Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzYRkGIQpOs&feature=related
Lorax the Movie Preview
Photo via jinglejammer
