Most of you will know Dr Seuss as one of the most famous children's authors of the 20th century. He was famous for numerous books such as The Cat in The Hat, Green Eggs and Ham and How The Grinch Stole Christmas.
However, before he started writing children’s books, Dr Seuss led a very important life. Theodor Seuss Geisel, to give his real name, was a political cartoonist.
At the start of his career as a political cartoonist, he drew over 400 cartoons for the left-leaning New York City newspaper PM. These cartoons denounced Hitler and Mussolini, while Seuss was also highly critical of non-interventionists such as Charles Lindbergh.
During the time America was not involved in the war effort, Seuss’ cartoons were highly supportive of President Theodore Roosevelt and attacked those whom he deemed to be aiding the Nazis by being creating disunity.
After the attack on Pearl Harbour and America’s entry into the war, Seuss’ cartoons changed in nature. His work explicitly supported and praised the American war effort.
This is understandable during wartime, but by today’s standards, some of the cartoons were overtly racist towards America’s enemies, with Japan, in particular, bearing the brunt of Seuss’ criticism.
