http://petcaretips.net/turtles-tortoises-mythology-religion.html Acess January 20, 2010
This source describes the symbolism of turtle's in different regions of the world. It gives an overview of what they mean to different cultures, and the stories in which they appear. It was useful to our research in providing a wide variety of views of the turtle and providing a base of stories and myths to research further. Many of the meanings associated with the turtle on this site related directly to our analogies of Yertle the Turtle.
Chevalier,Jean. Gheerbrant, Alain. Buchanan-Brown, John. .The Penguin Dictionary of Symbols Penguin Books, 1996. Access Jan 22, 2010.
The book is a detailed symbolism dictionary, that elaborates on the meanings and origin of symbols from mythology and everyday life. It provided insight into the symbolism of tortotises, and the information was used in the body paragraph of the essays. It examines a varitey of symbols, providing indepth information of the various topics.
Tames, Robert. Fascism: Ideas of the Modern World.Italy, 2001. Access: January 25, 2010.
This book describes fascism in the modern world, and world war two. It refers to individuals, such as Hitler, who believed in the political movement. Fascism offered clear definitions and ideas relating to the functions of fascism that were usefu when writing the essay portion of the assignment, and to determine words to use in the political cartoon.
-Nina
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
The Bibliography
Bibliography
Yertle, Hitler, and Dr. Seuss by Richard H. Minear, professor of history at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and author of Dr. Seuss Goes to War. From Your Favourite Seuss, published 2004.
From the book Your Favourite Seuss, which contains thirteen Dr. Seuss stories and essays concerning each of them, the foundation of the project was set. From the essay by Richard H. Minear before Dr. Seuss's Yertle the Turtle, we discovered the message and intention behind Yertle's character: Yertle the Turtle is Adolf Hitler.
In the essay, Minear explains Dr. Seuss's clever way to describe fascism through his artwork and stories. He recounts how Dr. Seuss had originally drew Yertle with Hitler's infamous moustache, although it was later removed. Minear also makes reference to Seuss's political cartoons from the second world war, one of which showed a 'V for Victory', prefiguring the tower of turtles in Yertle the Turtle.
Minear's essay gets gives a general overview of Seuss's intentions as a teacher: in tolerance (The Sneeches), in environmental awareness (The Lorax), again the nuclear arms race (The Butter Battle Book) and more. He also brings to life Seuss's words again, something to be kept in mind while researching and writing about Dr. Seuss's work: “Outside of my Beginner Books, I never write for children. I write for people.”
The Doctrine of Fascism – Benito Mussolini co-written by Giovanni Gentile, translation from Fascism Doctrine and Institutions, by Benito Mussolini
This article, a translation from a text published in 1935, is a direct representation of Benito Mussolini's views on fascism. It gave an inside idea of the workings of a fascist government and the the expected standards of the public. This article was researched for information on a fascist nation for the essay. Mussolini's government, like Hitler's, was an example of complete power in the hands of the one at the top of the stack, so to speak. Mussolini's views of how the political system should work is directly mirrored in Yertle the Turtle. And like King Yertle, Mussolini and his ideas displayed in this article ended up in the mud.
-Maddie
Yertle, Hitler, and Dr. Seuss by Richard H. Minear, professor of history at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and author of Dr. Seuss Goes to War. From Your Favourite Seuss, published 2004.
From the book Your Favourite Seuss, which contains thirteen Dr. Seuss stories and essays concerning each of them, the foundation of the project was set. From the essay by Richard H. Minear before Dr. Seuss's Yertle the Turtle, we discovered the message and intention behind Yertle's character: Yertle the Turtle is Adolf Hitler.
In the essay, Minear explains Dr. Seuss's clever way to describe fascism through his artwork and stories. He recounts how Dr. Seuss had originally drew Yertle with Hitler's infamous moustache, although it was later removed. Minear also makes reference to Seuss's political cartoons from the second world war, one of which showed a 'V for Victory', prefiguring the tower of turtles in Yertle the Turtle.
Minear's essay gets gives a general overview of Seuss's intentions as a teacher: in tolerance (The Sneeches), in environmental awareness (The Lorax), again the nuclear arms race (The Butter Battle Book) and more. He also brings to life Seuss's words again, something to be kept in mind while researching and writing about Dr. Seuss's work: “Outside of my Beginner Books, I never write for children. I write for people.”
The Doctrine of Fascism – Benito Mussolini co-written by Giovanni Gentile, translation from Fascism Doctrine and Institutions, by Benito Mussolini
This article, a translation from a text published in 1935, is a direct representation of Benito Mussolini's views on fascism. It gave an inside idea of the workings of a fascist government and the the expected standards of the public. This article was researched for information on a fascist nation for the essay. Mussolini's government, like Hitler's, was an example of complete power in the hands of the one at the top of the stack, so to speak. Mussolini's views of how the political system should work is directly mirrored in Yertle the Turtle. And like King Yertle, Mussolini and his ideas displayed in this article ended up in the mud.
-Maddie
Essay
Hitler the Turtle
In his story Yertle the Turtle, Theodor Geisel attempts to condemn fascism and autocracy, exposing them through the use of symbolism and a striking plot line. Theodor Seuss Geisel, more commonly known as Dr. Seuss, is known the centrist views displayed in his many editorial cartoons and stories. He regularly criticizes the political extremes in his publications, and Yertle the Turtle is no exception. Through the use of symbolism and metaphors he conveys Yertle as a menace to society and criticizes autocracy and its values. Yertle the Turtle is more than a story: like many of his books, it is an expression of the Geisel's opinions concerning command societies, in which he scorns fascism.
Fascism can be recognized historically as the attempt to organize the entire population of a country into a disciplined force, following one all powerful leader, (Tames), such as Yertle, the turtle, who dictates the others in the pond. At his command, they are forced to do anything to satisfy his will. They feel no joy in granting his wishes, as displayed by their facial expressions and lack of enthusiasm. One average turtle, Mack, voices the discomforts of those at the bottom of the pile. He tells Yertle that he doesn't “like to complain, but down here below, we are feeling great pain. I know, up on top you are seeing great sights, but down here at the bottom we, too, should have rights.” (Yertle the Turtle) The turtles are, in fact, reminiscent of the slaves in the United States prior to the Civil War, kept in check by their lack of motivation to resort to bloodshed in a coup. Geisel's word choice inspires us to feel resentment toward Yertle, the turtle king bellowing at the other turtles in the pond until his orders are met. Although Geisel does not explicitly say it, the ways his illustrations and diction work cause us to view Yertle in a darker light, causing us to rejoice when he is quite literally deposed by the average turtle.
The turtle, seamlessly woven into Geisel's Yertle the Turtle to enhance the representation and horror of fascism, is an ancient symbol, appearing in myths originating from various parts of the world. In many cultures, the turtle is depicted as carrying the world on its back (Peng). In Yertle the Turtle the turtles are stacked on each other's backs, the goal being to expand the world which Yertle attempts to govern. The expansion of Yertle's world relies on the turtle’s abilities to support him, and the increasing request for the turtles is reminiscent of the increasing demands Hitler placed on his own people during World War II, and of the heavy weight piling onto those lower down the tower. In a Mongol myth, the golden turtle which supports the world is the last thing that the sun burns, after everything else is shriveled (PEN). The agonized turtle rolls onto its back, and its death represents the end of the world (PEN). Similarly, when they are no longer protected by their once established community's involvement, fascist autocrats fall on their backs. The goals of achieving glory and perfection, as attempted by Hitler during the Holocaust, resulted in chaos and destruction. Hitler and Mussolini were both seen, at one time, to be great leaders with admirable plans. The turtle's mythological association with the marvels of heaven, and the horrors of hell (PENG) mirrors this, as their reputations are altered to less flattering perspectives when their intentions are exposed for as the horrors they are. Any individuals or institutions opposing to the visions of this revolutionary dictatorship and crushed (TAMES.) The character Mack, the turtle at the bottom of Yertle's “throne” represents the opposition to fascism. Mack is the only turtle to speak out in protest against Yertle, and he endures the greatest suffering since he is at the bottom of the pile. Dr. Seuss uses the turtle brilliantly to illustrate the results of a fascist movement.
Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories has a subtle intention, a cause that the Geisel had in mind from the start: a stab at fascism. Merriam Webster's Mobile Dictionary defines autocracy as a political theory favouring unlimited authority by a single person. Yertle's leadership falls under the given definition. With complete power in his grasp, his suppression of opposition is made obvious by the harsh treatment he administers, telling Mack to “hush up your mouth! You’ve no right to talk to the world’s highest turtle.” With Yertle as a representation of fascism, we can soon make all the connections necessary to find Geisel’s disapproval stashed in the text. Yertle is seen as a hostile character, mistreating his fellow turtles and forcing them into hard labour so that his “conquest” may grow. Thus, if Yertle’s rule is a fascist leadership, and he is represented as a hostile character, then it leads one to believe that fascism is a hostile form of government. His greed and thirst for power lead the reader to believe that fascism is a horrible, malicious way to rule a state. Geisel’s ending lines, “And the turtles, of course... all the turtles are free. As turtles and, maybe, all creatures should be.” (Yertle the Turtle) concludes his opinions of fascism. Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories shows Geisel’s beliefs about autocracy and other forms of authoritarian government.
Yertle is a perfect example of Western society’s worst nightmare: a dictator with no principles who is unafraid to stake the lives and well-being of his nation in order to achieve the desired results. He takes the turtle society, symbolized as guardians of the earth, and brings them to nothing more than an unsteady stack in the sky. Yertle, based off of the images of Mussolini and Hitler, and it is obvious that he represents the fascist form of government. Yertle is more than a dictator; he is a destroyer of worlds, as Geisel would have us think of fascism.
- written by Erik McGowan.
- edited and written by Nina Danielle
In his story Yertle the Turtle, Theodor Geisel attempts to condemn fascism and autocracy, exposing them through the use of symbolism and a striking plot line. Theodor Seuss Geisel, more commonly known as Dr. Seuss, is known the centrist views displayed in his many editorial cartoons and stories. He regularly criticizes the political extremes in his publications, and Yertle the Turtle is no exception. Through the use of symbolism and metaphors he conveys Yertle as a menace to society and criticizes autocracy and its values. Yertle the Turtle is more than a story: like many of his books, it is an expression of the Geisel's opinions concerning command societies, in which he scorns fascism.
Fascism can be recognized historically as the attempt to organize the entire population of a country into a disciplined force, following one all powerful leader, (Tames), such as Yertle, the turtle, who dictates the others in the pond. At his command, they are forced to do anything to satisfy his will. They feel no joy in granting his wishes, as displayed by their facial expressions and lack of enthusiasm. One average turtle, Mack, voices the discomforts of those at the bottom of the pile. He tells Yertle that he doesn't “like to complain, but down here below, we are feeling great pain. I know, up on top you are seeing great sights, but down here at the bottom we, too, should have rights.” (Yertle the Turtle) The turtles are, in fact, reminiscent of the slaves in the United States prior to the Civil War, kept in check by their lack of motivation to resort to bloodshed in a coup. Geisel's word choice inspires us to feel resentment toward Yertle, the turtle king bellowing at the other turtles in the pond until his orders are met. Although Geisel does not explicitly say it, the ways his illustrations and diction work cause us to view Yertle in a darker light, causing us to rejoice when he is quite literally deposed by the average turtle.
The turtle, seamlessly woven into Geisel's Yertle the Turtle to enhance the representation and horror of fascism, is an ancient symbol, appearing in myths originating from various parts of the world. In many cultures, the turtle is depicted as carrying the world on its back (Peng). In Yertle the Turtle the turtles are stacked on each other's backs, the goal being to expand the world which Yertle attempts to govern. The expansion of Yertle's world relies on the turtle’s abilities to support him, and the increasing request for the turtles is reminiscent of the increasing demands Hitler placed on his own people during World War II, and of the heavy weight piling onto those lower down the tower. In a Mongol myth, the golden turtle which supports the world is the last thing that the sun burns, after everything else is shriveled (PEN). The agonized turtle rolls onto its back, and its death represents the end of the world (PEN). Similarly, when they are no longer protected by their once established community's involvement, fascist autocrats fall on their backs. The goals of achieving glory and perfection, as attempted by Hitler during the Holocaust, resulted in chaos and destruction. Hitler and Mussolini were both seen, at one time, to be great leaders with admirable plans. The turtle's mythological association with the marvels of heaven, and the horrors of hell (PENG) mirrors this, as their reputations are altered to less flattering perspectives when their intentions are exposed for as the horrors they are. Any individuals or institutions opposing to the visions of this revolutionary dictatorship and crushed (TAMES.) The character Mack, the turtle at the bottom of Yertle's “throne” represents the opposition to fascism. Mack is the only turtle to speak out in protest against Yertle, and he endures the greatest suffering since he is at the bottom of the pile. Dr. Seuss uses the turtle brilliantly to illustrate the results of a fascist movement.
Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories has a subtle intention, a cause that the Geisel had in mind from the start: a stab at fascism. Merriam Webster's Mobile Dictionary defines autocracy as a political theory favouring unlimited authority by a single person. Yertle's leadership falls under the given definition. With complete power in his grasp, his suppression of opposition is made obvious by the harsh treatment he administers, telling Mack to “hush up your mouth! You’ve no right to talk to the world’s highest turtle.” With Yertle as a representation of fascism, we can soon make all the connections necessary to find Geisel’s disapproval stashed in the text. Yertle is seen as a hostile character, mistreating his fellow turtles and forcing them into hard labour so that his “conquest” may grow. Thus, if Yertle’s rule is a fascist leadership, and he is represented as a hostile character, then it leads one to believe that fascism is a hostile form of government. His greed and thirst for power lead the reader to believe that fascism is a horrible, malicious way to rule a state. Geisel’s ending lines, “And the turtles, of course... all the turtles are free. As turtles and, maybe, all creatures should be.” (Yertle the Turtle) concludes his opinions of fascism. Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories shows Geisel’s beliefs about autocracy and other forms of authoritarian government.
Yertle is a perfect example of Western society’s worst nightmare: a dictator with no principles who is unafraid to stake the lives and well-being of his nation in order to achieve the desired results. He takes the turtle society, symbolized as guardians of the earth, and brings them to nothing more than an unsteady stack in the sky. Yertle, based off of the images of Mussolini and Hitler, and it is obvious that he represents the fascist form of government. Yertle is more than a dictator; he is a destroyer of worlds, as Geisel would have us think of fascism.
- written by Erik McGowan.
- edited and written by Nina Danielle
Thursday, February 4, 2010
I'm weighing you down.
The essay is almost complete, save a concluding paragraph.
Citations need to be included, and the annotated bibliography complete.
Nina finished the editorial cartoon, and is quite pleased with the caption she resolved on.
"You're not holding me up, I'm weighing you down!"
Says the fascist leader, perched on top of a human tower built of the positive traits of democracy. They are tired. Weak, and suffering under the weight.
Nina Nesdoly
Citations need to be included, and the annotated bibliography complete.
Nina finished the editorial cartoon, and is quite pleased with the caption she resolved on.
"You're not holding me up, I'm weighing you down!"
Says the fascist leader, perched on top of a human tower built of the positive traits of democracy. They are tired. Weak, and suffering under the weight.
Nina Nesdoly
Up it goes...
Having revised the essay draft from Erik and adding in a paragraph about symbolism, Nina has been rather enjoying making the political cartoon.
Admitedly, it is extemely time consuming.
Trying to make cartoon people whose faces are perfect circles look like they are in pain under a great weight is not easy.
The essay looks very good. A little more work on the annotated bibliography, a couple more edits, and a caption for the cartoon, and Nina should be done...
Nina Nesdoly
Admitedly, it is extemely time consuming.
Trying to make cartoon people whose faces are perfect circles look like they are in pain under a great weight is not easy.
The essay looks very good. A little more work on the annotated bibliography, a couple more edits, and a caption for the cartoon, and Nina should be done...
Nina Nesdoly
Monday, February 1, 2010
Crunch time
Back at school after the long break.
Erik has been working on the essay. The thesis statement looks good, and the paragraphs are falling into place. Just have to tie up a few loose ends before it can begin the editing process. Everyone is hard at work, and the project should be finished quite quickly. Here's to the last mile!
Erik McGowan
Erik has been working on the essay. The thesis statement looks good, and the paragraphs are falling into place. Just have to tie up a few loose ends before it can begin the editing process. Everyone is hard at work, and the project should be finished quite quickly. Here's to the last mile!
Erik McGowan
GO GO GO
Bucking down on the assignment!
Nina's writing her ideas about the symbolism in Yertle the Turtle, referring to a variety of written sources.
Two seats over, Erik is filling in the more politcal parts to the essay.
Tonight, Nina makes the graphics for the editorial cartoon, and tomorrow symbolism meets politics; an essay is born.
Through it all the annotated bibliography is rolling along.
Nina Nesdoly
Nina's writing her ideas about the symbolism in Yertle the Turtle, referring to a variety of written sources.
Two seats over, Erik is filling in the more politcal parts to the essay.
Tonight, Nina makes the graphics for the editorial cartoon, and tomorrow symbolism meets politics; an essay is born.
Through it all the annotated bibliography is rolling along.
Nina Nesdoly
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