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