Dr. Seuss is such a universal presence, and he seems to represent
universal wisdom. As an example, I recall the Peanuts cartoon I
read during my childhood. Linus had filled out an application form,
and he explained to the listener: "It asked for family physician,
and I did not know what to write. So I put, `Dr. Seuss.'" The last
book that came out before his death, "Oh, The Places You'll Go" was
Dr. Seuss's (Theodor Geisel's) legacy of sage guidance. Most known
for his children's books featuring such animal characters as The
Cat in the Hat, Horton, and Yertle the Turtle or fun concepts such
as Green Eggs and Ham, he came up with something a little
different: a book about facing life's challenges. Ostensibly for
children, it is also well-suited for adults facing graduation, the
next job, the next challenge in life, etc.
Just as life can take you everywhere, the main character seems to
go everywhere here: walking down paths, roads, and mazes; climbing
hills; riding balloons; wandering over rock-faces; rowing in the
sea; and encountering disjointed cities surrounded by oddball
arched constructions. Lots of Seuss-like people and animals appear
on the journey, but they are just for scenery: the prose concerns
only the young boy, "you." It is the middle of the book onward that
is most important, for it warns of the letdown from ambition. Dr.
Seuss persists with the theme of challenges until the end,
fittingly, because everyone will not find life to be only a bowl of
cherries but will encounter disappointments and rough seas as well.
A universal point made by an everyman's doctor, who ultimately
betrays his optimism, confident that the reader will meet the
challenges.