Popular Culture Review Vol. 10, No. 2, August 1999 | Page 139

Race Politics in Dr. Seuss’ The Sneetches

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their higher cultural and psychological values. Further, the intolerance and bias of
the cantankerous Star-Belly Sneetches are easily substantiated by their unfavor
able opinion and prejudgment of the Plain-Belly Sneetches.
On this note, it is interesting to point out Dr. Seuss’ excellent molding
and blending of words and cross-cultural analysis and comparison of the different
Sneetches. He asserts that the distinguishing characteristics of the Star-Belly
Sneetches are a product of the ethnocentricism. This fact. Dr. Seuss believes, is
responsible for why the Sneetches with stars fear and are uncomfortable with the
Plain-Belly Sneetches - that is, those particular misfits who don’t look like them,
or fit their image. And if it is also true that the Sneetches without stars are uncom
fortable, or are at least ambivalent about their separate and miserable existence,
would it not be surprising to think that the Plain-Belly Sneetches perhaps hated
themselves, or even wanted to be like the Star-Belly Sneetches - their cursed ri
vals or contemporaries.
Of course, throughout history, unrestrained discrimination, preconceived
notions or separatism, and prejudices have caused a fair amount of pain human
suffering. Therefore, by examining the hostility that the Plain-Belly Sneetches
engendered, perhaps one can understand the unwanted discrimination may mi
norities still face in America. In the sophisticated and moving Sneetches story,
one is classified or stereotyped unfairly judged on basis of having a star on his or
her stomach, which tells us about their exact physiological traits.
Moreover, what exactly is race or the basic physical characteristics of all
humans? Science writer James C. King (1981, p. ix) tells us that “the concept of
race is an attempt to describe the manner in which individual variation within and
between populations is related to heredity, development, and environment.” This
definition, however, does not explain precisely how the members of one so-called
race prefer only themselves over others.
Incredible though it seems. Dr. Seuss explains the characteristics of The
Sneetches with grandeur and dignity, while pointing out the detrimental effect of
‘same-kind’ preference. Toward this end, we must understand that race and rac
ism have been analyzed by numerous scholars, most of whom view it as an irratio
nal form of behavior. It is based on the need to identify scapegoats like the PlainBelly Sneetches to justify their snobbish existence and irrational hatred and ag
gression against others - perhaps to relieve their racial guilt or inferiority com
plex. The Star-Belly Sneetches’ actions also tended to be in consonant direction.
However, one must ask: Can terrible guilt drive a curmudgeon Sneetch or human
person mad?
The Star-Belly Sneetches’ resentments were gradually replaced by feel
ings of extreme prejudice, stemming from the notion that the Plain-Belly
Sneetches were a distinctly different and supposedly inferior sub-group of