The+Lorax+Redux

Darling, Eliza. “The Lorax Redux: Profit Biggering and Some Selective Silences in American Environmentalism.” //Capitalism Nature Socialism// 12.4 (2001): 51–66. Print.
 * 1) ** Full citation? **


 * Where are the author/s located, what are their backgrounds and what kinds of expertise do they have? **

Eliza Darling is located in Gloversville, NY, and is currently the President of Bleecker Historical Society. She is a sociocultural anthropologist who studed at the City University of New York Graduate Center, and has previously worked at the University of London. She specializes in rural development, with research interests which include political ecology, housing, gentrification, class, and environmental justice.


 * List of at least three details or examples from the text that point to something important about culture, education and/or the challenge of environmental sustainability in the United States. **
 * Children are often capable of confronting more complexity than adults give them credit for. For this reason, it is important to analyze children’s literature for social and cultural themes.
 * //The Lorax // fails to capture the complexity of environmental issues. The story ignores the plight of the Thneed factory employees, and seems to suggest that humans simply need to “leave nature alone.” However, Darling argues, this is not possible; humans depend on nature. Darling seems to suggest that this is true of the liberal environmental movement as a whole, with the dominance of the idea that humans need to stop “interfering” in the environment.
 * Capitalist life allows us to pick and choose the suffering we see around us. We can choose to focus on the environmental degradation, and ignore the workers whose livelihoods are affected by industry practices.


 * What three quotes capture the critical import of the text? **

//“The Lorax, a children's book written by the indomitable Dr. // //Seuss, is both a brilliant critique of the contradictions of industrial // //capitalism and a telling example of the social amnesia of American // //environmentalism. The quirky Seuss purportedly penned his // //environmental proclamation after becoming disenchanted with // //conservation propaganda which he found to be "dull, statistical and // //<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">preachy. "2 Since its first publication in 1971, it has been embraced by // //<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">environmentally minded luminaries, citizens, organizations and // //<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">corporations from Lady Bird Johnson to Keep America Beautiful, Inc., // //<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">enjoying a particular renaissance during the corporate decadence of the // //<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">1980s. Its popularity, and its message, persisted through the last decade // <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> //<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">of the 20th century and promises to endure well into the next. In short, // //<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">the figure of the Lorax has become a sort of totem of the mainstream // //<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">American environmental movement. Its resonance with green-minded // //<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">citizens requires some scrutiny.” //

//<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">“The power to reverse the exploitation of both nature and labor lies not with the Lorax, or some idealized "revenge of nature," but with the Thneed workers, who could have suspended, seized, and reorganized production at the Thneed factory. In short, it is difficult to conceive how human communities can adopt a less exploitative relationship with nature - one based upon conscientious forethought rather than blind profit, one which prioritizes use value over exchange value - without simultaneously developing a Jess exploitative relationship between themselves.” //

//<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">“Children's books should be (and have been) approached seriously because they frequently deal with serious matters in subtle and complex ways, and are absorbed into the psyche at a decidedly impressionable period in people's lives” //


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; line-height: 1.5;">What is the main argument of the text? **

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">The text argues that it is important to analyze //the Lorax// as an important artifact of the mainstream environmental movement. Society is so quick to embrace the story as a critique of industrialization, and as warning of the risks of interfering with “nature.” Darling goes on to point out that this idea of “wilderness” as an entity that must be preserved is a “human creation.” He underlying argument seems to be that //the Lorax// presents an over-simplified view of environmental problems, which fits in nicely with the dominant American liberal environmental mindset.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> ** <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Describe at least three ways that the main argument is supported. **


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Darling discusses the book’s influence in the environmental movement, and its successes in critiquing industrial capitalism.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">She points out the very un-Darwinian picture of nature that Dr. Seuss creates. There seems to be no competition for resources or violence in the ecosystem. All harm is the direct result of human activity.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Darling points out that the workers of the Thneed industry are portrayed as unsavory monster-like beings. This depiction seems unfair, as the workers are (most likely) just trying to provide for their families, and are negatively impacted by environmental degradation.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Darling also points to details from Seuss’ own life. For example, his inspiration for the book seems to be rooted in a “NIMBY” mindset, which prompted him to leave San Diego and move to Kenya.


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; line-height: 1.5;">What parts of the argument did you find most and least persuasive, and why? **

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">I was most persuaded by the connections Darling made between the book and American environmental attitudes. She points to the ways in which the story seems to over-simplify the situation. I found her discussion of Dr. Seuss’ own life slightly less compelling. I can see how he was likely influenced by his surroundings (the overwhelming development around his San Diego home, then later by his more “natural” surroundings in Kenya), at least in writing //the Lorax.// However, she also mentions that he drew advertisements for Standard Oil. The information provided seems somewhat contradictory to me.


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; line-height: 1.5;">What kinds of corrective action are suggested by the text (either overt or implied)? **

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Darling makes the case that we need to evaluate children’s literatures for political undertones, especially when these stories play an important role in a social/environmental/cultural movement. This is not to say that //the Lorax// is not a useful tool in teaching the potential negative impacts of industrialization, but we need to think more critically about adopting it as a tool for teaching about the environmental movement as a whole.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Explain how the argument and evidence in the text relates to our effort to conceptualize, design and deliver EcoEd? **

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">This article is of particular interest to environmental educators. //The Lorax// has long been accepted as a useful tool in teaching young children about environmental problems. Darling provides an evaluation of this the book as a commentary on the environmental movement. While she praises some aspects of the story, her critiques are particularly interesting. They should force educators to think critically about how they teach the book.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">**What additional information has this text compelled you to seek out? (Describe what you learned in a couple of sentences, providing at least two supporting references).**

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">The text prompted me to look into the ways in which different groups react to the story’s message. I found that (and this is certainly no surprise) right-wing media outlets were quick to criticize both the book and the 2012 film, claiming that it demonizes the 1%, and that this is unfair (International Business Times, 2012). What surprised me, however, was to find that many environmentally-minded liberals took issue with the film. It turns out that the film was used to market an SUV, disposable diapers, and almost 70 other “launch partner” products (motherjones.com). This seems to dilute any positive message contained in the storyline, though I wonder if we could use this information to teach about media literacy. <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> Sources: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">“The Lorax: Blowing Smogulous Smoke | Mother Jones.” N. p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2014. <http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2012/02/lorax-blowing-smogulous-smoke> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;">“‘The Lorax’ Environmental Stance Draws Criticism From Left & Right [VIDEO].” N. p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2014. <http://www.ibtimes.com/lorax-environmental-stance-draws-criticism-left-right-video-415932>