Is there a hidden meaning behind the Dr. Seuss book The Cat in the Hat?

Is there a hidden meaning behind the Dr. Seuss book The Cat in the Hat?
Is there a hidden meaning behind the Dr. Seuss book The Cat in the Hat?

As far as I know, it's not a metaphor, but a slap in the face of the educational authorities of the time. In 1957, Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel), dismayed by the mind-numbingly dull "Dick and Jane" readers ("Look, Jane. Look, Dick. See funny Sally") took on the challenge of a publisher friend of his to write a complete, exciting and not overly squeaky clean story that would enthrall six-year-olds ~ using fewer than 250 words. The rest is literary history.

-Answered by Ann Litz

I have often thought that the Cat in the Hat is an IT systems consultant.

He comes into the house promising dramatically increased performance (namely, fun to be had on a rainy day)

He asserts that he has the implicit blessing of management (the mother)

He insists on demonstrating his ability to multitask, even at the risk of destroying vital data and processes (the fish)

After he creates a terrible mess, he brings in two associates (Thing One and Thing Two) to clean it up, presumably at a hefty hourly rate

His preferred solutions are very complicated machines (the thinga-ma-gigger)

Of course, the fact that the book was written in 1957 probably puts a kibosh on that interpretation. But who knows, maybe Ted Geisel was a informal consultant to the team that developed COBOL. :) 

-Answered by Kevin Troy

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