Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA
Date of Award
8-2014
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Literature
First Advisor
Dr. Marci McMahon
Second Advisor
Dr. Caroline Miles
Third Advisor
Dr. Shawn Thomson
Abstract
This thesis analyzes Dr. Seuss’ the Grinch as a modern myth in US society that provides an imaginary resolution to the perceived encroachment of racial and cultural heterogeneity in the various time periods in which the text has circulated. Each chapter closely reads three different versions of the story, including Dr. Seuss’ children’s book published in 1957, the 1966 animated TV special directed by Chuck Jones, and the 2000 film directed by Ron Howard and starring Jim Carrey. In each chapter, I consider the racial politics prevalent in each time period in order to elucidate my claim that various media representations of the Grinch reveal American culture’s attitude towards the racialized Other. Ultimately, I argue that the Grinch functions to represent an imagined racialized Other who in each text must become acculturated in the end, thereby paralleling US cultural attitudes toward the “other” who must conform to US dominant culture.
Granting Institution
University of Texas-Pan American
Comments
Copyright 2014 Marina Malli. All Rights Reserved.
https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/whatever-reason-his-heart-shoes-he-stood-there-on/docview/1629825820/se-2