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What is the main message of The Lorax?
The Lorax remains a staple of children's reading lists for its whimsical characters and wonderful, Seussical wordplay. But its cautionary message is as important today as it ever was. Respect for the environment and all living creatures will help us preserve the planet for ourselves and future generations.
What is The Lorax based on?
Research reveals how whistling thorn acacia tree and patas monkey resemble the Truffula tree and the Lorax, respectively. Summary: The inspiration for 'The Lorax' by Dr. Seuss may have been based on an actual tree and monkey species in Kenya, according to a new study.
What is the message at the very end of the story of The Lorax?
It is a story about empathy and caring enough to take action. Dr. Seuss writes, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.” This iconic line is how the Once-ler finishes telling Ted his life's story.
Is The Lorax human?
Inspired by a monkey or not, the Lorax is, ultimately, not real. But his message very much is. For Seuss, it could simply have been that, with the humbling landscape of the African savannah before him, the words finally began to flow.
Is The Lorax a God?
In the Dr. Seuss mythos, he appears to be the God of nature and prudence. In recent times, the Lorax has been the subject of several scientific studies and conspiracy theories.
Why is it called the Lorax?
The Lorax also earns named-in-the-title status because of what he stands for: speaking for those who don't have the power of speech (the Truffula Trees, the Brown Bar-ba-loots, the Swamee Swans, the Humming Fish, and probably much more). The Lorax lives to take care of the creatures around him.
What is the problem in The Lorax?
The major catalyst to the Lorax leaving was the cutting down of all the trees. The Lorax speaks for the trees “for the trees have no tongues” and unfortunately all his speaking did could not save them – especially as the innovation in Once-ler's axe technology quadrupled his turnover of tree harvesting!
What is the Lorax based on?
Seuss' The Lorax) is a 2012 American 3D computer-animated musical fantasy comedy film produced by Illumination Entertainment and based on Dr. Seuss ' children's book of the same name. The second adaptation of the book (following the 1972 animated television special ), the film builds on the book by expanding ...
Who is the Lorax in the movie?
Danny DeVito as The Lorax, a mystical orange furry creature with a yellow moustache, who protects the truffula forest.
What did the Once-ler do in the forest?
Meanwhile, the Once-ler recounts how, as a young inventor, he arrived in a lush forest of animals and Truffula trees. Cutting down a tree, he was confronted by the Lorax, the guardian of the forest who "speaks for the trees". After attempting to force the Once-ler out, the Lorax convinced him not to cut down any more trees. Using the Truffula fibers, the Once-ler created the "Thneed", a knitted article with multiple uses, which became a major success. He harvested the Truffula tufts in a sustainable manner, until his unscrupulous relatives persuaded him to resume chopping down trees to speed up production, leading to enormous profits, but also deforestation and pollution. After harvesting the last Truffula tree, the Once-ler was ruined, abandoned by his family, and became a recluse. The Once-ler was left heartbroken and unbearably guilty for destroying the forest. With the region uninhabitable, the Lorax sent the animals away to find a new place to live, and vanished into the sky. The Lorax left a single word on a small pile of rocks: "Unless".
How much did The Lorax make in 2012?
The film topped the North American box office with $17.5 million on its opening day (Friday, March 2, 2012). During the weekend, it grossed $70.2 million, easily beating the other new nationwide release, Project X ($21 million), and all other films. This was the biggest opening for an Illumination Entertainment film, and for a feature film adaptation of a book by Dr. Seuss, as well as the second-largest for an environmentalist film. It also scored the third-best debut for a film opening in March, and the eighth-best of all time for an animated film. The Lorax stayed at #1 the following weekend, dropping 45% to $38.8 million and beating all new nationwide releases, including Disney 's John Carter (second place). On April 11, 2012, it became the first animated film in nearly a year to gross more than $200 million in North America, since Walt Disney Animation Studios ' Tangled.
How does the Lorax make Pipsqueak?
The Lorax makes Pipsqueak an Honorary Lorax and team up to scare the Once-ler by using two sticks that looks like a monster's hand to freak him out. The Once-ler finds out it is fake and sprays water on the Lorax, which makes his fur puff up. When the Lorax tells Pipsqueak that he is going to turn out like him, Pipsqueak gets scared and runs away. The short ends with the Lorax telling Pipsqueak that he has lost his Honorary Lorax title.
Why does Ted give the Truffula seed?
The Once-ler gives Ted the last Truffula seed in the hopes he can regrow the forest and make others care about trees. Ted returns home to plant the seed, which is spotted by O'Hare's city-wide surveillance. Enlisting the help of Audrey and his family, Ted is pursued by O'Hare to the center of town. O'Hare rallies the citizens against Ted, telling them that trees are dangerous and filthy, but Ted uses an earthmover to knock down a section of the city wall, revealing the environmental destruction outside. Inspired by Ted's conviction, the crowd turns on O'Hare, whose henchmen strap a jetpack-like helmet to him, causing him to fly away in defeat. The seed is finally planted and as time passes, the land begins to recover; new trees sprout, animals return, and the now-elderly Once-ler reunites with the Lorax.
When did Lorax release the mini movies?
Three mini-movies were released on the Lorax Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack on August 7, 2012: Serenade, Wagon Ho!, and Forces of Nature.
What is the Lorax about?
The Lorax is a cautionary tale primarily about a person’s responsibilities to the environment. Dr. Seuss introduces the Once-ler, a reckless Thneed entrepreneur whose unfettered ambition leads to the destruction of the immediate environment. The Lorax represents the interests of all the creatures whose lives are affected negatively by ...
What is the moral impact of the Lorax?
The Lorax raises ethical issues regarding the environmental impacts of our actions, the moral implications of success, possible dangers of ambition, and the proper way a culpable person reacts and attempts to make amends.
What animals left the Once-ler factory?
The Brown Bar-ba-loots, the Swomee-Swans, and the Humming Fish had to leave. How did the Once-ler’s Thneed factory affect the animals?
Who confronts the Once-Ler?
The Lorax repeatedly confronts the Once-ler about the impacts of the Once-ler’s actions. Who is the Lorax? Who or what does he represent?
What tree does the Once-ler go through?
The Once-ler goes through all the Truffula Trees. And he can’t make any more Thneeds or more money. He looks around and the world is grey.
What is the story of the Lorax?
The Lorax Summary. The Lorax opens as a young boy walks down away from a town on the Street of the Lifted Lorax on a polluted, empty hill. He arrives at the tall, winding house of the Once-ler, and pays him in exchange for his story. The Once-ler proceeds to tell his story. It begins with the Once-ler's arrival at a flourishing forest ...
What does the Lorax do to the Once-ler?
The Lorax arrives at the Once-ler's door with various animals in tow, forcing him to see the effects of his factory's destruction of environment and pollution on the wildlife.
Where does the Lorax leave the words "unless"?
The Lorax himself departs into the smoggy clouds, leaving only the word "UNLESS" engraved on a pile of stones. From that point on, the Once-ler secluded himself away in his tower, reflecting on the lessons of the Lorax — until this young listener arrived.
What does the Once-ler do in the Truffula Tree?
Each time, the Once-ler is filled with momentary remorse, but then continues to expand his business. Finally, the Once-ler chops down the last Truffula tree.
Part One
In the first part of this rather dark, but still amusing and entertaining story, the speaker introduces a young boy. This child, who lives in a town filled with pollution, has an encounter with a strange man known as the “Once-ler”. This man tells the boy about the Lorax. He was a creature who once “stood” there before it was lifted away.
Part Two
In the next pages of ‘The Lorax,’ the Once-ler tells his story of how the Lorax was taken away. It was back in a time when the world was less polluted than it is today. This engages a child’s imagination further, encouraging them to reconsider the world Seuss made as well as their own. The trees were bright-colored and they went on for miles.
Part Three
The business was booming, but it was short-lived. Now that all the trees are gone things change. There is an interesting passage when the Once-ler tries to explain why he “had to grow bigger”. The excuse goes in a circle, making no real sense and hopefully sounding just as absurd to a child listening as it does to the Lorax.
Part Four
Finally, when there is nothing else left for him to do, the Lorax lifts himself up by the “seat of his pants” and flies away. He leaves the Once-ler with a grim look and a pile of rocks that said “UNLESS”. The man doesn’t know what to make of this message and worries over it for years.
What is the Lorax about?
As schoolchildren across the world can attest, The Lorax is the story of an ambitious businessman, a Once-ler, who reaps an entire forest of Truffula Trees to render their soft tufts into luxurious thneeds.
When was the Lorax published?
The Lorax was published in 1971 , just as the environmental movement began to take hold (the first Earth Day was held in New York the year before). It is set in a dark, murky post-apocalyptic landscape, destroyed by the Once-ler's exploitation of the natural world. The consequence of excessive industrialisation is clear.
How long has Dr. Seuss been writing The Lorax?
It's more than 40 years since Dr Seuss first published The Lorax, his classic tale of needless consumerism and environmental ruin. But as a new film version is released in the US, what is the book really all about?
What did Lou Dobbs say about the Lorax?
He said it was "demonising the 1% and espousing the virtue of green energy policy". The logging industry responded with its own book, The Truax, about responsible forest management. 5.
How many copies of The Lorax have been sold?
The book went on to sell more than 200 million copies, and is widely used as a teaching aid for children's classes on environmentalism. Several university groups devoted to conservation have named themselves "The Lorax".
What does the once-ler advertise?
He also implies the Once-ler relies on an aggressive, saturating advertising campaign to promote the thneeds, shapeless garments of dubious utility.
How many kids read the Lorax?
At a school in Virginia recently, more than 100 school children sat through a reading of The Lorax, followed by a presentation from a Mazda marketing executive who urged the children to persuade their parents to test-drive a Mazda SUV, the Washington Post reported.
What is the Lorax character?
Seuss, was first published in 1971, it has become a classic. For many children, the Lorax character has come to symbolize concern for the environment. However, the story has been somewhat controversial, with some adults embracing it and others seeing it as anti-capitalist propaganda.
Who is the author of The Lorax?
The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. Elizabeth Kennedy is an educator specializing in early childhood and elementary education who has written about children's literature for over a decade. Since The Lorax, a picture book by Dr. Seuss, was first published in 1971, it has become a classic. For many children, the Lorax character has come to symbolize concern ...
Why did the Lorax send the Swomee Swans off?
The smoke was so bad that the Swomee-Swans could no longer sing. The Lorax sent them off to escape the smog. The Lorax also angrily pointed out that all of the byproducts from the factory were polluting the pond and he also took the Humming-Fish away.
How effective is the Lorax?
What makes The Lorax so effective is the combination of a step-by-step look at cause and effect: how unfettered greed can destroy the environment, followed by an emphasis on positive change through individual responsibility. The story's end emphasizes the impact one person, no matter how young, can have. While the rhyming text and entertaining illustrations keep the book from being too heavy, Dr. Seuss definitely gets his point across. Because of this, the book is frequently used in elementary and middle school classrooms.
What did the Lorax leave behind?
The Lorax disappeared, leaving only "a small piece of rocks , with the one word...'UNLESS.'" For years, the Once-ler wondered and worried about what that meant. Now he tells the young boy he understands. "UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not."
Who wrote the Lorax?
Kennedy, Elizabeth. "The Lorax by Dr. Seuss." ThoughtCo, Sep. 3, 2021, thoughtco.com/the-lorax-by-dr-seuss-626951. Kennedy, Elizabeth. (2021, September 3). The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/the-lorax-by-dr-seuss-626951 Kennedy, Elizabeth. "The Lorax by Dr. Seuss." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/the-lorax-by-dr-seuss-626951 (accessed November 20, 2021).
What is the story of the Once-ler?
to tell the story. The Once-ler tells the boy it all began long ago when there was an abundance of brightly colored Truffula trees and no pollution. The Once-ler concentrated on expanding his business, adding to the factory, shipping more and more fruit and making more and more money.
What is the Lorax character?
The Lorax (character) which you seem to be chopping as fast as you please! The Lorax is the titular deuteragonist of the book called The Lorax, its adaptations, the 1971 TV Special, and the animated film.
Who is the voice of the Lorax?
Voiced by Bob Holt (TV Special) and Danny DeVito (2012 film)
What is the name of the orange creature in the woods?
The Lorax is a small, orange creature. He has fluffy fur and what seems to be a pale yellow moustache which he uses to soak up all the spoof of the creatures in the woods.
Overview
The Lorax (also known as Dr. Seuss' The Lorax) is a 2012 American 3D computer-animated musical fantasy comedy film produced by Illumination Entertainment and distributed by Universal Pictures. The second screen adaptation of Dr. Seuss' children's book of the same name following the 1972 animated television special, the film was directed by Chris Renaud, co-directed by Kyle Balda (in his feature directorial debut), and produced by Chris Meledandri and Janet Healy, with Ke…
Plot
A 12-year-old boy named Ted Wiggins lives in Thneedville, a walled city where all vegetation and plant life is artificial. Ted has a crush on a girl named Audrey and decides to impress her with a "real tree". His grandmother Norma tells him the legend of the Once-ler, who knows what happened to the trees. Leaving Thneedville in search of the Once-ler, Ted discovers that the outside world is a barren, contaminated wasteland. He finds the elderly Once-ler. After an argum…
Voice cast
• Danny DeVito as The Lorax, a mystical orange furry creature with a yellow moustache, who protects the truffula forest
• Ed Helms as The Once-ler, a reclusive old man and former inventor
• Zac Efron as Theodore "Ted" Wiggins, an idealistic 12-year-old boy. He is named after the author of the book, Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel)
Production
The film is the fourth feature film based on a book by Dr. Seuss, the second fully computer-animated adaptation (the first one being Horton Hears a Who!), and the first to be released in 3D. The Lorax was also Illumination's first film presented in IMAX 3D (known as "IMAX Tree-D" in publicity for the film). The idea for the film was initiated by Audrey Geisel, Dr. Seuss's wife, who had an established partnership with Chris Meledandri, the producer of the film, from a collaborati…
Release
The film was released on March 2, 2012, in the United States and Canada. It was later released on July 27, 2012 in the United Kingdom. It was also the first film to feature the current Universal Pictures logo, with a rearranged version of the fanfare, originally composed by Jerry Goldsmith and arranged by Brian Tyler, as part of the studio's 100th anniversary.
Despite the original Lorax being made as a critique of capitalism and pollution, Mazda used the liken…
Reception
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, The Lorax holds an approval rating of 54% based on 157 reviews, with an average rating of 5.9/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Dr. Seuss' The Lorax is cute and funny enough but the moral simplicity of the book gets lost with the zany Hollywood production values." On Metacritic, the film achieved a score of 46 out of 100 based on reviews from 30 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave …
See also
• List of films based on Dr. Seuss books
External links
• Official website
• The Lorax at IMDb
• The Lorax at Box Office Mojo
• The Lorax at Rotten Tomatoes
• The Lorax at Metacritic