Not So Fast Now

Dr. Seuss once said, "I'm subversive as hell! I've always had a mistrust of adults." But did you know that Seuss even subverts himself? Because when we look at his body of work as a whole, we can see that he does just this with this book.

Horton Hears a Who, also by Seuss, is basically the yin to Thidwick's yang. Whereas Thidwick shows the necessity of limiting kindness and self-sacrifice, Horton shows children a situation where kindness and self-sacrifice must be limitless. Read as a pair, they demonstrate kindness in a more complex fashion, showing it as something that can be ethical or harmful, depending on the situation and personal judgment.

No matter what your personal limits are when it comes to showing kindness to others, one thing's clear: Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose is certainly about more than a moose munching moose-moss softy.