Textual and Visual Analysis of The Cat and The

Hat by Dr. Seuss

A Literary Paper
Submitted to
Professor Robertgie L. Piañar

In partial fulfillment of the course

Children and Adolescents Literature

Submitted by:
Avorque, Athea Helen A.
Castil, Gio L.
Hilaria, Jackylyn

October 9, 2023
 I. Character Depictions in The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss

Dr. Seuss's "The Cat in the Hat" is a story that can spark discussions about trust,
responsibility, morality, and honesty. The story follows two children, Sally and Sam, who are
home alone and feeling bored. Suddenly, they receive an unexpected visit from a stranger, the
Cat. The Cat enters their home, promising that their mother won't mind his playfulness, and
proceeds to make a big mess. However, before leaving, the Cat cleans up his mess and ensures
that everything appears as it was before. The story concludes with the question, "What would
you do if your mother asked you?"
Character Portrayal Type of
Characterization
1. The Boy • The more cautious and • Round Character
suspicious of the Cat’s
intentions.
• Protective Elder Sibling
• Main
Storyteller/Narrator

2. Sally • Curious and Innocent • Round Character

3. Cat in the Hat • A troublemaker and • Foil Character
problem solver
• Mischievous Feline

4. The Fish • Worrier and adviser • Flat Character

against the Cat’s antics
• Anxious Demeanor

5. Thing One and Thing • Fun-loving chaos • Static Characters

Two • Mischievous but
entertainers

6. The Mother • Authority • Static Character

 Sally's older brother (The Boy) is a round character in the story because he narrates the
chaos that ensues with the Cat's arrival. He ultimately catches the Things with a net and
commands the Cat to leave, transforming into a confident defender of his home.

On the contrary, the Cat is a round character because he is a mischievous character who
takes Sally and her brother on a fun and chaotic adventure. He breaks social norms but has
good intentions. He wants to show the children how to have fun with ordinary household items.
Despite encouraging rule-breaking, he ensures the house remains neat. The Cat values fun and
spontaneity but also respects basic principles like cleaning up after oneself.

ent.
 In contrast, Sally is a passive and round character who watches the chaos unfold during a
rainstorm. Her brother takes charge and resolves the situation while Sally remains on the
sidelines. Despite her quiet nature, Sally shows concern and relief when order is restored. The
first illustration shows Sally helping in tidying up the mess and the second illustration shows
her relief upon the return of their mother given that they have resolved their problem. Left
image found on

In reverse, Thing One and Thing Two are static characters, with blue hair and red jumpsuits,
who are unleashed by the Cat to have fun but end up causing chaos throughout the house by
flying kites and leaving a mess behind. They represent chaos, while the Cat values order. Left
image found on
 And lastly, the mother in "The Cat in the Hat" is a mysterious and static character who
leaves her children alone in an unlocked house. Her limited appearance still has a significant
impact on the story's characters, showing her authority and care for her children's happiness.
However, it's unclear if her idea of "fun" aligns with the fish's domesticated worldview or the
Cat's free-spirited and rebellious one.

I. Social Values in The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss

Social Values Employment

1. TRUST • Rising Action
• Never Trust Strangers

• Prioritize safety and avoid letting

strangers into your home.
 2. RESPONSIBILITY • Climax
• Sense of Responsibility,
Accountability, and Obedience
among children through assessing
wrongness of actions,
misbehavior, and mischief.

3. MORALITY • Falling Action

• Principle of Behavior and Right
Conduct in anyone’s home is vital.
However, if the misbehavior of a
friend occurs, it should be
assessed and appraised
appropriately.
4. HONESTY • Denouement
• Lying is deemed inappropriate.
Telling the truth to the children’s
Mom about what happened is the
highest principle of honesty,
integrity, and morality.

Have you ever read "The Cat in the Hat" by Dr. Seuss? It's a story that can inspire
discussions about trust, responsibility, morality, and honesty. In the story, Sally and her brother
are introduced to a world of chaos and rebellion by the mischievous Cat. He breaks the rules
and disrupts their home with wild tricks and the release of the Things.

In contrast, the fish represents order and domesticity and wants the Cat to leave to
maintain normalcy. The main conflict is whether Sally and her brother should embrace the
Cat's world of fun or continue to follow the rules.
Personally, I believe that children should learn about both chaos and order in their lives.
It's important for them to question the rules and norms presented to them to find their own
individuality and creativity. However, they should also learn responsibility and the
consequences of their actions. "The Cat in the Hat" does an excellent job of exploring these
themes and showing how they can coexist in a child's life. It's a great book to read with kids
and can spark some interesting discussions about rules, creativity, and responsibility. What's
fascinating about the story is how it explores different forces that can affect a child's life, such
as boredom and fun. Sally and her brother are feeling quite bored and uninspired at the
beginning of the story, which is something many children can relate to, especially on a rainy
day. It's crucial for children to learn how to entertain themselves and explore their creativity,
but they also need to understand that there are consequences to their actions.
Overall, "The Cat in the Hat" is a relatable and engaging way to explore the theme of
boredom and how to have fun. The Cat helps the children to break out of their boredom by
showing them how to entertain themselves with everyday objects. He teaches them that it's
essential to know how to have fun, but the book also highlights the importance of being
responsible and avoiding severe consequences.

II. Social Issues in The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss

Social Issues Type of Conflict
1. Authority and Social Order • Man Vs. Society
2. Trespassing • Man Vs. Man
3. Crime of Malicious Mischief • Man Vs. Man

-WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOUR MOTHER ASKED YOU?

In the book "The Cat in the Hat," Dr. Seuss intentionally omits the children's response
to their mother's inquiry. This allows readers to empathize with the children's predicament of
wanting to be truthful while being afraid of authority's consequences. The use of capitalized
"YOU" and "SHOULD" creates a confrontational tone that encourages readers to engage
actively in the story.
 This goes against the norm of "Dick and Jane" books, which dictate how children
should behave. The book's ending challenges the notion that children should passively accept
a story's message and instead promotes critical thinking and individual interpretation. Dr. Seuss
extends the idea of questioning authority beyond the book's pages and into real life.
Throughout the book, the narrator portrays the Cat as a mischievous rebel who ignores
typical rules enforced in a typical American household. These rules include children being
wary of strangers, following authority, and keeping the home tidy. By causing chaos and
releasing the Things, the Cat represents disorder. However, his later attempt to clean up his
mess complicates this characterization. By stating, "I always pick up all my playthings," the
Cat shows his respect for a fundamental household rule: cleaning up after oneself (179).

Therefore, the Cat emerges as a paradoxical character who both rebels against and
follows order. This shift in his characterization emphasizes how chaos and order can and should
coexist within an individual. We should challenge some rules to discover our values and
uniqueness, but we should also conform to some social norms to contribute to society
meaningfully. In other words, we should question the status quo but not stray too far from it.

b. Visual Analysis
Table 1. Visual elements of The Cat in The Hat by Dr. Seuss *proposed by Linch-
Brown, Tomlinson, and Short (2014)

Visual Element Literary Effect

Line • The bold black pigment, the outline, gives
life to every single object and character of
the illustrations. The lines were intently
crooked and a bit laid back. A children’s
artistic development starts mostly with
outlining before filling in colors because
it is the method they are most confident in.
 The qualities of the illustrations being
uncomplicated and dominantly outlined
are akin to how small children draw.
Additionally, there are small but
noticeable strokes suggesting motion and
gives an animated effect on supposedly
moving elements.
Color • Hues utilized were complimentary to each
other—arctic blue, tomato red, denim,
black and white (there were minimal hints
of orange). Opacity is high and the color
selection for the illustrations is vibrant
and succinctly warm-toned. In color
symbolism, warm colors implicit
playfulness, happiness , optimism,
confidence and passion. It is safe to say
that the protagonist, The Cat in The Hat
truly exude the vibes.
Shape • Most of the geometric shapes were
supposed to be lined straight as a ruler
for it to be represented more accurately.
However, the nature of the illustrations’
shape in Cat in the Hat appears to be
cartoonish and vastly different from
realism. There is an equal distribution of
irregular and regular shapes but they are
both freehand and do not use such
measuring guides. The more playful the
art style incorporated, the more it is
supplemental for a child’s autonomous
reading.
Texture • Despite typical children’s literature
illustrations being two-dimensional., The
Cat in the Hat followed the 3D texture—
it had an evident length, height and width.
The angles are not limited from the front
and back flatly, but visual perception is
also diagonal which allows for the view of
width. The were pages that also had
objects appear smaller with distance.
Composition • The two siblings, Sally and her brother,
would always stick together, signifying
their bond and them both being on the
same team. The four characters: the
siblings, the Cat in The Hat and the fish
are consistently included in most of the
pages because they are all integral for the
plot to take place.
 The outline of the illustrations are loud. The usage of a bold black pigment to trace
silhouettes was a brilliant idea in making every object/character pop-out of its predominantly
blank white background! I also have to mention that the lines have a gel-pen like finish which
makes it proximate to doodles. Often times in the artistic development in children, lines are
the stepping stone before they start coloring away! In a sense, the Cat in The Hat’s
illustrations are childlike. Babies (12-58 months) begin by making random marks and soon
begin to form: scribbles, vertical and horizontal lines, multiple line drawing—this is
according to McIlroy, an Early Childhood teacher who keenly makes observations on young
children. Left image found on p. 19, right image also found on p. 19

Additionally, there are small but noticeable strokes suggesting motion which give an
animated effect on supposedly moving elements. (e.g. picture on the bottom left, located on
pg. 9, “I can hop up and down on the ball”). Upper-left image found on p. 8, Bottom left
image found on p. 9 and right-most picture found on p. 13.
 Understanding becomes easy once abstract ideas become concrete through visual
representation. Picture books accomplish relationship between text and image as every
descriptor is taken into account when illustrating. Color is just one of the significant element
in the list of considerations. For example, the “big red wood box” introduced on p. and
“mother’s new gown” which is described by the children to have dots of pink, white and red
on p. , are both proximate to one’s “mental image” as it has been illustrated ideal of the
text. Overall, a good amount of colors utilized are warm-tones In literary symbolism, warm
tones implicit happiness , optimism and passion. The unusual cross-over of objects colored
and uncolored matches the playful and eccentric (unique ) vibe of The Cat in The Hat. Left
image found on p. 16, right image found on p. 23.

Meanwhile , the nature of the illustrations’ shapes in Cat in the Hat appear to be
cartoonish and vastly different from realism. There is an equal distribution of irregular and
regular shapes but they are both freehand and do not use such measuring guides or tools.
‘Flawed’ shapes actually give the comic effect that enhances the mood and interest of young
readers in comparison to shapes rigidly drawn the way it is in real-life. Studies suggest
children aged 4-9 are fond of books with humorous looking objects/character compared to
children of any other age cluster. Left image found on pg. 17 and right image on pg. 28
 In relation to shapes, the three dimensional tactile surface of the ovjevts lets young
readers get used to the concept of length, height and width (Figure 2). Shadows, various
angles (on the side, diagonally, from front and back) help children recognize and discover
dimensions in reality: that objects can be perceived in variation according to perspective
(Figure 1) and the creation of shadows dependent on the direction of light. Visual materials
of a book influence the artistic development of children. If they get accustomed to
illustrations like these, they might draw in the same manner or habit. Left image found on pg.
Right image found on pg.23

Regarding the arrangement of elements (objects and characters), Sally would always
accompany her brother. Not one bit was she separated or in another room. Even in the pages
where she didn’t seem apparent, she was still there in the background. Them being together
all the time signify that they both choose to stick together (Figure 1.1 and Figure 1.2). The
four characters: the siblings, the Cat in The Hat and the fish are persistently included in the
pages because they are integral for the plot to take place (Figure 2). Left image found on p.
24, right image p.27
Table 2. Kress and van Leeuwen (1996) identified these modality markers as
elements in analyzing visual materials. Texture

Literary Effect
The three
Visual dimensional tactile surface of the spread illustrations of The Cat and lets
Element
young
Colorreaders get used to the concept of length, height
Saturation and width.
• Colors Shadows,
are intense on looking
objects that are
at different angles (on the side, diagonally and from front and back) and the concept
introduced in the text, especially if
of objects becoming smaller with would help children recognize and discover
they are described thatcolor
by their
(e.g. a big red wood box” on p. 15).
in reality, objects are perceived in consideration to the enumerated aspects (width,
shadow and size change upon distance). Visual materials This technique
also influenceofthe
coloring
artisticon
selected items, makes
development of children. If they get accustomed to illustrations like these, they introducing
might draw in the same manner or habit. Left image found the object
on pg. explicit
2, Rightasimage
it would stand-
found on pg.23 out from the background. Objects or
characters absent in color emphasize
their lesser significance, making
them appear as “decorations”.

Color Differentiation • There is an existing contrast and

diversification between light and
dark colors. However, the palette
for the illustrations were actually all
warm tones despite that the inclusion
of blues. To balance the varying
colors tomato red, cerulean, cyan
and pale orange, neutrals such as
black and white were always
incorporated to create harmony.
Nevertheless, the persistent use of
bright colors to attract the attention
of the children.
Color Modulation (blue) • Only the color blue could be seen to
have color modulation: Denim (seen
on the walls or floors) and Artic
(distributed on random items and is
the color of Thing One and Thing
Two’s hair). The shade of red, white
and black were apparently all much
the same. .
Contextualization • The background of the first few
pages are plain white with minimal
distractors. The progressing pages
begin to increase it’s number of
items included as the story spirals
into something complex compared
it's laid-back and simple start.
Representation • The ideas presented was accurate for
the children to be able to
comprehend it. The use of a rhyme
 scheme makes it engaging to read
the text and the placement of the text
doesn’t overlap with the illustrations
since the are dedicated spaces for it.
The illustrations portray what’s
exactly stated in the text, creating a
relationship between images and
words. The objects and characters
were given justice as it was drawn
the way a child would want to or
imagine.
Depth • There is depth in a sense that things
are to be smaller with distance and
bigger if the subject is nearest to the
perceiver/reader.
Illumination • The story was properly illuminated,
everything can be seen and
recognizable, it was well lighted not
to bore the readers .
Brightness • The representation of light and
brightness in the illustration was
great since it used black and white.
White has 100% brightness value
and black has 0% brightness value.
There is good contrast, and the
illustrations are bright enough due to
the vibrant choice of colors which
are to the liking of the readers.

In the spread illustrations of The Cat and The Hat, White is the domineering color of
the book. It connotes purity, innocence and morality (Figure 1). First, the children are
represented in the color white because they are inherently innocent (Figure 2). Second, The Cat
in The Hat suggests how children should think upon the conflicts of social values like trusting
someone you just met or encountering social issues like trespassing (conducted by the cat). In
addition, black and white as the extremes of the color wheel are incorporated to create
harmony among the varying colors tomato red, denim, artic and pale orange. Left image found
on p. 26, right image found on p. 4.
There is a significant reason selected objects lack color and some have a pungent, striking
pigment. The latter, gives the effect of “importance”. On the other hand, items lacking in color
give off the conveyance of triviality in the frame. It’s choice of color (the presence of it amongst
the other’s absence) urges the reader to divert it’s attention to that particular item. Take an
example of : “Then we saw him step in on the mat! We looked! And we saw him! The Cat in
The Hat!”. Notice how the mat and the hat mentioned in the line is colored while he table
which was never mentioned, colorless? Image located on p. 5

Anyways, aside white and red, blue is also a frequently used and modulated color in
the book. As we all know, latter color is infamous for symbolizing loneliness and depression.
However, blue also elicit the mood of calmness and tranquility. In this context, the denim
(darker) blue that paint the walls, floor and sparingly the view outside the house (Figure 1),
gives off the feeling of isolation. This can be inferred from the siblings’ melancholy for being
kept indoors because it was “too wet to play” outside and they had nothing else to do. The
brighter blue on the other hand, elicit the feeling of energy. Thing one and Thing two’s hair
are dyed arctic and the pair is known to be mischievous, “can’t be told to sit down” kind of
creatures. If we put it in that sense, the two shades of blue (denim and cyan) actually evoke
polar emotions. Left image (Figure 1) found on p. 7, right image (Figure 2) found on p. 18).
 In relation to depth, objects and characters in the illustration do follow the diminishing scale.
At times, objects appear to be smaller because they are placed further while objects that are
near/er are bigger in size. This contributes to a paradoxical “realism”.. It’s the fact we do see
things in such manner yet a number of the visual elements in The Cat in The Hat are still comic.
Depth, variation of perspective and tactile surface (3D) are visual elements akin to real-life,
so far. Image found on p. 2

To conclude, despite the slightly straining choice or colors, the elements are visible, easy to spot and
adequately illuminated because of it’s brightness and intensity. Picture books of kids are prescribed to
contain lively shades over those that are dim especially if there are upcoming scenes of preposterous
fun or that the whole story follows a cheerful plot. Despite the underlying seriousness of the story, it
still delivered an air of amusement to the readers (Figure 1). Left image found on p. 12, right inside is
a cover page.
REFERENCE OF COLOR/SHADE NAME:

The darker blue is in the shade Denim:

The lighter blue is in the shade Arctic: