Because everyone loves a good story
Awesome Children’s Books, Part 4: “Where the Wild Things Are”
If you’ve never read “Where the Wild Things Are,” by Maurice Sendak, then I’m not sure where you’ve been all your life, but I know where you need to go: to the library.
A.S.A.P.
The book will take you less than two minutes to read, but it will probably take you much longer to digest. On the surface, it seems like a simple book with few words and many pictures. But the longer I’ve read it and thought about it, the more I’ve realized there is a lot going on under the surface of the story. Want proof? Read on!
Who Was Maurice Sendak?
Author and illustrator Maurice Sendak was quite an interesting fellow. He was born in New York in 1928 to a family with Polish-Jewish heritage. Because he was sickly, he spent much of his childhood in bed reading books. Believe it or not, he decided to become an illustrator after watching Disney’s Fantasia as a child. A much more tragic influence on his life was the death of many of his overseas relatives in the Holocaust, a fact that colored his fiction and influenced his thinking about mortality.
Sendak illustrated books for many other authors (including Else Holmelund Minarik’s “Little Bear” books!), but he also wrote and illustrated books of his own before his death in 2012. While some of his works are considered creepy or even controversial, he does have an undeniable gift for communication. “Where the Wild Things Are” is probably his best-known work, and when you experience its unique, haunting illustrations and simple, haunting story, you’ll see why. Let’s dig into it a bit more, shall we?
How to Tackle Literature
As you may know, I had the privilege of teaching literature (and other stuff) to students for many years. I absolutely loved the opportunity to pose questions and then watch their minds work. Literature—even well-written children’s books—is a great platform for mental development. I used “Where the Wild Things Are” in both my junior high Reading Comprehension class and my eleventh-grade American Literature class as a way to help them think through plot, purpose, and theme, and I’m excited to do that with you today!
It may be nerdy of me to get excited about studying books like this, but I really can’t help it. I’m a Hermione Granger through and through (even though parts of me often wander into Luna Lovegood territory). But I really do believe that training your mind to ask good questions about what you read, watch, or hear is critical to having a mind that isn’t just a receptacle but is a force of its own. When we interact with our entertainment, shifting into “Why?” mode instead of coasting along in neutral, we are much more likely to understand, enjoy, and benefit from it.
Or maybe that’s just me. Either way, let’s give it a shot together, shall we?
What’s the Plot?
The first question to ask yourself when you read this book is, “What is the plot?” Thankfully, this is the easy question. The book is about a naughty little boy named Max who puts on a wolf costume and wreaks havoc on his house one night. His mother calls him a wild thing, and he threatens to eat her up. In punishment, his mother sends him to bed with no supper. Max falls asleep and dreams that he sails to the place where the wild things are.
At first, he loves it there. He intimidates the wild things by glaring into their eyes without blinking, so they declare him their king. They celebrate all night long with a wild rumpus, of which Max is clearly the ringleader. He tells them what to do and when to stop. But by morning, Max is hungry, tired, and lonely. He “wanted to be where someone loved him best of all.” So, much to the dismay of the wild things, he hops back in his boat and sails home. When he wakes up from his dream, he finds that his mother had brought dinner to him in his room. “And it was still hot.”
What’s the Purpose?
Now, on the surface, it seems like a simple little story about a boy who had a fun dream. If you think about it a little deeper, it could also be a story about a mother’s unconditional love. And while those are true and viable takeaways, I think there may be another layer to the story. What makes me think so? Asking the question, “What’s the purpose?”
For example, whenever there is repetition in a story, it’s pretty likely that the author did it for a reason. This story begins with Max being called “WILD THING!” by his mother, and in return Max yells, “I’LL EAT YOU UP!” But later when Max has had his fill of the other wild things and wants to go home, they say, “’Oh please don’t go—we’ll eat you up—we love you so!’” Also, at the beginning of the story, we know Max’s mom tried to get him to stop making mischief and eventually had to send him to bed without any supper. Later, when Max becomes king of the wild things, he puts an end to their wild rumpus. “’Now stop!’ Max said and sent the wild things off to bed without their supper.” So what’s the purpose of this repetition? In other words, why did Sendak write the story like this? I think he was doing it to communicate something about theme, or the “moral of the story.”
What’s the Theme?
Good books (and movies) don’t just tell a story; they tell a story with a point, or theme. In “Where the Wild Things Are,” the repeated elements help point us to a possible theme. For example, consider how the story puts Max in his mother’s place. At first, she is the one yelling at the “wild thing” to settle down and obey. She is the one sending him to bed without supper because he insists on being unruly. She is the boss, but you can imagine that she’s frazzled and probably discouraged. But Max is angry because he wants to call the shots. So when Max gets to the place where the wild things are, he decides to take charge and be the boss. He leads them. He commands a wild party. He tells them when to be still and when to stop. He sends them to bed with no supper. After all, he is the king.
But eventually he takes time to sit down and think. And what does the king come to realize? That being the boss can be a lonely, tiring job. That sometimes enough is enough. That maybe, just maybe, his mother was right. He had wanted a chance to be in charge and do whatever he pleased, but when he got it, he realized it wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. He felt lonely, and he didn’t want to be king anymore.
In fact, he realized that being where someone loves you best of all is even better than being king of the wild things.
In Conclusion
So how do we know that Sendak really intended us to learn this from the story? Well, unless an author leaves behind notes and quotes, we’re really just making educated guesses. But the more we practice this skill, the more educated our guesses will become. Go ahead—try it on some books or movies that you know!
And, for bonus points, watch the movie adaptation of “Where the Wild Things Are.” It’s wild, dark, tragic, and hopeful, and I think it promotes the same theme we just discovered. But don’t take my word for it; let me know what you think!
Source: Sendak, Maurice. Where the Wild Things Are. New York: Scholastic, 1963.
One Comment on “Awesome Children’s Books, Part 4: “Where the Wild Things Are””
Want to leave a comment?
I have seen this book but never read it. Why you ask? I am challenged when it comes to understanding either picture books or cartoon that have very few words. When I see the cover of Where the Wild Things Are, I get turned off by the illustrations. However, once you explained the book I get it! Thanks for sharing