Made by Anaiya Patel and Annalisa Fletcher

The Lorax is a 2012 American animated musical fantasy comedy film based on the 1971 children’s book by Dr. Seuss. The Lorax is the guardian of the forest. The movie begins with twelve-year-old Ted who lives in a place virtually devoid of nature; no flowers or trees grow in the town of Thneedville. Ted becomes infatuated with Audrey, the girl of his dreams and in order to win her heart he must find what she most desires: a Truffula tree. Ted decides to embark on a journey as he delves into the story of the Lorax, once the gruff guardian of the forest, and the Once-ler, who let greed overtake his respect for nature. The Lorax sends a message to society that says, “You reap what you sow.” According to enochseagleeye.org, “The purpose of the movie was to warn companies about the importance of caring about the environment and not overproducing their products. The movie also highlights the importance of parks, trees, and just nature in general.” The Lorax shows different angles of the harmful impacts of human greed such as environmental destruction, deforestation, pollution, animal abuse, and so much more. According to the prindleinstitue.org, “The Lorax represents the interests of all the creatures whose lives are affected negatively by the environmental degradation. He tries to convince the Once-ler to stop, but to no avail. The environment is completely decimated before the Once-ler realizes the harm he caused.” It is the animal’s home and it’s not fair for us to dismantle it. It’s important to only take what’s needed and necessary as it will end up biting us in the back if we continue down this path.

Amir Johnson(10) said, – “I think it compares to today’s society because we should take care of our economy more. There’s a lot of stuff going on in this world that is making it worse. I feel like the lesson of the movie is that even when you get famous, you shouldn’t abandon where you’re from. You should always take care of what you have, because that way you’ll get more. When it comes to deforestation, in the movie they were cutting down trees for profit. I think we do need trees, but there should be a limit to how many we cut down. I feel like we’re cutting down more than we should. We already have a lot of buildings and areas. In the movie, he cut down trees to get more stuff and make clothes and things like that, so I think there should be regulations or laws in place.”

“I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees. I speak for the trees for the trees have no tongues.”
― Dr. Seuss, The Lorax

The trees don’t have a mouth they can’t tell us no or to stop. But that doesn’t mean we can’t listen. Our actions have consequences and once we reach a certain point there is no going back. It’s up to us to learn how to respect nature.

Amir adds, “About selling air, I think that connects to real life because we have big factories with smoke coming out of them that pollute the air. In a way, it’s kind of similar because we’re ruining the air with pollution. There’s dirt and smoke and things like that, and it makes habitats worse for animals.”

“It’s not about what it is, it’s about what it can become.”
― Dr. Seuss, The Lorax

Even small things can have a bigger purpose in the future. In The Lorax, the Once-ler originally only sees the Truffula trees as something he can use to make money. However, the story reminds us that the trees have much more to it than just being a product. They support animals, clean the air, and help the environment to stay balanced. When natural resources are destroyed for profit like how they are in our world we lose the opportunity for those resources to continue helping the planet.

Olivia Makins(10) stated -“I think it compares to today’s society because people take trees and oxygen for granted. A lot of trees are being cut down to build more buildings, but we need to keep trees up because they give us oxygen.”

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,
Nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”
― Dr. Seuss, The Lorax

This quote highlights one of the main messages of The Lorax which is that real change only happens when people care enough to take action. In the story, the environment continues to get worse because no one stops the Onceler from cutting down all the trees. This message connects to real life because environmental problems such as deforestation and pollution continue when people ignore them. By being aware of environmental issues and supporting efforts to protect nature, we can help prevent the kind of damage shown in the movie.

Oliva says, “I also think it’s actually pretty realistic. We’re not that far from something like that happening, especially with the way society is working right now and how fast we’re advancing in technology. I think we’re getting pretty close to something inevitable if we don’t change.”

“The Lorax: Which way does a tree fall?
The Once-ler: Uh, down?
The Lorax: A tree falls the way it leans. Be careful which way you lean.”
― Dr. Seuss, The Lorax

In the movie, the Once-ler chooses to focus on making money instead of protecting the forest. Because of those decisions, the environment is eventually destroyed. The Lorax warns him that the direction someone chooses will shape what happens next. This idea relates to real life because many environmental problems today are the result of decisions made by businesses and governments. If society continues to prioritize profit over sustainability, the damage could become irreversible. However, if people begin to make more responsible choices, the future of the environment could improve.

Olivia then goes on to say, “I believe the purpose of the Lorax was to keep people aware of the harm that comes from cutting down too many trees and not protecting the environment.” ― Dr. Seuss, The Lorax

This quote is a metaphor about how people’s choices affect the future. In the movie, the Once-ler chooses to focus on making money instead of protecting the forest. Because of those decisions, the environment is eventually destroyed. The Lorax warns him that the direction someone chooses will shape what happens next. This idea relates to real life because many environmental problems today are the result of decisions made by businesses and governments. If society continues to prioritize profit over sustainability, the damage could become irreversible. However, if people begin to make more responsible choices, the future of the environment could improve.

Lastly, the song “How Bad Can I Be” is famously known in the Lorax as mockery towards corrupt and greedy corporations. It shows how people will go to extreme lengths to increase their net worths as well as feed into their greed as they are power hungry, oftentimes meaning creating a future challenge for all especially for those who lives in low socioeconomic areas.  In the movie, the Once-ler chooses to focus on making money instead of protecting the forest. Because of those decisions, the environment is eventually destroyed. The Lorax warns him that the direction someone chooses will shape what happens next. This idea relates to real life because many environmental problems today are the result of decisions made by businesses and governments. If society continues to prioritize profit over sustainability, the damage could become irreversible. However, if people begin to make more responsible choices, the future of the environment could improve.

The Lorax, masked as a entertaining children’s movie has a deeper meaning to teach us to take better care of our environment. Although it is animated, there are endless comparisons from their world to our world. It’s not a warning, but an insight to bring awareness as to what’s happening in front our eyes. We can’t control what happens in the movie, but we do have responsibility over our world and taking proper care of it.

Works Cited-

Lopez, Ruben Sanchez. “The Lorax – a Summary.” Enochs Eagle Eye, 14 Feb. 2024, enochseagleeye.org/4155/showcase/the-lorax-a-summary/.

“The Lorax Quotes by Dr. Seuss.” Goodreads.com, 2019, www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/886002-the-lorax.