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By Dr. Seuss
The Cat in the Hat
Speech: Many of the words spoken by the cat at the beginning of the story have an upbeat connotative meaning. For instance, the cat says to the children, “But we can have / Lots of fun that is funny!” (7).
Looks:Throughout the first three-quarters of the story, the cat is shown with a smile on his face. Towards the end of the story, however, when the cat is told to leave, he is shown leaving the house with slumped shoulders and a sad face.
Actions: On page 18, the cat engages in “UP-UP-UP with a fish” an activity that involves the cat standing on a ball while balancing seven objects. Later in the story, the cat releases two “things” that fly kites inside the house.
Thoughts: So all we could do was to Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit! And we did not like it. Not one little bit (3).
Effects on others: Throughout the first three quarters of the story, three different illustrations portray the fish scowling at the cat (11, 25, and 37) immediately after each of the cat’s activities. When the cat returns to clean up his mess at the end of the story the fish is shown with a smile on his face (57).
Indirect Characterization
