A Person's A Person, No Matter How Small

My absolute favourite Dr. Seuss story is "Horton Hears a Who".

"What?" You may ask.

To which I would reply, "No, a WHO."


While it's true, this probably isn't Dr. Seuss' most famous story, it has remained near and dear to my heart for many years. The recent re-make was one of the only movies I've ever watched twice in theatres. The reason why? Because in this story, we see two people fighting against everyone they know, and everything they've seen or heard to defend their belief in each other. To me, this is awe-inspiring.


For those of you who haven't watched/read Horton Hears a Who, SHAME ON YOU - I mean, that's okay. I'll give you a quick run-down of the plot. *Spoiler Alert* (You really should just read it on your own when you get the chance, if you haven't noticed I highly recommend it)


Synopsis

 One day, in the Jungle of Nool, Horton the Elephant hears a small noise, which he soon attributes to a small speck of dust - being the only thing around. Eventually he discovers that there must be very small people on this speck, too tiny to see. When a sour kangaroo hears of this, she says it's absurd, and tries to destroy the dust speck because it's obvious to her that there couldn't possibly be people that small. Meanwhile, on top of the dust speck, the scientist/mayor (depending on which version you watch or read) tries to warn the town of Whoville that they are in danger and that their whole world rests on a speck, but no one believes him. So both Horton and the mayor spend the better half of the book trying to convince the people around them that there is another world out there that they can't see, hear or touch. This culminates in an intense moment where Horton is tied up and thrown in a cage by the kangaroo and a few monkeys, and the speck is about to be dropped in a pot of boiling beezlenut oil. The whole town tries to shout out "We are here!" to stop this from happening, but no one can hear them until the smallest who of all lets out one tiny "Yop". When all is said and done, no one believed in the who's because they were so small, but their whole world was saved by the smallest of all - reinforcing the central theme that Horton states early on, "A person's a person, no matter how small."


It's incredible that cartoon characters can sometimes communicate themes like this more effectively than live-action actors.


Why I love it


For me, when I see Horton giving it his all, and never doubting the Who's existence for a moment, it just makes me that much more invested in the story, and makes the "roping and caging" scene so much more intense. I think that anyone with a strong sense of justice will always be more involved in a story when the main character is put through great trials through no fault of his own, or accused of wrong when innocent. Horton did nothing to deserve the sour kangaroo's wrath, but even when she did unspeakable things to him, he never once lashed out at her, or insulted her, or tried to get back at her in any way. In fact, when all was said and done, he readily forgave her.


Similarly, the who's did nothing to deserve being thrown in a pot of boiling beezlenut oil, and all their efforts to be heard seem completely in vain until the very last moment when the smallest who lets out that yop.


When I was watching this in the theatres, I remember the "We are here/roping and caging" scene very vividly. Watching the who's doing everything they can to make noise, and Horton doing everything he can to keep them safe is absolutely riveting. Granted, this story may fall under the category of "I watched it when I was young so I can't find any faults with it.", but I don't think that's the only reason why I like it.

In the end, this story is about belief. It's about believing in what you can't see regardless of what people around you think. Horton and the mayor were both made fun of, ostracized and rejected for what they believed, but they stuck to their guns, and kept pushing no matter what the cost.


Why this matters to me as a writer

As an writer, I'm always trying to think of ways to create compelling, likeable characters for my stories. Something that has recently come up through thinking about Horton Hears a Who, has been the aspect of belief. If a character is realistic, they're going to have some core beliefs that really mean a lot to them. I think a really powerful way to get people to care about a character is to portray that character as someone who will stick to what they believe, no matter what people around them say. Of course, this can become problematic when those beliefs prove to be erroneous, but at least for me, I hate a flip flopper.

I can't stand it when a character is tossed to and fro depending on the current thoughts of the time. I love to see dynamic characters that can change, but who don't just change because everyone tells them to. I want to see them change as a result of the story. As a result of what they've experienced, and from their own introspection. How can you respect someone's values if they're constantly changing them? How can you root for a character that's changing their motives every five minutes?

I love Horton because of his determination, and his guts. I honestly don't care much that he isn't all that three-dimensional. I'm okay with the fact that he doesn't necessarily have any character flaws, or anything to make him more 'realistic'. He's an elephant. He's a cartoon. He doesn't have to be some ultra-realistic person anyone could relate to. He's a likeable character that goes through a lot because he's loyal, kind, and he never gives up.

Why this matters to me as a person

In a way, even though Horton isn't a real person, he's someone I can look up to. There are times when I want to shrink into the background and not say anything about my faith for fear of what others will think of me. There are days when I really don't want people to ask me about what I believe. But is this because I expect them to really persecute me like some people are being persecuted right now in other parts of the world?

I'm not exactly about to get roped and caged for what I believe in. But I'm still hesitant to voice my opinions in some areas. Why?

Because at the end of the day, I want people to like me.

Really, that's what it comes down to, and to be honest, that's pretty selfish. There are people out there literally dying to share their faith and I'm sitting in the corner twiddling my thumbs waiting for the topic of conversation to switch back to the weather. I think that there are areas in my life where I really need to be more like Horton and just say it like it is. "This is what I believe, this is why, and like it or not that's the way it is!"
  
I could go on and on about this story, and about how I also see the connection between the theme "A person's a person no matter how small" and abortion, but that would probably at least double this already lengthy post, so I'll save that lovely subject for another day.

But I want to know, what are your thoughts about this? Are you annoyed by people who "stick to their guns" and don't budge on their beliefs? Or do you admire them?


I realize no one's infallible, and sometimes we need to be open to correction from others, but at the end of the day, are you just a people pleaser? Or do you really, really believe what you say you believe?