Summary: In one of Flaum's stories he references a tiger that is locked up in a cage. The tiger had many amazing abilities, but could not use them because he could not get out and be free. As the tiger uses his jumping ability he can get out of his cage, but finds himself locked up now in the cage that was next to him. The cages are infinite and he has no way out it seems. This represents many common struggles in our lives and that we must realize we will never overcome. As the tiger will never get out of the cage, sometimes we need to let go of things we care about as well, knowing not everything always works out.
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ALL
I do not like green eggs and ham
I do not like them, Sam-I-am
Do not like them here or there
I do not like them anywhere.
Not in a house, not with a mouse
Not here or there, not anywhere
I do not like green eggs and ham
I do not like them, Sam-I-am
Could you? Would you? With a goat?
Could you? Would you? On a boat?
Could you? Would you? In the rain?
Could you? Would you? On a train?
Not with a goat. Not on a boat.
Not in the rain. Not on a train.
Not in a house. Not with a mouse.
Oh, no!
Not in a box. Not with a fox.
Not in a tree. You let me be!
I do not like green eggs and ham!
I do not like them, Sam-I-am!
(All take their bows)
I do not like green eggs and ham!
(http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/seussical/greeneggsandham.htm)
Essay: So what is this malicious change the incorrigible Sam-I-Am is trying to establish? He wants the old curmudgeon to eat green eggs and ham. This is a ludicrous request. After all, anyone who has ever had the displeasure of cleaning out a refrigerator knows that when eggs and ham turn green that it is not a good thing. This has only happened to me once. You certainly do not eat them; you throw them out. But Sam-I-Am is not throwing them out. He has embraced them and has come to love them and is now trying to persuade others to include green eggs and ham in their daily routine. The other character refuses to have anything to do with it, though and tries to turn away from Sam. Sam does not back off, though, and we find ourselves with sixty-two pages of adventure as Sam chases the curmudgeon desperately trying to find any situation that the older creature would be willing to try this new idea. Finally the curmudgeon, chased into a pond and fed up, gives in to the relentless requests and tries the insane concoction with the stern warning that he will not like them only to discover that not only does he like them, he loves them! He would eat them anywhere and everywhere. He would eat them with any other kind of creature, suddenly the idea of eating with a fox or in a box does not seem so ludicrous. Now, imagine the green eggs and ham were not green eggs and ham, but a friendship with a black man, and imagine that the fox is not a fox, but an American Indian and that the box is actually a Japanese home. Would the older generation be willing to try these things, absolutely not. This is where we realize that my generation is a bit more advanced then our fathers and mothers. This happens every generation, this does on only relate to me but to everyone. Sam and the youth movement were confident that the world would be a better place if all of these cultures could come together. They relentlessly pressed the issue: through sit-ins and love-ins, through protests, through setting examples, and through persistent public discourse. Racism in the south was prevalent in the 18th and 19th century so now even not being said people realize there is tension between races. This does not have to happen but it is what is known, or common knowledge. As each generation passes the realization that race is not a factor has been increasing fast. This is good because it brings us closer to a more peaceful world. I relate myself to that because I believe that all wars are based off of money and greed, which derives from hate. Whether this is from racism or companies battling, you can relate it to how negative the character was to the green eggs and ham. Green eggs and ham are gross but thats not how we should judge our peers (Off of color). speak out!
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