The real title of this popular kids book turned movie is, of course, Horton Hears a Who. But I am bringing to the table a not so subtle theme I have seen in the movie. The central quote throughout this book/movie is: "a person's a person no matter how small". The book by Dr. Seuss was written in 1954, exactly 20 years before Roe vs. Wade, so Seuss most likely didn't write the book in an attempt to counter abortion. And in 2008 Horton made it to the theaters; and this is the Horton that I want to focus on.
Abortion is a significant issue in American culture, many say they are pro-choice and they believe a fetus is not a living baby until sometimes three months, two months, four months after conception. Pro-lifers (myself included) believe life begins the moment of conception. I believe both of the views are clearly shown in Horton Hears a Who; Sour Kangaroo is clearly depicted as a Feminist that doesn't believe there is life on the spec (or no life at conception) and Horton, who can hear the Who's with his huge elephant ears, he believes that there are live beings living on the spec (life at conception). Kangaroo is adamant at getting everyone else in the jungle to believe, along with her, that Horton is a menace for thinking such things and even goes after him and the clover, that's holding the spec of life.
In the end Horton has been beaten up and caged by the other jungle folks, until finally the spec is heard by Kangaroos son. And everyone finally believes Horton and all of the Who's in Whoville are saved. Even the hard and proud Kangaroo in the end believes.
Obviously in our world today, there are plenty, if not most, who still believe that abortion is an okay option and that there is no life in a fetus before this or that age, but the rest of the movie shows a fairly accurate picture of what it can be like for a pro-life individual living in America today. You can disagree with me about the meaning of this movie, or even some of the claims I've made, but what does "a person's a person, no matter how small" mean to you?
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