Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose Irony

Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose Irony

The Herd

The herd is supposed to be a community and family and have a duty to look after one another. Ironically, after Thidwick doesn't reject his guests, the herd ironically leaves him behind to thrive and survive by himself in the winter. Here, Dr. Seuss may be commenting on the unkindness of society towards those who are vulnerable.



Guests

The insects and animals surviving on Thidwick's antlers are ironically referred to as guests. This is ironic because they act nothing like guests; they are incredibly rude towards Thidwick and take advantage of him.

Kindness

Although Thidwick is being kind and showing generosity towards his fellow creatures, he is essentially punished for his kindness. Usually, kindness is rewarded in children's literature, but here Dr. Seuss is showing how kindness can be taken advantage of.

Thidwick's antlers

Thidwick's antlers are his, but the insects and animals living on them ironically believe that the antlers belong to them. This causes Thidwick considerable misery, as he is too kind to tell them to leave.

Update this section!

You can help us out by revising, improving and updating this section.

Update this section

After you claim a section you’ll have 24 hours to send in a draft. An editor will review the submission and either publish your submission or provide feedback.

Cite this page