Hello Readers!
This post is another academic project I have been working on. I have been studying Linguistics in my college classes and analyzing the linguistic elements in a chosen book. I chose to do a Dr, Seuss book because of his charm and quirky characters, as well as his unique use of language.
Green Eggs and Ham is one of my favorite Children's books. It brings back such fond memories of reading time with my mom, and it is such a classic book that so many children have read. I remember thinking that Sam I Am was so funny and silly. Now looking back as an adult, I have incredible respect for what Dr. Seuss did with simple words and phrases to create such a memorable and lasting book that teaches basic linguistic elements of the English Language in a unique and engaging way.
Phonetics
Here are some words that are repeated frequently in the story, and their IPA transcription:
1) Green [grin]
2) Eggs [ɛgz]
3) Ham [hæm]
4) Am [æm]
5) Would [wʊd]
6) Could [kʊd]
7) Not [nɑt]
8) Anywhere [ˈɛniˌwɛr]
9) Eat [it]
10) Good [gʊd]
11) Fox [fɑks]
12) Box [bɑks]
13) Rain [reɪn]
14) Train [treɪn]
15) Boat [boʊt]
16) Goat [goʊt]
17) Tree [tri]
18) See [si]
19) House [haʊs]
20) Mouse [maʊs]
21) Dark [dɑrk]
22) Car [kɑr]
23) Sam [sæm]
24) Like [laɪk]
25) You [ju]
The linguistic use of sound in this novel is extremely thought out, and every word is intentional. Notice in the
linguistic transcriptions the use of similar phonetic sounds. This creates rhyming throughout the book. And because all of these words are repeated throughout the book, it creates regularity. This is extremely important for children still learning to read because it helps them to recognize sounds in the words they read because the sounds are repeated. It also helps young readers to know if they have read, or said aloud, the word correctly because they recognize the rhyming pattern and can hear if a word sounds out of place. Also, because with few exceptions, these are all simple words with one syllable, children can easily sound out the words and read the story on their own. This is also a wonderful text for teaching rhythm, as it does have a poetic element to it, and children pick up on this; often without even realizing it.
The linguistic use of sound in this novel is extremely thought out, and every word is intentional. Notice in the
linguistic transcriptions the use of similar phonetic sounds. This creates rhyming throughout the book. And because all of these words are repeated throughout the book, it creates regularity. This is extremely important for children still learning to read because it helps them to recognize sounds in the words they read because the sounds are repeated. It also helps young readers to know if they have read, or said aloud, the word correctly because they recognize the rhyming pattern and can hear if a word sounds out of place. Also, because with few exceptions, these are all simple words with one syllable, children can easily sound out the words and read the story on their own. This is also a wonderful text for teaching rhythm, as it does have a poetic element to it, and children pick up on this; often without even realizing it.
Morphology
Next, I will use words from the same list and analyze them morphologically; listing the morphemes in the word, and what kind of morpheme it is.
1) Green (one free lexical morpheme. root. Meaning: of the color between blue and yellow in the spectrum; colored like grass or emeralds).
2) Eggs ( One free lexical morpheme. root. Meaning: an oval or round object laid by a female bird).
3) Ham (One free lexical morpheme. root. Meaning: meat from the upper part of a pig's leg).
4) Anywhere (Two free lexical morphemes 'Any' 'Where'. Root: Any. Meaning: in or to any place.)
5) Eat (One free lexical morpheme. Root. Meaning: to put (food) into the mouth and chew and swallow it).
6) Good (One free lexical morpheme. Root. Meaning: to be desired or approved of).
7) Fox ( One free lexical morpheme. Root. Meaning: a carnivorous mammal of the dog family).
8) Box (One free lexical morpheme. Root. Meaning: a container with a flat base and sides).
9) Rain (One free lexical morpheme. Root. Meaning: moisture condensed from the atmosphere that falls visibly in separate drops).
10) Train ( One free lexical morpheme. Root. Meaning: a series of railroad cars moved as a unit by a locomotive or by integral motors).
All of these words except 'anywhere' are simple words made up of one free morpheme. Even 'anywhere' is an elementary level word; being a compound of two free morphemes. Dr. Seuss is writing to an audience of young children; beginning readers. Many of these children will have the book read to them, or they will be following along as the book is read. The ones who are reading it entirely on their own are still developing the skill. Because of these facts, Dr. Seuss used simple words that are not long or complicated. This keeps the interest of children and does not frustrate them by being too complicated or hard to understand. The story is simple and funny, and this is reflected in the word choice of Dr. Seuss.
All of these words except 'anywhere' are simple words made up of one free morpheme. Even 'anywhere' is an elementary level word; being a compound of two free morphemes. Dr. Seuss is writing to an audience of young children; beginning readers. Many of these children will have the book read to them, or they will be following along as the book is read. The ones who are reading it entirely on their own are still developing the skill. Because of these facts, Dr. Seuss used simple words that are not long or complicated. This keeps the interest of children and does not frustrate them by being too complicated or hard to understand. The story is simple and funny, and this is reflected in the word choice of Dr. Seuss.
Semantics
The semantics in this story are beautifully simple. Yet there are many layers to unpack and learn from. On the most basic level, this is a story of someone who gets his friend to try food he declares he doesn't like. When he finally does try the food, he discovers that he likes it quite a bit. With this overarching story, Dr. Seuss further develops the character of Sam I Am. He becomes annoying in a funny way with all of his suggestions for trying green eggs and ham ("would you eat it in a box?"). All of these suggested places and ways of eating green eggs and ham use rhyming words to create a sing-song flow to the story which makes it entertaining for young children, and easy to anticipate what's coming next. These words and phrases are also repeated in multiple places, and build on each other as the story progresses. Dr. Seuss is teaching rhyming and complimentary words ( such as 'here' 'there' 'anywhere', and also 'fox' 'box' 'train' 'rain'). He is also telling a story that encourages children to try new things before declaring that they don't like it. This valuable life lesson is woven into a linguistic lesson appropriate for the target age group. This story, while being simple and short, is also rich in linguistic-semantic meaning.Synthesis and Conclusion
Green Eggs and Ham is a story rich with linguistic elements, yet also simple and charming in its story for children. By using rhyming words with the same phonetic sounds, Dr. Seuss creates words that are easy to read and that form a distinct rhythm and poetic element to the story. By also choosing simple words made up of one or two free morphemes, he makes a story that is appropriate for early readers to develop their skills while also holding their interest. Dr. Seuss also weaves layers of semantic meaning into his story; going beyond the literal definition of the words to create a playful series of suggestions for eating green eggs and ham (not many people would eat in a box, or with a fox, or in the rain). By using these silly examples, Dr, Seuss is creating an entertaining story that teaches rhyming, and complimentary words, a valuable life lesson in trying new things, and a collection of words perfect for young readers to practice not only reading skills but oratory skills such as rhythm as well. This story is extremely well thought out; keeping the target audience in mind with appropriate words, meaning, and linguistic teaching.
