Does Green Eggs and Ham Have a Deeper Meaning?

Dr. Seuss made himself a household name by making simple yet bizarre stories for children and adults. One of his most famous works is “Green Eggs and Ham,” whose deeper meaning many have tried to unveil but is actually as straightforward as it seems.

The deeper meaning of Green Eggs and Ham concerns prejudice. It teaches readers that, like the antagonist, there are things they think they don’t like, symbolized by green eggs and ham in the story. But when they finally try it, they realize they enjoy it!

The lesson taught by green eggs and ham is a timeless one. Thus, it is no surprise that it is still significant in the present, as you’ll learn in this article.

The Allegory of Green Eggs and Ham

An allegory is a literary device that conveys hidden moral or political meanings through symbols. There are two elements in an allegory:

Tenor: the hidden meaning
Vehicle: the symbol

Summary of Green Eggs and Ham

Before delving into the meaning behind the story, we should first establish what it is about. It is a straightforward tale that begins with a character named Sam-I-Am offering his favorite food – green eggs and ham – to an unnamed antagonist.

However, the antagonist is adamant about his disdain for such cuisine throughout the story. This may be because he found the pairing bizarre, does not like Sam-I-Am, or both.

Meanwhile, Sam-I-Am spent the rest of the plot pushing the antagonist to consider green eggs and ham in various contexts: “in a house, with a mouse, in a box, with a fox,” and more. Eventually, Sam-I-Am challenged the antagonist to try green eggs and ham to see if he liked it. As the ending goes, he did like the food combination, despite initial prejudices.

What Is the Vehicle in Green Eggs and Ham?

In the context of Dr. Seuss’ story, the vehicle is the weird food combination of green eggs and ham, as it may also symbolize other things we initially shut down without even trying. Thus, it can be interpreted in many ways.

For instance, children may view green eggs and ham as symbols of the unappetizing vegetables and healthy foods their parents force them to eat. As for adults, many have qualms about trying foreign cuisine, just as the antagonist wants to avoid trying green eggs and ham.

However, the symbol can go beyond food. Some even see green eggs and ham as an allegory for sexuality. They presume the antagonist to be a non-heterosexual individual in denial or the closet. They are forced to confront their sexuality or even come out of the closet through pressure from Sam-I-Am.

It is interesting to note that, unlike his other stories, Dr. Seuss or Theodor Seuss Geisel did not really correspond this book to a particular political or social message. Thus, this makes the allegory even more open to interpretation.

What Is the Tenor in Green Eggs and Ham?

Green Eggs and Ham’s tenor or hidden meanings are to avoid prejudices, and that experience is essential before we settle with our beliefs. There are many things we immediately judge, even without experiencing them. Thus, when we actually try them, we find ourselves disproved.

However, while such a moral lesson seems simple and light-hearted, it must be nuanced. That’s because if the allegory is taken too literally, it can lead to the wrong impression. In the story, the antagonist only tried green eggs and ham after relentless badgering from Sam-I-Am, which implies that constantly pushing someone to try something they don’t want will force them to do so.

That mindset is dangerous when consistently applied. While some badgering is harmless, like getting someone to try new food, it is not good to constantly push someone to do something, such as going out of the closet for members of the LGBTQ+ community. Another dangerous instance is when someone continually bothers someone for unwanted sexual favors.

There is a fine line between coercion and encouraging someone to try novel things and experiences. This vital detail should be emphasized if the book should be taught to young children and adults. Not at all times is experience needed for us to know when we do not want things, and people’s boundaries should be respected.

Significance of Green Eggs and Ham

Green eggs and Ham resulted from a bet between Dr. Seuss and his publisher. Decades later, it has sold 8 million copies worldwide and inspired several adaptations. It, along with other Dr. Seuss books, has even become a standard for how language and rhymes should be used to keep children hooked to books.

Political

Former US Senator Ted Cruz did one of the most popular readings of Green Eggs and Ham during his marathon protest speech against Obamacare. He read it on TV as a bedtime story for his children at home but did not fail to attach a political point after the reading.

Cruz likened Obamacare to green eggs and ham as something Americans tried and didn’t like and, thus, used it to support his call to defund the program. It is ironic, though, that he made such a connection because, in the story, the antagonist discovered that he liked green eggs and ham after trying them.

Besides Cruz, here are other personalities that have publicly referenced or used Green Eggs and Ham for political purposes:

Jesse Jackson
Tim Pawlenty
Barack Obama
Mary Fallin
Anthony Brown
James Muirhead

Cultural

There are countless adaptations of Green Eggs and Ham, and we can only expect the range to grow wider. So far, here are some ways the story has been adapted:

TV shows (In Search of Dr. Seuss, Dr. Seuss on the Loose, Netflix’s Green Eggs and Ham)
Videocassette/VHS (Beginner Book Video)
Musical (Seussical)
Parodies (The Warners and The Beanstalk)
Restaurant (Green Eggs and Ham Cafe)
Video Games (Dr. Seuss: Green Eggs and Ham)

People have also attempted to translate the dish of green eggs and ham into real life. Here are some popular recipes:

Green Eggs & Ham from Food.com
The Kitchn: How To Make Green Eggs and Ham for Breakfast
Eating Richly: Green Eggs and Ham Recipe is Totally Dye Free

Final Thoughts

Green eggs and ham are a great reminder to explore beyond our comfort zones. New things and experiences may intimidate us, but we must try them to know if we like them. However, as we push others to do the same, we should remember to respect boundaries.