Maurice Sendak: The Man Behind the Pages
The
silenced voices in the story are the Wild Things. They don’t say a word and are
nothing but obedient to Max once he demands their respect. They would
have said they were only scared of Max when he first arrived so that’s why they
gnashed their terrible teeth. But once Max demanded their respect, they’d say
they liked him because they just wanted someone to play with. They're facial expressions shed proof of their feelings towards him. And all they do is
“rumpus” the entire time he is king. Who doesn’t want a cool king like that?
There wouldn't be a change in the story if elements such as race, gender, or economic class are transposed in the story. That’s because everyone, no matter who you are or where you’re from, needs an escape place. For some it’s the beach. For Max, it’s the Wild Things World.
It seemed completely natural that max came back to reality and would be in his room when he got bored with the Wild Things. It felt that way because there is no way possible that his room would just turn into a forest and then magically end up back to his room. Therefore, the cut from his room to sailing and sailing back to his room was so farfetched that it made sense that he actually never went anywhere.
Sendak went through a great amount of experiences and influences that morphed him into the writer of Where the Wild Things Are. To begin with, a great amount of family members of his were murdered during the Holocaust which led him to spending a great deal amount of time inside. Sendak never fit the stereotypical role of a boy. He didn't play in the streets with his friends. Instead, he went to movies and listened to his father tell stories about the Old Testament. After he'd seen a good movie or listened to a stellar story from his father, Sendak would sit on his front stoop and relay the stories to his friends. However, he would spice up the stories (add in his own fantasies) to hold the attention of his friends.
Click the picture below to see an interview that sheds more light on the influences and experiences that Sendak endured!
There wouldn't be a change in the story if elements such as race, gender, or economic class are transposed in the story. That’s because everyone, no matter who you are or where you’re from, needs an escape place. For some it’s the beach. For Max, it’s the Wild Things World.
It seemed completely natural that max came back to reality and would be in his room when he got bored with the Wild Things. It felt that way because there is no way possible that his room would just turn into a forest and then magically end up back to his room. Therefore, the cut from his room to sailing and sailing back to his room was so farfetched that it made sense that he actually never went anywhere.
Sendak went through a great amount of experiences and influences that morphed him into the writer of Where the Wild Things Are. To begin with, a great amount of family members of his were murdered during the Holocaust which led him to spending a great deal amount of time inside. Sendak never fit the stereotypical role of a boy. He didn't play in the streets with his friends. Instead, he went to movies and listened to his father tell stories about the Old Testament. After he'd seen a good movie or listened to a stellar story from his father, Sendak would sit on his front stoop and relay the stories to his friends. However, he would spice up the stories (add in his own fantasies) to hold the attention of his friends.
Click the picture below to see an interview that sheds more light on the influences and experiences that Sendak endured!