Where The Wild Things Are Sparknotes

The Land of the Wild Things: A Psychoanalytical Exploration of Childhood Struggles

“Where the Wild Things Are” is more than a tribute to a child’s imagination - it is a fascinating look into the emotional and psychological challenges associated with the process of growing up. The story, written by Maurice Sendak, details a young boy’s journey within his own subconscious. Sendak introduces an initial conflict with Max and his mother, which prompts an outburst that leads to an evening full of make-believe. By observing the text with a psychoanalytic lens, one can interpret that the land of the Wild Things is an embodiment of the mental trials Max is going through. Examining the “Where the Wild Things Are” shows readers how Max’s journey represents

His attempts at creative play are rejected by his mother, who sends him to his room without dinner or the opportunity to interact with his family. The loneliness that this evokes causes him to seek refuge in figments of his imagination. The author explains this by writing, “That very night in Max’s room a forest grew, and grew-, and grew until his ceiling hung with vines and the walls became the world all around” (Sendak 10-14). Afraid and unwilling to sit alone, face his mother, or defend himself, he reimagines himself in a world where he is accepted. His daydream quickly becomes indistinguishable from reality, and it becomes clear that he is using his imagination to counter and express his negative feelings. Eventually, Max begins to long for attention from his real mother: “Max the king of all Wild Things was lonely and wanted to be where someone loved him best of all” (Sendak 32). This proves he is able to recognize that the respect he earned from the Wild Things was forced and not a true appreciation for his character. Their acceptance of him is neither fulfilling nor genuine and he begins to crave a truer

Most notably, Max crowns himself as king despite being surrounded by creatures that are larger, more intimidating, and more powerful. He then uses his control to bestow a higher status upon himself in order to command the Wild Things, rather than forming a state of equilibrium. The text describes that shortly after arriving, Max greets the Wild Things and immediately “...tamed them with the magic trick of staring into all their yellow eyes without blinking once and they were frightened and called him the most wild thing of all” (Senadk 22-23). He scares them into submission and asserts dominance, which feeds this part of his ego. Later, Max allows the Wild Things to engage in rambunctious behavior only to quickly put it to a stop, in a way that is reminiscent of the earlier actions of his mother — “‘Now stop!’ Max said and sent the Wild Things off to bed without their supper” (Sendak 32). This dramatic change in his demeanor shows that Max placed himself in a position of power with the intention of repeating what his mother had done, seeking to inflict a similar level of distress. He intentionally retracts the sense of security he provided the Wild Things, and punishes them instead. This further establishes Max’s role as dictator among the Wild Things, which he grew into from a refusal to accept his