What Is Shel Silverstein Known For?
Shel Silverstein was an American poet, illustrator, songwriter, playwright, and children’s book author. He was well-known for his popular creations such as ‘Where the Sidewalk Ends’ and ‘The Giving Tree’. Along with his work as a writer, Silverstein was also an exceptional cartoonist and musician. One of his most humorous drawings is the ‘Closet Full of Shoes’. Despite mostly focusing on his career as a writer, Silverstein often chose to explore the fun side of life through artwork.
Closet Full of Shoes: A Creative Cartoon
Silverstein’s ‘Closet Full of Shoes’ cartoon initially debuted in Playboy Magazine in 1959. Set in a traditional depicted living room, the cartoon consist of two characters: an African-American woman sitting in a chair and a slim, tall white-haired man in the closet doorway reaching out of his closet. He is reaching out to offer her an array of shoes from his crammed, overstuff closet. It seems as if he is trying to get rid of them onto his guest.
For Silverstein, shoes appeared to hold a special significance. As artistic director at Chicago’s Poetry magazine in 1953, he would often draw cartoons of the editors. In the cartoon, the woman is infuriated, she’s aware of the man’s knack for selling her shoes she doesn’t need. She wants him to take what she doesn’t want away. At the same time, the man is trying to make money and using his closet as a source of income.
A Closet Full of Shoes: Symbolic Analysis
Silverstein’s ‘Closet Full of Shoes’ has several layers of complexity. Psychotherapist Durrell — who studies primarily comedy and comedy theory — found the most interesting aspect of this cartoon was it’s underlying message of exclusion and marginalization. Durrell’s analysis suggests the closet of shoes is a metaphor for the things that are crammed and unwanted in life but, at the same time, pushed onto others and they can’t avoid it.
The two characters represent two opposing identities: on one hand, the woman is a gift recipient presented with an overflowing closet of gifts she doesn’t want and can’t escape from. On the other hand, the man is a salesman trying to close a deal no matter what.
This cartoon symbolizes the experience of marginalization of being given something you didn’t ask for and are unable to take away. We can identify with both of the characters: either being the recipient who is given something you don’t need or desire, and the salesperson wanting to make the sale, no matter what.
Closet Full of Shoes and Silverstein’s Relationships
Silverstein’s relationship to shoes and how it might inform Closet Full of Shoes is unknown. However, relationship expert and therapist Dr. Lauren McKeon suggests that Silverstein’s interest in shoes may reveal something about his relationships, both romantic and platonic. She implies that Silverstein’s drawings of shoes may be a reflection of how he would try to give something to his friends or family — but they didn’t want it.
Shoes often come in pairs, and the woman in picture is alone. Maybe Silverstein is trying to tell us something about his relationships with people that he wanted something from, but ultimately couldn’t get it. Maybe Silverstein wanted to give something to make a connection, but it failed to be accepted.
Simplicity and Humor in Silverstein’s ‘Closet Full of Shoes’
Silverstein’s drawing of shoes is the epitome of comedic silliness. His cartoon is hilarious and lighthearted, but within it, it can also tell a story about his relationships and his longing for someone to understand him. Beyond that, it also brings forth some important deep meaning as well.
‘Closet Full of Shoes’ is a great example of how a seemingly simple cartoon can be so entertaining while also portraying so much more beneath the surface. It is easy to chuckle at the absurdity of characters, yet this depiction of a closet full of shoes serves to tell a beautiful story, one of opportunity and perspective that can be applied to all sorts of situations.
Exploring Our Relationship With ‘Things’
The Closet Full of Shoes reveals the importance of understanding our relationship to things and the desire to own a piece of the ideal house or life. When it comes to Shel Silverstein, it becomes even more apparent. Whether it is the need to have the “perfect” pair of shoes in the closet, or the desire to find someone to connect to, his cartoons explore the underlying realities of our obsession with things and our need for connection and acceptance.
When we look at the cartoon in this context, we can explore why we have an affinity for certain “things” and the meaning these items have in our lives. The cartoon lampoons the desire for stuff, implying that material possessions can both bring us joy and keep us empty, depending on how much meaning we assign to them. It also brings to light the pressure of being told what to buy and how to live, and the idea that we often accumulate more than we need.
The Art of Making Money: Silverstein’s ‘Closet Full of Shoes’
There is no denying that Silverstein’s ‘Closet Full of Shoes’ is a hilarious cartoon. However, there is a darker truth to the cartoon. Silverstein is a playwright and cartoonist, but he is primarily known for his writing. He was able to make money off of his works and no doubt wanted to make money from his cartoons.
The cartoon serves as a reminder that making money off of art is a key element of success. Silverstein obviously understood this concept, so it makes sense that he would put it into the cartoon. The cartoon itself is both a reminder of the importance of making money off of art and a reflection of Silverstein’s business mind.
Silverstein’s ‘Closet Full of Shoes’ Through a Sociological Lens
When viewed through a sociological lens, ‘Closet Full of Shoes’ also touches on class and economic status. The woman in the picture is an African American woman, while the man is a white man. It is possible that the man is using the shoes to make extra income while the woman is not. She is in a spot where she is having to choose between buying shoes from a man whose lifestyle obviously differs from hers.
Through this cartoon, Silverstein is making a statement about economic disparity in America and the unequal power dynamics between people of different social classes. He is subtly hinting that the woman has no choice but to take what is offered to her, regardless of how much she may disagree with it.
Analysis of Silverstein’s ‘Closet Full of Shoes’
Silverstein has left a lasting impression in popular culture. The cartoon has stayed relevant for decades due to its comedic value but also its symbolic meaning. Silverstein draws his characters with an economy of lines which make them both humorous and thought-provoking.
His choice of a closet full of shoes implies that the characters are in some way being restricted or constrained. One can decode it to be about the difficulty of making money, the passion for the arts, the representation of different classes, the nature of relationships, or just a funny gag. Silver
