The Unseen Meaning of Oscar the Grouch

There are many places that seem to be defined by and intertwined with a singular person, and I felt it was important to try to explore a person and place that are intertwined in a strong way but also interesting and out of the ordinary. One that goes unnoticed but is essential to understand is the relationship between Oscar the Grouch and a trash can. This relationship defined to Americans, at a young age, the purpose of trash cans. Just as the trash of our daily lives is thrown away in these all important disposal units, the trash of Sesame Street was put away in this filthy home. On a deeper level, Oscar is linked to his trash can in a profound way that many would notice, and this link represents a specific type of person. This relationship exposes the fallback of being an angry, cruel, and brutal human being. Oscar shows that by living life in a way that pushes people away, you will lack the strong friendships and connections that are necessary to live a happy and healthy life.

As a young child, if you were to ask me the first thing that comes to mind when the words trash can were said, I would have immediately blurted out Oscar the Grouch, and I am sure that many children who watched Sesame Street would say the same. But what slips past the young viewers that tune into this program is that Oscar and his trash can are intertwined at a much deeper level. Oscar is not only there for entertainment purposes, but has a profound symbolic meaning. I am sure that Oscar was never very pleasant, and probably not a very enjoyable person to be around, and because of this, the other inhabitants of Sesame Street most likely got fed up with his downright grouchy attitude. So I would assume that they placed him in his grimy prison so that his home matched his personality; therefore intertwining this person and place for eternity. This is a way of life that the producers of Sesame Street want children to stay away from.

Understanding the type of person that Oscar really was and still is immensely helps in understanding the place, that being the trash can. As mentioned before trash cans are used as garbage disposal units and the small bits of trash that we come across in everyday life are pitched away and forgotten about. The same goes for Oscar; by living life the way he does and exhibiting that type of disruptive behavior he became the garbage that taints the beautiful world of Sesame Street. Children that watch the show begin to understand that this type of behavior is unacceptable and may even fear the dire consequences of behaving in this way (being stuffed in a trash can forever). On a more educated level, a person living this kind of life will be living in a metaphorical trash can; they will be surrounded by the misery and isolation, or in other words metaphorical trash, if they choose to live in this fashion. Many who choose to have this type of miserable existence are unhappy, grouchy, and depressed because of the metaphorical filth that they surround themselves with, just like Oscar. He symbolically represents garbage, and what do you throw away in trash cans? Garbage of course goes in trash cans. Oscar is extremely essential to the understanding of trash cans, and in essence, defines them. He does this not just in a literal sense, but symbolically shows the downfall of pushing away friends and breaking bonds that would lead to a much more enjoyable time.

One of the downfalls about Oscar being connected to his trash can is that it sets a bad example. It is important to recognize that Oscar lives in a trash can, therefore encouraging viewers to throw away all of the garbage they come across which is not very environmentally friendly. Instead, Oscar’s home should be a recycling bin, because if this were the case at least he would be promoting something that was beneficial instead of being a completely negative character.

Although this person and place may not be the first to come to mind, they are in fact intertwined in a very strong way. The intertwinement can be taken at face value (Oscar physically living in the trash can), but also has a much deeper symbolic meaning that describes a specific type of person. This relationship shows that being a grouch does not have any advantage, but instead causes only emotional pain and hurt. Oscar should reevaluate his own life and realize that he needs to make a change, and that this change will only better his terrible situation. It is important to recognize that Oscar the Grouch defines trash cans, and vice versa, so this attachment needs to be understood by all.