They say life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent what you make of it. Or, if life hands you lemons, make lemonade.
I think the Sneetches point out what happens if you just take those lemons and eat them as-is. Or let them sit there and rot.
I’m not going to equate the Star Belly and the Plain Belly Sneetches with particular classes of humans. At least not in this post. This analysis of the two types of Sneetches should not be interpreted as blaming any group of people.
Take a look at the story, if you’re not familiar with it.
The Star Belly Sneetches decide to play ball. They play ball, and they have fun. They are not nice in that they don’t allow the Plain Belly Sneetches to play with them. What do the Plain Belly Sneetches do for fun instead?
Nothing.
Apparently the Plain Belly Sneetches are not able to think of anything to do on their own. They are fixated on the stars on the other Sneetches, and can think only of how to become a Sneetch with a star. They can’t think of anything else, including coming up with something of their own to do.
Another example:
So the Star Belly Sneetches have a bonfire. What’s to prevent the Plain Belly Sneetches from having their own bonfire? Surely the Star Bellies don’t have a monopoly on fire and sticks…
And the Plain Bellies don’t look like they’re starving, so they have access to food somehow. It’s just they are so jealous of the Star Bellies that they don’t think to do anything other than want to be at the Star Belly event.
Last example:
I pay money to go on vacation to a place with a beach. I use some vacation days so I can sit on the beach and do nothing for a short time. A few days with no responsibility at work – I can relax and enjoy the view, swim in the water, help the kids play in the sand, etc. You get the picture.
The Plain Belly Sneetches live in enough of a paradise that they have enough to eat without having to work, and they have a beach that they can enjoy.
But do they enjoy it? No! Why not? Because they’re losers!
Why are they not swimming, building sand castles, and playing on the beach? Because they’re so focused on what they don’t have (approval of the Star Belly Sneetches) that they can’t enjoy (or even use) they things they do have.
I’m being a bit harsh, but it’s a fiction book about made-up creatures so I can exaggerate my criticism. I would not have the same attitude to a real person, although I would still want to convey the same lesson.
Why would the Star Belly Sneetches want to include such a useless, dour bunch of Sneetches into their activities? From what I can tell, the Plain Bellies would dampen anyone’s mood and ruin any party – I don’t blame the Star Bellies for avoiding them. Hey Plain Belly Sneetches, how about you do something interesting on your own? And get the Star Belly Sneetches’ attention that way?
I prefer the Berenstain Bears book “No Girls Allowed”. That book is specific about the classes of people it is discussing (or classes of bears rather), but it gives a solution that made more sense to me. The boys don’t let the girls into their fort, so the girls get their own fort that makes the boys jealous.
But they both have the same root problem – people are basing their happiness on comparison with others. Do your own thing, that you like for yourself. Don’t depend on other people for your happiness.
And if you are curious, I think the most applicable facet of humanity to this book is the fashion industry. People go through so much effort and money to have the right clothes/accessories/cars/things that really don’t matter, other than to impress others.
Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever abandon you”
Hebrews 13:5
This is Alpha, the first-born, when he was 2YO.
This is Beta, the second-born, when he was about 2YO.
This is Gamma, the third-born, when he was about 18MO.
