Essay Questions

What comparisons does the book make with events in history?

The most important comparison is the Cold War. The Yooks and Zooks are on opposing sides of a wall – which may indeed be a reference to the Iron Curtain – and are constantly warring with each other. They are a children’s version of events of the Cold War between the USA and USSR. The development of slingshots, guns and bombs is also a reference to the escalating arms war. The butter battle is ironic in itself because it is a reference to the Cold War in which the USA and USSR battled to become the ultimate superpower. The fact that both sides go on to develop more and more complex weaponry is a reference to the arms race, as older readers will note. The story ends with both sides still at war and threatening to drop bombs on the other. It is ironic because both the USA and Russia continue to be at odds to this very day.

How is violence represented in the book?

Violence is a secondary prominent theme mentioned throughout the story. Both the Yooks and Zooks think violent is the solution to their differences. Instead of communicating properly, the two try to how do each other by creating more and more complex weapons. Indeed, even though when the young boy is older and his grandfather takes them back to the wall, they are still fighting with each other and threatened to drop bombs thus suggesting that nothing has changed.

What happens in the end and why are the relevant events important?

The ending is indeed ironic, because after the grandfather finishes telling his tale of the war, they visit the wall. Once they get there, they climb and look over the wall, only to see a Zook there holding a bomb. This represents that the fight is still not over between the two despite years of warring.