One of the most popular children's book is, "Where the Wild Things Are." This book was later adapted into a movie. The movies tells a great tale of Alexander and his time with the Wild Things. When I watched my favorite children's book go to the big screen my whole perspective on the book changed.

Same say that monsters are born, others say they are made. The mother of a madman will not say that she made her son the way he is but if the madman is asked he would say that his mother did, indeed, make him the way he is. In the movie “Where the Wild Things Are,” directed by Spike Jonze, the mother’s silence pulls the inner monsters of Max out to the surface.

Max has seven monsters or Wild Things that he brings to the surface. Each of these monsters represents one of the seven deadly sins. The Catholic Church has used the seven deadly sins for centuries to shape Christian’s tendencies to sin. There are two types of sins; venial and mortal. The seven deadly sins are the origins of the venial and mortal sins. In the movie each one of the Wild Things portrays a different sin. Carol is wrath, KW is greed, Judith is Gluttony, Ira is pride, the Bull is sloth, Douglas is lust, and Alexander is envy.

When Max first goes to the land of the wild things, he sees Carol running about smashing the homes of everyone on the island. Carol displays the wrath that Max has inside him. Max’s wrath is shown when he tears his sister’s room apart. Throughout the movie Carol becomes more enraged to the point where he wants to eat Max. Many of the Wild Things say that they would like to eat Max but Judith says it the most. She tells Max that she would love to eat him. Judith got angry with Max so she fell to the sin of gluttony and told him that she was going to eat him. That she could eat him anytime she wanted.

Ira told Max that he puts the holes in the trees. He did not think that Max noticed the holes so he became quite about them but once Max mentions them Ira becomes very proud. He smiles and tells everyone that Max did, in fact notice. Ira being so proud of the holes shows a glance of the sin pride. KW represents the sin greed. She represents this sin by keeping Bob and Terry to herself. KW knows that the other Wild Things are sad and need something to lift their spirits; the way she lifts her own spirit is by talking to Bob and Terry. KW does not let anyone see them and does not want anyone to until the near end of the movie. KW is greedy in the happiness she receives from Bob and Terry.

In the movie the Bull does not do much. He sits around and moves only when told or pulled by the crowd. The Bull is the sin of sloth. He is lazy yet thoughtful when he tells Max to say good things about the Wild Things. The Wild Things are a community and in communities relationships are formed. Douglas tries his very best to get KW’s attention but cannot seem to capture it. When KW walks into the picture he swoops and swoons over her. Douglas is representing the sin of lust.

Alexander knows that Max is not really the king of the Wild Things but a mere boy in a wolf’s suit. He keeps this knowledge to himself until Carol gets out of hand. Alexander keeps this knowledge because he is envious of the rest of the Wild Things. When they look at Max they see hope and faith but when he looks upon Max he sees lies and deception. He is envious of the way their sadness can be blinded by the talking of hope.

All of the sevens sins are equal. Not one is worse or less than the other. They are guidelines of how people should view the world. No one should see the world in a jealous man’s eye or in the eye of someone who is only after lust. The seven sins are in everyday life and within everyone. Max took his sins, turned them into Wild Things, and isolated them on an island. He came to the fact that he cannot tame his Wild Things but live in harmony with his sins.