The Story of Doctor Dolittle

Content Warning: This section of the guide describes and discusses the source text’s treatment of colonialist attitudes, which it portrays in a positive light, and its outdated and offensive depictions of Indigenous Africans, which rely on racist stereotypes.

Hugh Lofting created Doctor Dolittle during World War I to entertain his children with positive stories amidst the horrors of war. Serving in the Irish Guards, Lofting witnessed firsthand the brutality and devastation of trench warfare. Amidst the harsh realities, he sought to shield his children from the traumatic impact of the war by writing imaginative letters to them. Thus, the tales of Doctor Dolittle, a kind and eccentric doctor who could communicate with animals, were born. Before enlisting, Lofting had a career as a civil engineer and traveled extensively, experiences that broadened his perspective and fueled his creativity, influencing his writing.

After the war, Lofting moved to the United States, where he expanded his letters into his first book. Published in 1920, “The Story of Doctor Dolittle” quickly became a beloved classic. Lofting’s creation of Doctor Dolittle exemplifies how literature can become a beacon of hope in times of adversity. These stories served as a refuge, not just for Lofting’s children, but also for the author himself, offering an escape into a whimsical world where problems were solved through understanding and cooperation rather than violence and destruction.