| The Once-ler Geisel |
| Age: 29 |
| Gender: Male |
The Once-ler, creator of the Thneed, a fine something that everyone needs. He biggered his company and biggered his greed, but he biggered far to fast you see. The last tree was chopped and all production stopped, and the Once-ler was alone again.
Early Age
Oncie had a relatively normal life, with his parents; Isabella and Therd, and his older twin brothers; Brett and
Chet. But when he was six, his parents split up. Although it wasn't apparent at first, Isabella gradually became more and more abusive of poor Oncie, both physically and emotionally. Brett and Chet knew it was wrong, but they couldn't stand up to their mother.
When he was 10, Oncie met Norma, a vibrant girl willing to put up with his mood swings and sulleness. They were friends for about a year before she was invited to his house. Norma saw straight through Isabella's sweet façade, and Isabella knew it. She banned Norma from their house, and banned Oncie from talking to her. Terrified, Oncie agreed, and he didn't speak to her for many years.
Young Adulthood
When Oncie graduated high school, he wasted no time leaving home, setting out to find his destiny. Searching for the perfect material to make his Thneed; an idea he'd come up with years ago.
After months of riding in a mule-drawn wagon, he finally found it: the truffula tree. It's tufts were as soft as silk, and smelled like butterfly milk. Perfect. He chopped down his first tree, summoning the mystical Lorax. That night, he made his first Thneed and went to bed. But the Lorax, along with the woodland bar-ba-loots, swommee swans, and hummingfish, stole his bed, placing it in the water. After almost dying multiple times, the Lorax revived the Once-ler, and he promised not to chop down any more trees.
The next morning, he set off into town to sell his Thneed. He tried and tried again for days, but the townspeople were unwelcoming, and eventually he gave up on the fourth day, heading back to the valley. Unbenownst to Oncie, the townspeople had discovered the Thneed, and they chased after him. Delighted, Oncie called up his family, and they all came down to help with the factory.
The Thneed Takes Off
The Thneed became very popular very fast, and the Once-ler tried to keep his promise, he really did, but a
company is a business, and business must grow. With prompting from his mother, Oncie okayed the chopping down of the truffulas, and if was all downhill from there. Over the course of five years, the Once-ler was transformed from a naïve, optimistic salesman to a cruel businessman who cared only for himself. He destroyed the valley with his ever-biggering company, and it seemed as though nothing could stop him.
But it did.
The Once-ler's Downfall
He had biggered to quickly, and without care for the effect his company was having on the valley. The l
ast tree fell, and with it, his company. His life. His family left without a backward glance, and the animals of the valley were forced to leave, or starve to death. The Lorax went with him, and he was left alone.
Alone. His worst nightmare. Horrified with what he'd become and what he'd done, he attempted suicide, but was unable to go through with it. It was not the last time, but he never managed to pull the trigger.
Solitude
Overcome by grief and regret, the Once-ler locked himself in his Lurkim as punishment for what he'd done. He stayed there for 5 long years, and would've been there the rest of his life if it hadn't been for Al. Aloysious O'Hare, a 19-year-old janitor, just happened to be walking outside during one of the Once-ler's few excursions out of his factory. Al convinced him he was doing no good holing himself away in his factory, and seeing the truth in his words, he was alone no more. Although he still spent much time in his Lurkim, he would occasionally venture out, and reconnected with his changed mother and father, along with two new siblings, Loreena and Gregory.
Family
The Once-ler's family isn't the greatest. His mother abused him as a child, and his father left when he was merely six. His Aunt Grizelda and Uncle Ubb weren't as much abusive as they were uncaring - until the Thneed, that is. His brothers are well meaning, and genuinely care for their younger brother. They left with the rest of the family when the company fell, but they left their mother not long after.
When he was 29, Oncie was magically impregnated witht he child of Greed-ler, and his son was Chand-ler, a bouncing baby boy.
Appearance
The Once-ler is tall. Exceptionally so. Standing at 8'9", he easily towers over everyone he knows. His legs alone are over 5 feet long, and the had he often wears only heightens the effect.
His black hair is long, almost to his shoulders, and unevenly cut, having cut it himself with a knife when it had gotten too long. His eyes are large and blue, and have seemingly permanent bags beneath them. His face is gaunt, as he lives on only a can of soup a day, hoping to ration what little nonperishables he has. His body, likewise, and his green suit hangs on his shoulders.
Personality
Despite his depression, he is a polite individual. If you're nice to him, he'll be nice to you, simple as that. He is, however, slightly touchy on the subject of trees and Thneeds. He's chronically depressed, and will occasionally lapse back into old habits.
Relationships
Chand-ler - The son of Oncie and Greed-ler, although not by typical means.
Isabella Geisel - He loves his mother with all his heart, and wants nothing more in the world than to make her proud. Despite her change of heart, Oncie is still terrified of her. Terrified she'll go back to what she was before.
Brett and Chet Geisel - His brothers genuinely care for him, and he cares for them as well. They're very different people, but they're always willing to help each other out.
Loreena Geisel - His younger sister, he's very protective over her. They don't fight often.
Gregory Geisel - He doesn't know his younger brother as well as he does Gregory's twin, Loreena, but he would still do anything for him.
Therd Geisel - He hasn't talked much with his father since he came back, for fear he may not be the man he's made him out to be.
Aloysious O'Hare - His best friend, Al was the one who pulled him out of his Lurkim in the first place.
Warden-ler - Nobody knows his relationship with the Warden. Not even him. They're friends, they're lovers, they fight. But Oncie couldn't live without him.
The Mistress - The Mistress is his good friend, and they're relationship is strictly platonic, despite their daughter, Hope.
Hope - The 6-year-old daughter of Oncie and the Mistress, Hope is well loved by both parents.
Mae - Mae is also a good friend of Oncie's. He's always there to help with his son, Chand-ler.
Greed-ler - The other father of his song, Chand-ler