Trust & Obey

Merry Christmas Eve everyone!!!! I hope you all are as pumped as I am for Christmas food, presents, (I’m still a teenager so I’m holding on to that child-like wonder) and I do hope we have a white Christmas. Where I live, we haven’t had a good blanket of snow yet!

I haven’t really done a character analysis before, but I’m ready to give it a go! Buckle up guys because we are talking about the Grinch from How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Suess and the 1966 “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” animated movie!

We know the story, we know Whoville, we know the Grinch. As a child, I remember watching the Dr. Suess 1966 “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” animation when Christmas time rolled around. I also loved the Charlie Brown Christmas Special and Will Ferrell’s “Elf”. I had so much fun watching the Grinch on Christmas Eve as I was just counting down the hours until I could get up the following morning (I am currently doing that right now in case you were wondering). As I assume you know, How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a very unique storyline. Especially for Christmas time. We usually think of Christmas trees, Santa Clause, the birth of Jesus, etc., not a villain stealing our favorite parts of the holiday! I think this reason is what makes this story so impressionable, it’s doesn’t fit the holiday narrative. The Grinch doesn’t fit the holiday narrative. He’s not only mean and unkind but he’s physically unappealing, too. The iconic avocado green color from the animation only adds to his physical nastiness and really sends the message this guy is no good. What makes him no good? He takes everything the Whos love! Their trees, their presents, their stockings, who-hash, and worst of all their Christmas roast beast for their beautiful Christmas feast! The Whos are left with nothing but each other and that is why they are still so happy. They sing and they sing which makes the Grinch so confused. “What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store; What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?” This is the grand realization that leads to the villain becoming someone better. Why does this change him??

At the end of the day, the Grinch is simply lonely. Looking at this story, he doesn’t have anyone but his loyal dog, Max, and lives up in a mountain where no one comes to visit. He hates Christmas because what it represents is all he’s ever wanted. It’s that holiday joy, peace, and togetherness that he’s seeking and if he can’t have it then no one can. I think many of us can feel that way during the Christmas time and not know why, minus the part about “then no one can.” We are told we should feel peace, happiness, and want to spread “goodwill to all men” but we don’t always feel that way. There are times at Christmas, I can feel very isolated from others and overwhelmed with life. How the Grinch Stole Christmas takes this theme and dramatizes it in a way that makes this less obvious to us viewers/readers but the goal is still accomplished. In the end, what grew the Grinch’s heart three sizes wasn’t the objects associated with Christmas, it’s what the holiday is should be about, being loved and loving others.

If you got the time, watch or read How the Grinch Stole Christmas while the Christmas season is still with us and if you want to listen to something a bit deeper, check out the Parcast Podcast Villains’ episode “The Grinch” for more thoughts on this iconic character! It gave me a lot of inspiration for this post!

Well, I hope you guys have an incredible Christmas tomorrow and can take time to love on those close to you and accept love from them too, if you don’t you may find yourself trying to steal Christmas from Whoville!