Preview

The Grinch

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
301 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Grinch
“ The Grinch who stole Christmas”
Archetypal Critique

The critical school I chose was archetypical for the "Battle of the Critics." ” “The Grinch who stole Christmas” is full of quite a few archetypal characters, images and themes in the poem.

In terms of characters, the antagonist is obviously the Grinch. He is a miserable person and against the happiness of the Who’s in Whoville until the conflicts of the story were resolved at the end. He can show the “bad guy” archetypal, because he pretends he’s Santa Claus to Cindy-Lou but really he’s ruining Christmas traditions while everyone is tucked away sleeping. The Grinch lives on top of the mountain, in a cave away from the Who’s. This can show him as an “outcast” archetypal.
Cindy-Lou Who is unlike the Grinch in many ways. She represents the innocents of a child archetypal. She’s a friendly, cut and immature, even to the unfriendly people, such as the Grinch.
However, the Grinch shows that he’s a very cruel character, a Jungian archetype. The Grinch seems is evil, but actually it is just his way of protecting himself from getting hurt like he did as a child. In the end the poem, his heart “grows” three inches, and his true goodness shines through once he had seen the Who’s are still celebrating Christmas even with out presents.

The season, is winter and Christmas is in the winter months The Christmas seasons, symbolizes new birth such as the Grinch’s heart is reborn, because it grow three sizes and he grows to love and has been accepted by the Who’s. The Grinch’s archetypal changes from “outcast” and “bad guy” to a “good guy”. He’s a new good person, with a big

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Archetypes In The Grinch

    • 368 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Excellent job on your analysis, there were a lot of interesting points made. However, I believe an archetypal lens best suits this poem because it factors in the ending, characters, and themes. At the end of the poem, the Grinch relinquishes all the stolen goods because he is touched by the spirit of Christmas. Within a Marxist context, the Grinch was stealing in order to abolish the class structure, and to sustain himself.…

    • 368 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Dr. Seuss' “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” the Grinch demonstrates a drive toward aggression and destruction. His desire was to destroy the Whos and their love of Christmas; perhaps indicative of an unconscious desire for his own death, but turned against the Whos.…

    • 962 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Grinch is believed to hate Christmas because he felt alienated from society due to his nature and strange appearance. He is a green monster whose entire body is covered with bright green fur and comes out of his cave during Christmas to wreak havoc among the residents of Whoville. People always knew that he never wanted to be social during Christmas time. They always told stories of how his shoes where too small to fit, and how his head wasn’t screwed on all the way.…

    • 648 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Sydney Carton- Sydney Carton has the evil figure that truly has a good heart archetype. Although he is not a true villain, he feels he has no future for himself and is basically a bum. He is the most dynamic character in the story and throughout you can see him evolve. "It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known” (Dickens, 360) In the end he comes through for Lucie and Charles and commits an extremely noble act by sacrificing himself.…

    • 3210 Words
    • 13 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The story ‘A Christmas Carol’ was written by Charles Dickens in 1843. Dickens was a very popular writer at the time of ‘A Christmas Carol’ is one of his most famous stories today. The main character, Ebenezer Scrooge, is presented as being a very cruel, selfish and harsh man. However, he changes throughout the novella due to significant events. I think the main message Dickens portrayed within the novella was to be loving and generous around Christmas time particularly to those less fortunate. Many people believe this novella has many influences on the way we celebrate Christmas today and some call Dickens ‘the creator of Christmas.’…

    • 1233 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Salvation

    • 434 Words
    • 2 Pages

    C. Who is another important character in the story, an antagonist? - Other important characters mentioned in this story are the Aunt, his friend Westley, and the pastor.…

    • 434 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Scrooge's Transformation

    • 707 Words
    • 3 Pages

    embodiment of Christmas cheer” is too big of a change to happen in such a limited amount of…

    • 707 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Dickens creates transformation in his characters to highlight the importance of kindness and its effects. We meet Scrooge in stave one, a man who is as “solitary as an oyster” and so cold “a chill does not affect him”, this leads readers to feel pessimistic and negatively towards Scrooge. His ill treatment of Bob Cratchit and his cold, dark nature is then contrasted to that of the warm “lively” Fezziwig, Scrooge’s old employer. Fezziwig with his “Christmas party” and the generosity toward Scrooge and his other apprentice presents readers with the happiness and contentment brought about by being generous and giving. The contrast of employee treatment allows Scrooge to see his twisted ways and allows readers to view how their generosity could lead to the happiness of others and a fulfillment of duty as an employer. The greatest and most obvious character transformation is between the initial Scrooge and the final Scrooge. “Wheezing...” and almost machine-like Ebenezer Scrooge is despised and on the outskirts of society, even the blind are seen as lucky for not having to “set eyes on evil himself”. However, Scrooge’s change and journey allows him to recognize his duty to others and how helping those around him, he receives joy and pleasure. This transformation…

    • 492 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    For many people. the months December through February create a vision of happiness and holiday cheer. The thought of all the warm Christmas cookies you and your mom would make, or the pine sweet smell of your just brought home tree, you, already prepared with your basket of ornaments, dusty from being in your basement all year long. The hope of a new year, of new beginnings, of fresh snow, and coming inside from the cold to sit by the burning fire with your favorite book. Thinking of these months can stir up a great deal of memories, and for many, these memories are wonderful. For myself, they always have been. December was a symbol of happiness for me. My family would travel to come to St. Louis, we would routinely follow Christmas traditions from years before, and love was widely spread. However, last December morphed this tremendous enjoyment I got out of these winter months.…

    • 523 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Grinch

    • 1477 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Due to self-image issues and childhood trauma,the Grinch has a severe inferiority complex. The Grinch is portrayed in a very comic manner but in truth this humor is used to obscure the pain and…

    • 1477 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Boys and Girls

    • 644 Words
    • 2 Pages

    1. chose the character in the story whom you identify either the most or the least and explain the reason why.…

    • 644 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In 'A Christmas Carol', Charles Dickens represents Scrooge as an unsympathetic man who is offered the opportunity to redeem himself. Through use of language, the reader is positioned to view him adversely, but during the journey of morality lessons shown by three spirits, Scrooge recovers his sense of joy by undergoing a significant transformation. Scrooge seeks redemption through the many lessons taught by the Spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come.…

    • 810 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Russian Holidays

    • 1014 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Most people decorate a New Year¡¯s tree, called a §×§Ý§Ü§Ñ, which is a fir tree. Grandfather Frost, §¥§Ö§Õ Mopo§Ù, is like Saint Nicolas or Santa, and Russian children wait for him because he brings their presents. Like our Santa, he has a long white beard, a red fur coat, felt boots, and special mittens. His sled isn¡¯t pulled by deer though, but by three special horses. Grandfather Frost lives in Velikii Ustug, and his granddaughter, the snow maiden, comes with him to give out the gifts (kind of like an elf). She is dressed in a light-blue fur coat and has white boots. There is also Baba Yaga and the Forest man, who try to steal the bag that has the presents. This is acted out in a play that most families present to the children when they are younger. The New Year is a family holiday, where most get together with friends and family.…

    • 1014 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Santa Claus

    • 446 Words
    • 2 Pages

    That big fat jolly man, in the red suit with the long white beard, the one with 9 reindeer and a magical sleigh, that man who spends all year at the North Pole, getting his clever elves to make our presents. The personification of the spirit of Christmas usually represented as a jolly fat old man with a white beard and a red suit, who brings gifts to good children on Christmas Eve. Yes santa!…

    • 446 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Season of the Year

    • 854 Words
    • 4 Pages

    To quote a famous Christmas song by Andy Williams, I believe that the holiday season “is the most wonderful time of the year.” It draws friends and families closer together. With it comes snow that children get to play in. Perhaps the most important, it creates memories that can last forever.…

    • 854 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays