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Archetypal

In: English and Literature

Submitted By kit0731
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The poem “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” is a perfect poem to demonstrate a archetypal critic. Firstly is the plot, the main character is set out on a quest to reach a desired goal (being to stop Christmas from coming) until he is able to reach the true goal which may be different then when he set out.

The Grinch is said to be “Staring down from his cave with a sour, Grinchy frown, At the warm lighted windows below in their town”(11-12). A cave is commonly associated with darkness, dampness and coldness, where Whoville is warm and lighted; this introduces the battle between darkness and light. In a similar sense the Who’s are deemed as merry, lighthearted people, “Who’s down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot,” (1); a constantly jolly town who have no notion of evil in their minds is distinguished as something “good”. However, “the Grinch hated Christmas”(2) and in stealing Christmas from the Who-families, distinguishing himself as “evil.”

The Grinch is a feared outcast with the skin colour of green (in animation and illustration); green is often used to describe jealousy which fits this lonely character. He also has Max, the traditional loyal sidekick and comic relief; Cindy-Lou plays the child completely innocent and sees flaws in her perfect world enough to find the good in the most evil people. The idea of the Grinch’s heart being too small is also important because hearts in Western civilization symbolizes love or compassion, thus proving the Grinch’s evilness. Lastly, the gifts represent respect, appreciation or generosity; all qualities the Grinch lacked until the end of the poem when he grows to gain these qualities by returning the gifts.
The social classes are not an adequate reason to look at this poem through a Marxist view, and there is no evidence to prove any sort of inner most private author reflection in the poem either. It is evidently obvious that this poem hold dozens of Archetypal characteristics that were used to help kids to grasp the true concept of Christmas and love. It is clear that there is no better school of criticism to analyze this poem then the Archetypal criticism.

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