...Feminist Critique: How The Grinch Stole Christmas How The Grinch Stole Christmas is a popular children's book by Dr. Seuss. This book is about a man - The Grinch - who hates Christmas and hatches a plan to 'stop it from coming' and then 'saves Christmas' after essentially being the reason the holiday needs to be saved in the first place. Like many of Dr. Seuss' books, there is an underlying theme or political statement, in this case the superiority of man. The man himself is a well known racist and bigot, due to his series of political cartoons which depicted racist images (Cross-Section of The World's Most Prosperous Department Store made for Judge Magazine, and his book The Sneetches for example), and antisemitism (The Sneetches is once again an example). To start things off in this particular case, there are barely any female characters. Every character - aside from Cindy-Lou Who - from the Grinch to his dog, Max, are male. To add insult to injury the only girl in the book, Cindy-Lou, is described with words like small and tiny and sounds like 'the coo of a dove'. Now this wouldn't be that big of an issue (considering Cindy-Lou is only two years old), if it wasn't for the fact that Cindy-Lou being the only girl in the story implies that all girls are suppposed to be small, tiny, sound like a dove and, essentially, are inferior when compared to men (Cindy-Lou compared to The Grinch). Dr. Seuss also uses Cindy-Lou to show that women are weak minded and easily manipulated while...
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...The poem, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” could be analysed by using a marxists theory approach to explain the true meaning of the poem. I believe this to be true because in the poem there are many references to the differences in social classes between the Who’s down in Whoville and the Grinch. In the poem it clear that the differences are both socio-economic, social and emotional. The Grinch lives in a cold, empty cave as is shown by these quoted lines; “But the Grinch who lived just North of Whoville (3-4)…Staring down from his cave….” (20). He has very few material possessions and even fewer friends or means of changing his lot in life. Even the things that he does own, like his shoes “…were too tight.” On the other hand, the Who’s live...
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...“How the Grinch Stole Christmas” provides evidence of Maxist Critisism. This lens focuses on social class, power, wealth and materialism. At the beginning of the story, the Grinch is shown as very cruel, unlike everyone in his community. By the end of the story, the Grinch realized that even without all the presents, and food, Christmas was still successful. The Grinch has been living away from everyone, and has been isolated as stated, “But the Grinch, Who lived just north of Whoville.” This may be because of his lack of wealth, that he wasn’t able to live with everyone else. Not only this, but the Grinch mentioned that Christmas requires materialistic things, which he doesn’t have. He mentioned that everyone was hanging mistletoes, and...
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...I will be analyzing the poem "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" by Dr. Suess using the Marxist critic school of thought. Marxist Criticism is based on the theories of Karl Marx and is looked at the assembly of literary texts which is mostly about class differences along with socio-economic conditions. In the poem "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" if you take a look at it and analyze it carefully, you can see the differences in classes can be spotted easily. To begin with, it should be obvious that Dr. Seuss, was of middle class himself. He was the son of a successful brewmaster and was successful himself in his occupation of cartoonist and author. The Grinch on the other hand was of the lower class, he lived in the middle of nowhere and is an outcast to everyone else around him. While the Grinch was all upset, the Whos were within Whoville living pleasantly and celebrating Christmas. The Grinch hates the idea of Christmas because the presents and the food show that the Whos have money that they can spend without worry. Also all the Whos are happy and the Grinch doesn't think that it's fair, which is why he tries to ruin Christmas for them, he feels that they should suffer jbecause his life is miserable and he's suffering himself. He steals all their food and presents, as well and destroyed their Christmas decorations and the Christmas trees in Whoville. Later on in the poem, the Grinch is shown that Christmas isn't just about materialistic things, he stated that "Every Who down in...
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...Looking at the poem How The Grinch Stole Christmas through an archetypal lens is like looking at it in more of a mythical and creative way. The Grinch, who was an example of an archetype, was someone who hated Christmas and wanted to make everyone’s Christmas unenjoyably in WhoVille. The Grinch scared many Who’s in Who Ville due to his appearance. His green skin, his yellow teeth and ugly snarl made him different from everyone else. The Grinch feels alone and feels the need to take everyone’s happiness away from them because it’s unfair to him that he’s not happy as well. Later on in the poem, we meet Cindy Lou, who was an innocent little girl wondering why the Grinch was at her house taking her Christmas tree, she felt really sad because he was taking away everything they had. She was wondering why he was taking everything but he said that he just wanted to fix the tree, Cindy Lou who trusted the Grinch easily because she grew up in a friendly, trustworthy environment. The Grinch sneaks through the town to take everyone’s gifts so that he can have them for himself. When it is Christmas morning, the Grinch watched the Who’s in who Ville with the expectation of the Who’s to be sad. As he came closer, he realized that the presents and Christmas trees didn’t matter to them; they didn’t care about the materialistic things about Christmas "Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store. / Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!" (Suess, 1957) All the Who’s...
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...Seuss’ poem, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, exemplifies the features of a Marxist structure. The Marxist lens examines the social-economic factors and how it impacts the character’s beliefs, values, attitudes and ideas. The protagonist is Grinch, who lives isolated in a snow cave north of Whoville, where the majority of the townspeople live. Grinch “prefers” to be alienated from the community because he despises the ‘Whos’ and their annual Christmas traditions. However, it is not his preference that motivates him to resent Christmas, but his financial struggles that do not correlate to the ‘Whos’. As a result, in the celebration of Christmas, Grinch does not receive nor is able to afford gifts for others, thus, provoking him to despise the festivity of Christmas and the people who celebrate it. One example would be how the Grinch describes into great detail of the materialistic gifts the ‘Whos’ receive on Christmas, “they’d rush for their toys”, which is an example of the Grinch’s interest and observation into the activities on Christmas. From a Marxist point of view that conflicts are a result of social-economic factors, the apparent idea of the poem is made clear: money makes the world go around. In the quote, “then he slithered and slunk, with a smile most unpleasant, around the room, and he took every present”, the reader is made aware that since the Grinch does not have these lavish items in comparison to the ‘Whos’, his actions signify his belief of how materialistic objects...
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...How The Grinch Stole Christmas: A Film Review by Rebecca Rosendahl How The Grinch Stole Christmas is a movie directed by Ron Howard, released in the year 2000. The film is based on Dr. Suess’ story with the same named which was published in 1957. This movie takes place in the fictional town of Whoville populated by the Whos. Christmas is loved by all of the Whos. On a mountain just outside of Whoville lives a nasty creature called the Grinch, played by Jim Carrey, who is rejected and feared by the town. Unlike the Whos, he absolutely despises Christmas and he plans to steal Christmas away from the Whos whom he equally hates. But things get complicated for him when a little girl called Cindy Lou Who, played by Taylor Momsen, is unusually kind to him. The protagonist of the film is the Grinch who is a misunderstood creature. He came to Whoville by an accident, and he...
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...Dressing up in costumes isn't just for humans. Let Fido in on the fun and dress your dog up for any holiday—be it Halloween or Christmas. There are many fun dog-friendly costumes that are sure to make both you and your pup happy. If you don't know where to start, don't worry. Dog antlers are a great jumping off point for a plethora of fun costumes. Some good costume ideas that involve antlers include these three: 1. Max – The Grinch Dog A fun costume for canines from the holiday film “How The Grinch Stole Christmas,” Max is a fitting costume for any smaller dog. All you need to complete this costume are some dog antlers and a red ribbon. For the best looking costume, choose a single antler like you see in the cartoons and movie. Affix the antlers to your dog's head carefully to ensure he or she is comfortable. Once the antlers are secured, carefully tie a thick piece of red ribbon around your pup's collar. Viola, now your canine companion is Max, the Grinch dog....
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...Most people seem to know the story “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and “The Christmas Carol,” but not many seem to compare them. The stories have quite different morals and main ideas, but they involve similar traits of each other. For instance, the characters are similar and different in many ways along with other traits. These two stories are similar because they both are about Christmas time. They both talk about how an angry man despises Christmas and will do anything to stop it. The Grinch actually tries to stop Christmas by taking presents and stealing anything relating to Christmas. Scrooge does not do anything in the sort of and instead ignores the idea of Christmas. He tries to act as if Christmas doesn't exist; he will not acknowledge...
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...PSYCHOANALYTICAL THEORY “How the Grinch stole Christmas” is a well-known and important poem in the literary canon. This poem simply talks about how the Grinch plans to ruin Christmas for the Whos in Who Ville, which then backfires and leads to self-realization for the Grinch. I decided to use the psychoanalytical theory to demonstrate the persona of the Grinch, and to unravel the possible reasons for his drive towards belligerence and destruction. To commence, it is obvious the Grinch has no interactions with the people of Who Ville, which explains his alienation. His noticeable difference amongst the other Whos was a result to his lack of conformity. His plan to ruin Christmas for the Whos was perhaps an indication of an unconscious desire for his own downfall. Watching the Whos surrounded with happiness brings about the Grinch’s decision to inject some trouble into the celebration. He anticipated his own feelings of displeasure and misery onto the Whos when he predicted that they would all cry "boo, who" upon discovering that they would not be celebrating Christmas. The Grinch's tendency toward cynicism, hostility, and aggression demonstrates his desire for destruction. His desire for destruction stems from the fact that he feels isolated. Thus, he tends to destroy the joy of the people in Who Ville, with the tendency of making them reach the same level of depression and misery he is in. The Grinch wanted the Whos' merry-making to come to an end, despite their needs and wants...
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...How the Grinch Stole Christmas How the Grinch Stole Christmas is the greatest Christmas movie ever made. It is a movie based on the book by Dr. Seuss. A classic Christmas movie like How the Grinch Stole Christmas can make anyone excited for Christmas. It brings a different view of Christmas to the table. Do you still believe it is not the best Christmas movie? Well, I bet you will change your mind after seeing it. The movie begins with the Grinch sitting in his house on the mountain. He is a cold hearted person who does not like Christmas. The Grinch does not like how happy the Whos are during the season, so he wants to find a way to get rid of Christmas. He makes himself a Santa Claus costume and a reindeer costume for Max, his dog. But the Grinch needs one more thing, a sleigh. He builds a sleigh so it would be believable that he is Santa Claus. When is was night time, the Grinch went to Who-Ville and...
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...Dr. Seuss' The Grinch Who Stole Christmas is solely based around men and their superiority to women. A story is told about a man, the Grinch, who wants to stop Christmas. The only female character in the story is two year-old Cindy-Lou Who – even the Grinch's dog is male. When she is introduced, Cindy-Lou is immediately described as little and tiny. This is suggestive that she is inferior to the Grinch and suggests that women, in general, are inferior to men. The phrase, "a small sound like the coo of a dove" is describing the noise Cindy-Lou made. This line is indicating that she is gentle and quiet and that all women are as well. Cindy-Lou then asks the Grinch, "Santy Claus, why,/Why are you taking our Christmas tree? WHY?" In response, the...
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...poem "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" using the Marxist school of criticism. This school is based on the theories of Karl Marx and is mostly about class differences along with economic conditions. In "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" by Dr. Seuss , the differences in classes can be spotted easily. To begin with it should be pointed out will be analyzing the poem "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" using the Marxist school of criticism. This school is based on the theories of Karl Marx and is mostly about class differences along with economic conditions. In "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" by Dr. Seuss , the differences in classes can be spotted easily. To begin with it should be pointed out that Theodor Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, was of middle class. He was the son of a successful brewmaster and was successful himself in his occupation of cartoonist and author. The Grinch on the other hand was of the lower class, he lived in the middle of nowhere and is an outcast. While the Grinch was all sad, the Whos were within Whoville living comfortably and celebrating Christmas. The Grinch hates Christmas because the presents and the food show that the Whos have money that they can spend without worry. Also all the Whos are happy and the Grinch doesn't think that is fair, which is why he tries to ruin Christmas for them, he feels that they should suffer just like he does. He steals all their food and presents, as well as ruined all their Christmas decorations and the trees. The Grinch is shown...
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...Archetypal Analysis: How the Grinch Stole Christmas The school of criticism that best interprets Dr. Suess’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” is an archetypal analysis. The author frequently follows recurring symbols and themes found in numerous types of literature. Using several universal symbols, images, and character types, Dr. Suess has definitely created a poem filled with archetypal images and story patterns. Generally, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” follows the archetypal pattern in which the main character, the Grinch, leaves his home on a quest – specifically, to stop Christmas from coming in Whoville. During this journey, being in itself a popular story line in literature, the Grinch encounters several common archetypes that reflect particular actions or situations that represent human nature. “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” is an obvious example of “Good versus Evil.” The “Who’s down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot,” (1); a happy, family-oriented town of individuals who had no notion of evil in their minds is distinguished as something “good”. However, “the Grinch hated Christmas”(2) and succeeds in stealing Christmas from the guiltless Who-families, distinguishing himself as “evil.” Additionally, the evil Grinch encounters Little Cindy-Lou Who, who asks him, “’Santy Claus, why,/Why are you taking our Christmas tree?” (74, 75) Her innocence reflects yet another archetypal character. She may also be considered a hero, as she predominantly exhibits goodness...
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...Criticism - Marxist Criticism I will be analyzing the poem "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" using the Marxist school of criticism. This school is based on the theories of Karl Marx and is mostly about class differences along with economic conditions. In "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" by Dr. Seuss , the differences in classes can be spotted easily. To begin with it should be pointed out that Theodor Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, was of middle class. He was the son of a successful brewmaster and was successful himself in his occupation of cartoonist and author. The Grinch on the other hand was of the lower class, he lived in the middle of nowhere and is an outcast. While the Grinch was all sad, the Whos were within Whoville living comfortably and celebrating Christmas. The Grinch hates Christmas because the presents and the food show that the Whos have money that they can spend without worry. Also all the Whos are happy and the Grinch doesn't think that is fair, which is why he tries to ruin Christmas for them, he feels that they should suffer just like he does. He steals all their food and presents, as well as ruined all their Christmas decorations and the trees. The Grinch is shown that Christmas isn't just about materialistic things, " Every Who down in Who-ville, the tall and the small,/Was singing! Without any presents at all!"(Seuss), and is also accepted by the Whos of Whoville and all his original standings of Christmas...
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