Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a story we are all familiar with, it captures a moment in time of blatant prejudices and inequality that spanned years from when it was written in 1939 to when it was released as a movie in 1964. However endearing the story may be, it is a testament to what conditions were socially accepted as normal during that time period. Originally written by Montgomery Ward to sell appliances, this story has an explicit lens of bigotry, inequality, and the importance of conforming to society. From the beginning of the movie with the birth of Rudolph and the discovery of his bright red nose, he was demeaned. Mrs. Donner states we will “simply have to overlook it”, and perhaps “he’ll outgrow it”, Santa sadly retorts “let’s …show more content…
An island where all the deformed or unloved toys are taken to live. We hear about the bird that swims like a fish, the train with square wheels and Charlie, the jack in the box, but did you know that the doll, with no visible physical disability, is there because she is depressed. In the early 60s much research was being done about the negative effects of orphanages on children’s mental health. By then, most medical evidence proved that a child in a foster home from a young age would achieve more success, physically, medically and academically than a child in an orphanage, even intermittently. It is appropriate for Santa to try to redistribute the toys to home with love, yet the subject of acceptance of their differences and right to equality is not tackled. It portrays the misfits as ashamed of their diversity, lacking self-esteem, simply stating that to be a misfit toy is to be unwanted. Imagine being a child of the 60s who has suffered polio and was looked upon as disabled, how did they feel watching this? Towards the end of the movie, the narrator tells us “Maybe we were a little hard on the misfits. Maybe misfits have a place too.” Though it’s not explicitly said, one must contemplate if this place for misfits is contingent upon submission to societal …show more content…
Although disability rights activist were struggling for political and institutional change, this bill only addressed discrimination against African Americans and women in the workplace, denying any rights for disabled. It was due to a grassroots parental movement with local community involvement that children began moving out of institutions and asylums, and the inequality change for the disabled finally gained momentum. Not until 1970 was the “ugly law” federally repealed and in 1973 The Rehabilitation Act provided federally funded programs and prohibited discrimination on the basis of either physical or mental disabilities. Later a bill in 1975, The Education Act for all Handicapped Children, was passed mandating inclusion in the general education system, a full ten years after the film. Hermey is perhaps the only character that is allowed to show some growth and be accepted without conforming. When he is told “Now, listen, you. You’re an elf and elves make toys.” He tries to fit in but has the strength to stand up for what he wants. He may be a misfit, but as Hermey says himself, “why am I such a misfit, I am not just a nitwit” as the song continues with Rudolph, they rightly
Seuss, The Grinch is the main protagonist in this tale, but not much background is given on this green fellow. In the story, The Grinch is accompanied by his dog, Max, throughout most of the movie. Max acts as a sidekick that helps the Grinch, but is somewhat of an underdog. But puns aside, Max wasn’t treated the best by the Grinch in most of the movie. The Grinch made him pull an entire sleigh which held the Grinch and all of the Whos’ Christmas food, gifts, and decorations. While Max is pulling the sleigh, The Grinch is continuously yelling at him to make him move faster despite the extremely heavy weight on his shoulders, and expects him to carry all of it on his lonesome. To add onto that, The Grinch makes Max help, treating Max almost like a slave, which is extremely unethical and should never be done. But The Grinch doesn’t really even treat Max like a worker, Max just does what he’s told, and doesn’t get much out of the things he’s done for the
Dr. Seuss's original fable is a simple story told with a great moral that criticizes the commercialization of Christmas. The original story features an “Ebenezer Scrooge” type creature that lives up the mountains outside "Whoville." The Grinch indulges himself in the annual ritual of spoiling everyone's festivities with a series of nasty pranks. This particular year however he plans to sabotage the holiday season by dressing as Santa Claus, clim...
Scrooge was and owner of a factory and made a whole bunch of money, but he did not care about anyone else. “Merry Christmas said his nephew, what right do have to be merry you are poor enough”. This shows that scrooge is mean to family and does not care about Christmas.
The book is mainstream today as it was more than 150 years back. Charles Dickens , through the voice of tightwad ,keeps on asking us to respect Christmas in our souls and attempt it all the year. Dickens was included in philanthropies and social issues all through his whole life. At the time he composed A Christmas
Scrooge was always mean to everyone. They did not like him. He was visited by three ghosts that taught him a lesson. He started being nice. “Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all. . . He was a second father. . . [to Tiny Tim] His own heart laughed.” (Dickens 64). Doing nice things for people can make people happier too. The Grinch, as well as Scrooge, hates Christmas and he expresses it. The Whos hate him for it. He takes the presents of all the Whos, he is about to throw it off the mountain. The Grinch hears a sound. It is them. They are singing, despite the fact their Christmas is ruined. He returned all their gifts and celebrates Christmas with them. He is finally loved by the Whos. Doing nice things for people can make a person happy as well. Although, Scrooge was helped by spirits, The Grinch was held by people. Recent books can be seen using traditional story’s themes.
Just like the play, Ebenezer Scrooge is the main character in the story. He is a mean, cold-hearted man that has no Christmas spirit whatsoever. All that Scrooge cares about and will ever care about is his wealth until he is taken on a journey. He is lead by 3 ghosts of his past, present, and future as he was in the play. These ghosts show him what Christmas spirit is and try to force it upon him. All of this finally hits him once he is taken to the future and witnesses his own grave. Scrooge pleads for a second chance to change his bad ways. Once he wakes up in his bedroom after all of this craziness, he jumps for joy and makes many new friends while mending with some old friends. He fixes many of his wrongs and lives out the rest of his life as a happier, friendlier, and a generous
An example of this is shown in his bitter attitude towards the cheerfulness of his nephew Fred and by thinking Christmas a "humbug." And then, moments before he bitterly declines his nephew's friendly invitation to come dine with him, he says crossly to him, "'Every idiot who goes about with 'Merry Christmas' on his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart.'" Lastly, an instance that illustrates the cold heart of Scrooge is when he speaks of the poor, "'If they would rather die, they better do it, and decrease the surplus population.'" By these demonstrations, Scrooge exposed the coldness of his own
Miracle on 34th Street is a classic Christmas movie that has stood the test of time through eight decades, and was even made into a book by Valentine Davies. This classic Christmas movie has become an essential film for every American family during the holiday season. There are both many changes and continuities through the novella and the 1947, 1973, and 1994 versions of the movie.The novella Miracle on 34th Street by Valentine Davies is similar to the 1947, 1973, and 1994 versions of the film in theme; however, the films differ in characters and setting due to social changes.
The play “A Christmas Carol – A ghost story of Christmas” by Charles Dickson, directed by James Black in Houston, TX was performed in a similar way in “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickson, directed by Michael Wilson in Washington, D.C. The both plays had similarities and differences throughout the play in which demonstrated different creativity from the different directors. The rating that was given by the reviewer of the play in Washington gave a 5 out of 5 star rating. For the play that I went to watch the rating I would give it would be a 5 star rating.
In the fictional play, A Christmas Carol: Scrooge and Marley, by Israel Horovitz, Scrooge’s first impression is not very good. He refuses to donate to the poor, he dismisses family who want a relationship, and he is miserable and tries to make others the same way. When two men come to see Scrooge, they were asking for donations for the poor. Scrooge, being one of the wealthiest people in the community, is very dismissive, wrongfully so, and asks the two men to leave empty handed. When Scrooge asks if there are workhouses for the poor to go to, the men explain that most people would rather die than to go there. In response Scrooge states, “If they would rather die, than they had better do it and decrease the surplus in population.” (649) When
In “My Favorite Holiday Movie Involves a Giant Rabbit”, Boylan discusses her favorite Christmas movies and how their meanings have influenced her during the holidays. Through the use of allusions, metaphor, and imagery, Boylan argues that the holiday season is really about believing and practicing internal virtues to uplift oneself and one’s life. For example, Boylan makes several allusions to popular Christmas movies, like “The Snowman”, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”, and “It’s a Wonderful Life”. However, her most prominent allusion throughout the article is to “Harvey”, which “on the surface… is not a Christmas movie at all but the story of a man whose best friend is a six-foot-tall invisible rabbit”. At first, Boylan’s choice to reference
Meeting the Ghost of Christmas Past begins the first stage of Scrooge’s transformation: regretting his actions. When Scrooge is shown his younger self alone in his classroom on Christmas, he regrets chasing a Christmas caroler away from his door. The Spirit skips ahead a few years to show him a happier time. His sweet little sister Fan arrives to take him home, and this is his first Christmas in a long time that is spent with family. Unfortunately, Scrooge doesn’t see it that way; seeing this scene makes him “uneasy in his mind” as he thinks about the way he treats his nephew Fred. Instead of treating him like his only family member, Scrooge denies invitations to Christmas dinner every year and is rude whenever Fred speaks to him. He doesn’t have time to dwell on this for long, however; Scrooge has many other important things to think...
Elf starts out with the introduction to the life of Buddy, an orphaned baby, who would mistakenly crawl into Santa’s sack on Christmas Eve. Buddy would be raised on the North Pole but would soon realize that this wasn’t his place. Santa soon revealed that his true father was still alive, lived in the New York, and most importantly was on the naughty list.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966&2000) explains not only the life of the Grinch but the Whos as well. Through the theorists of Karen Horney and Erik Erikson, viewers can learn why the Grinch’s personality is formed. Not only had it formed, but through the years it transformed.
The story of a Dolls house by Ibsen is full of unique and hidden messages. In the play, there are many things that do not seem to have any importance to the play. This is why it is important to use close reading. Close reading allows a better understanding for what Ibsen is trying to say not just what the words mean. Throughout the story a Dolls House it is easy to notice the importance of material things to the main characters. The purpose of this paper is to show how the importance of holidays and how they are subordinate to materials and self-worth in the play as well as how these religious symbols relate to the charters in the play.