In Defense of Mr. Grinch
Every year, I look forward to hearing the well-known cadence of the famous, “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” and to watch multiple versions of “How the Grinch stole Christmas.” I am drawn to the green, hairy, guy who makes me laugh, and think. Every year that I watch the Grinch, I find another detail that I missed the last time. The way the story of the Grinch is told, one gets the sense that this green, hairy, yellow-eyed guy is a monster. But now that I have put away the lights and decorations of Christmas, I want to mount a defense of Mr. Grinch. To do this, I must dig into the heart of a story often oversimplified into a tale of a Christmas-hating villain. This narrative, deeply embedded in our cultural consciousness, warrants a critical re-examination, especially in light of the Grinch’s experiences of othering by the people of Whoville. At the core of the Grinch’s story is this deep sense of alienation. He was not born with a disdain for Christmas; rather, his attitude was shaped ...