The Grinch is the Hero
The Grinch is portrayed as a villain in "How The Grinch Stole Christmas," but what if that wasn't the full story?
December 7, 2022
What is The Grinch?
The Grinch is a story about a green, furry Who, of which lives alone in the mountains. This story originated in 1957 in a book called How The Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss. The tale consists of the Grinch despising Christmas, due to the fact his heart was two sizes too small. This leads him to want to get rid of it, which started with him stealing all the Christmas traditions from Whoville, which celebrates Christmas heavily. The story concludes with his heart growing back to original size as returns Christmas to Whoville.
Why He’s The Hero
Throughout the story, the Grinch is portrayed as the villain. This is due to his evil demeanor, as well as his hatred for Christmas. He originally did not have a backstory, but the story has developed since to explain his character. The Who’s are meant to be portrayed as the victims of the story, a widely-accepted belief among the population, until one looks into the details of the new story of How The Grinch Stole Christmas.
In the newer versions, the Who’s have only hurt the Grinch, which has caused him to despise Christmas; he had his own reasons. When he was young, he had a crush on a fellow Who, and he decided to make a her present for Christmas. However, when he went to give the gift to her, he was immediately embarrassed and harassed by the other students. The reason he hates Christmas is not due to his “evil behavior,” but the Who’s themselves! He was wrongly humiliated for simply wanting to be a normal kid and have his happiness. The community is unaccepting, though it is perceived that he is unaccepting; he has trust issues due to those Whos.
In addition, when the Grinch was born, he was immediately put into an adoption center because of how he looked. If the Who’s truly were “kind and welcoming” as they presented themselves, then why would his parents do that to him? Due to the bullying and the abandonment, it is clear there is a discrimination towards him based on his looks. Is the Grinch wrong for acting the way he does towards the Who’s?
In conclusion, the Grinch is not simply a story of a villain to a hero, it is a story of justice. The Grinch is a anti-hero to the “heros” that are the people of Whoville. The people of Whoville are the real villains.