Christmas Carol, Frosty The Snowman, And How The Grinch Stole

Christmas time only only comes around one time a year, or does it? Is Christmas time a season or a state of mind? How could a season make someone so entirely joyful or bismal? Christmas is the day that holds all time together (Smith). The season all by itself might only come around one time every year, but the holiday feeling is more than just a season. The three literature books that truly display the true meaning of the holiday season are Christmas Carol, Frosty the Snowman, and How The Grinch Stole Christmas.

In these three fictional christmas tales, the make believe characters each experience different feelings during the holiday season. Ebenezer Scrooge, the main character in Christmas Carol always has a sense of mourning over the holiday

season (Dickens). He could not stand anything about the season, especially the common Christmas phrase "Merry Christmas" (Dickens). According to the National Institute of Health, Christmas is the time of year people experience a high incidence of depression (Williams).
The season is not always so dull though. Christmas is a season not only of rejoicing but of reflection (Churchill). In the other two literature books the season is happily celebrated and a time of reformation with peers and family. Scrooge is entirely changed during the Christmas season (BBC). "In Scrooge we see a man who is transformed from a greedy, selfish miser into a generous and good-natured character by the end"(BBC). Christmas time in literature stimulates many feelings such as happiness, mourning, and reformation in families and relationships.
Happiness in literature is portrayed in a fictional snowman named Frosty The Snowman.

His role in his story is showing the group of kids who created him the true meaning of friendship. In the relationship he builds with these kids he willingly gave up his life in order to let others live (Starr). Although the conclusion to the story was not the happiest of endings Frosty shows another meaning of happiness, that being that he was at his happiest when he died in order to give life to others. The bond that Frosty had built in the children was something that death could not take away. It was a moral to the children of what a true hero is and how true happiness is found in authentic

friendship.
When something is gone it is missed the most. When Frosty gets lost on the train Karen joins him on the train to help save him because of the love and bond of the two (Miller). Because of the happiness when these two are together Karen has no set back to get on the train. Not knowing where they are going and where it will lead them. This shows something different about the season and it's true meaning. Karen did not get on the train to receive a gift or present. She got on because being with her best friend Frosty was what made her happy and she was willing to do whatever it took to keep what made her happy in her life. The other side to it is that Frosty saw the happiness in the kids and their families so he died so they did not have to.
Frosty showed how the happiness in the season is not just receiving gifts and presents but being with the ones he loved. "Christmas will always be as long as we stand heart to heart and hand in hand" (Seuss). In this quote it demonstrates how the season does not have to be just a time of happiness once a year. It shows how as long as surrounded by loved ones the happiness of the season will carry. Frosty carried the happiness of the season despite being lost and against the odds of living. He kept a positive attitude even in the midst of chaos because of being surrounded by those he truly loved. It did not matter to him if he died he wanted to die happy knowing his friends would stay safely alive.
Mourning in literature is shown through a grim, green, and smelly character named the Grinch.

During the Christmas season he is always trying to cover up his insecurities by making other suffer during the season he mourns. He only has one companion in his life and it is his dog, Max (Esposito). He hates everything about the season and people celebrating. "The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season! (ThoughtCo). Around the town of Whoville the name of the Grinch is despised and is not brought up. He is notoriously known as a hated figure around Christmas. To the Grinch Christmas is a time that drives him insane because he hates people being happy because of his state of misery.

The Grinch is in so much depression that he isolates where he lives from everyone else. He lives on top of a mountain in a cave that no one would ever dare to come near. Due to his mourning he decides to make everyone else pay for his state. On Christmas night he takes out his isolation on the town of Whoville by taking all of their gifts and presents away. "Now, please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason (ThoughtCo.)." No one knew what led to the Grinch's mourning but some thought it may be his Heart was two sizes too small

(Seuss).
During the season of Christmas , one North American survey reported that 45% of respondents dreaded the festive season (Williams). Even though the Grinch was not alone in his mourning he decided to get rid of his pain in the wrong way. Even when he takes his anger out on the town the civilians of Whoville still stand in Whoville Square without any presents at all, singing as loud as they can (Oliver). Even through his dreaded season and mischief behavior the town comes together even closer showing the bond of the season. Even while the Grinch is experiencing his most dreaded time of the year.
In the Christmas season an old and deprived man named Scrooge wants nothing to do with the holiday season. "No warmth could warm him, no wintry weather could chill him"(Dickens). He was completely against the season and was a grumpy old man. He also had no friends and was said that he would die alone. The ghosts of christmas saw the attitude of Scrooge and how he had little to no hope. When he was visited by the ghost of Christmas past brought him to the school that he attended as a boy (Dickens). There he saw himself as a young boy alone on Christmas without presents and no family. Here he realized what the season truly meant and wanted to reform his whole life. "For again Scrooge saw himself. He was older now; a man in the prime of life" (Dickens). He was completely reformed by the Holiday season and it made him a better man where he was reunited with his family.
Scrooge learned from his past mistakes of the Christmas season. It helped him become a better man and change his life. "Spirit! He cried, tight clutching at his robe, hear me! I am not the man I was. I will not be the man I must have been for this intorverse" (Dickens). The Christmas season reformed his personal life along with his social life. Scrooge was now a man who was very generous and gave back to the community he was rejected from. "What a delightful boy!" (Dickens). Scrooge said this to a young boy as he gave him money to buy the prize turkey for his family's Christmas dinner. This showed a lot of change in Scrooge as before this action he was known for neglecting the needy and beggars.
n these stories the characters portray how the season stimulates different feelings. Frosty The Snowman demonstrates how happiness is demonstrated in the story when he is reunited with his friends and shows the true meaning of friendship. In How The Grinch Stole Christmas he shows mourning in how he never has anyone to celebrate the season with. This problem in his life makes him feel isolated from the season and wants nothing to do with it. In Christmas Carol Scrooge was restored by the season and it changed his life forever. He began to see the full picture of life and how it was more than a season.
Christmas time is also thought of as a time of tradition. This is shown in literature in many different ways. In How The Grinch Stole Christmas, the civilians in Whoville after the Grinch stole their gifts and food decided to still celebrate. Which demonstrated how the tradition was so strong that it could not be broken just by one man or no gifts. The season was bigger than that is was a time of unity and thankfulness. Often time in Literature it will talk about how people visit churches around Christmas Time. This is common because often many people have traditions of only going to church on Christmas. Another example of a Christmas tradition in literature is when Scrooge gives money to a young boy to buy turkey for his family. This is a tradition because in Scrooge’s town every year there's a prize turkey for sale during the Christmas season.
All of these stories relate in different ways. They all have a moral and lesson learned in them. The Grinch teaches about how hatred can leave you isolated alone. Scrooge teaches about how even the worst of the worst can be reformed and given hope. It also shows how due to his past experiences it can make him rebel against his past to give back and change others. Frosty in Frosty The Snowman shows the meaning of true friendship. This is displayed by how his friends stuck up for him and saved him from dying.