Hatred in How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966; 2000)

A synonym for a Scrooge is a Grinch. Of all the Christmas classics, Dr. Seuss’s verdant villain comes the closest to capturing Dickens’ Scrooge spirit. While they vary in motivations and reasons for their staunch Christmas antagonism, they are both motivated by hatred and disregard for others, manifested in stealing and withholding. They are lonely, isolated individuals stewing in an icy cauldron of their own making. They do not want to see others flourish in the joy and happiness of Christmas celebrations. If they cannot be happy, then nobody will be. 

The 1966 Chuck Jones-directed animated television special—featuring Boris Karloff, the voice of Frankenstein himself—is especially faithful to Seuss’s 1957 book, not only in the reading of the lines but also in the visuals and overall tone. Jones is on record comparing the Grinch to Scrooge, claiming he’s the best Christmas villain since A Christmas Carol. In the book/television special, the Grinch’s motivations are unclear, as they seem to be motivated by a general annoyance at the noisy Whoville town. In Ron Howard’s 2000 live-action adaptation (what many might refer to as The Jim Carey Grinch), the script adds a lengthy backstory explaining the Grinch’s audacious Christmas Eve scheme. The Grinch is the victim of a traumatic school bullying event at Christmas, and his hurt morphs into resentment and eventually hatred. One could say he “loathes entirely” the Whos and their Christmas. 

The antidotes to hatred are love and kindness, especially when it is unearned and unconditional. A small child’s love is the common generator of transformation in the Grinch and Scrooge. Tiny Tim and Cindy Lou Who operate as foils, embodying joy in the face of said hatred and even suffering in the case of Tiny Tim. Christmas occurs in the darkest week of the year (quite literally, as December 21 has the least amount of daylight) there is a joyful celebration able to grow even the smallest of hearts.