Fictional Christmas Baddies

Scrooge. The Grinch. Mr. Potter – not Harry – the miserable old coot in the wheelchair from ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’. These are a few of my favorite Christmas Baddies – those characters who challenge, set up road blocks and create a swill of holiday ‘uncheer’ for the heroes of their stories. They’re fun to watch and read about, these naysayers of Christmas crank. Can’t they possibly see how wrong they are? That they are creating their reality? No. No they can’t.

My favorite character to date has got to be Ebenezer Scrooge. He’s like a fly in a spider’s web that keeps struggling against his true self until he gets all wrapped up in what he’s created (thoughts, beliefs, attitudes) that it’s almost too late to save himself against himself. I mean, it really takes a meeting with the Grim Reaper to jar that tightwad into a philanthropist? Really?

Then there’s Doctor Suess’s ‘The Grinch’. Stink. Stank. Stunk. That little green creature makes the Martians in H.G. Wells novel ‘War of the Worlds’ approachable, cute and cuddly. Thank goodness for people like Sue Who. She knew what this Christmas ‘stuff’ was all about, and influenced that miserable green Grinch’s heart to open and expand three times its size. You can take away the presents, decorations, candy, and that roast beast, but not the true meaning of Christmas – not the love. Cheers to all you Sue Whos of the world!

Finally, there’s bad old Mr. Potter. Kind of like a Mr. Scrooge, but much worse. He had no ghosts of Christmas past, present or future to visit him. He only had plucky George Bailey, who really didn’t want to stick around Bedford Falls anyway. Let’s face it, if George had left, then Mr. Potter’s life would have been a hell of a lot easier. But it took an angel like Clarence to set George straight and stand up against all those ‘Mr. Potters’ of the world. Kudos Clarence!

So even storybook Christmas Baddies have something to teach the world, and continue to do so throughout their ‘fictional’ lives. And with the advent of ebooks – that’s a long, long, long time. Best wishes for a safe and happy holiday. Bah Humbug and Cheers!

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