Popular Culture Review Vol. 11, No. 1, February 2000 | Page 107

Understanding the Outsider:
Grendel, Geisel, and the Grinch
In his popular children’s book How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Theodor Seuss
Geisel (“Dr. Seuss”) presents us with a memorable villain: a pink-eyed cave-dweller
who, from his frigid abode on a hill to the north of town, glares down at the warm,
bright community below him; resenting their merriment, he decides to put an end
to it — to steal Christmas from them. In Western Christian tradition, a protoiype
for such a character can be found in the figure of Satan, leader of the fallen angels.
More specifically, in two important works of English Literature — the Old English
poem Genesis B and John Milton’s Paradise Lost — the dispossessed demons
voice a common sentiment about their situation: they feel insulted that God has
created human beings to replace them. Satan, in particular, cannot bear the thought
of mankind living in bliss while he must continue in a state of exile and misery, so
he plots man’s ruination1. Furthermore, the Grinch’s dwelling — the cave — is an
image traditionally associated with the landscape of Hell, the habitat of devils. But
among the many outcast characters depicted in literature, perhaps the closest parallel
to the Grinch occurs in the figure of Grendel in Beowulf. Although the nature of
their raids differs, and the Grinch undergoes a change for the better whereas Grendel
does not, the basic message of both works is the same, stressing the importance of
being “big-hearted.” Moreover, beyond the issue of possible influence, a careful
examination of correspondences and notable differences provides insight into the
beliefs, attitudes, and respective tasks of Geisel and the Beowulf-poet.
The most obvious similarity between the Grinch and Grendel is the sound
of their names. The Oxford English Dictionary contains two separate entries for
grinch: as an intransitive echoic verb, it means ‘to make a harsh grating noise’; and
as a past participle ( grinched) it has the meaning ‘tightly closed’ or ‘clenched,’ used
specifically in reference to the teeth.2Other similar echoic words fittingly characterize
the Grinch’s temperament: grump, grumble, grouch, grunt, etc. Even grin has its
applications, appropriate for the Grinch’s devilish, deceptive smile that co