| “ | Maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more. | „ |
| ~ The Grinch |
The Grinch is the main protagonist of Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!.
In 1966, he was voiced by the late actor Boris Karloff. In 2000, he was portrayed by Jim Carrey as an adult while the late Josh Ryan Evans play as an 8-year-old Grinch.
In 2018, he was voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch.
Character description
The Grinch is depicted as a furry recluse living in seclusion on a cliff overlooking the cheerful, optimistic community of Whoville.
He scorns the Christmas season and the boisterous festivities customarily celebrated during the holiday; apparently irritated by the happiness of others and deriving pleasure from spoiling other people's merriment.
Aided by his long-suffering pet dog, Max, he disguises himself as Santa Claus and breaks into the Whos' homes to steal their holiday decorations and gifts.
Although his plan works, he is infuriated on Christmas morning to find the Whos singing cheerfully despite his actions. Convinced that the holiday must carry a meaning distinct from its decorations and gifts, the Grinch returns and distributes his stolen goods to the Whos, with whom he thereafter celebrates.
Nevertheless, the Grinch is still portrayed as a bitter and ill-tempered character in artwork or other media.
With the character's anti-holiday spirit followed by the transformation on Christmas morning, scholars have noted similarity to Ebenezer Scrooge from Charles Dickens' 1843 novella A Christmas Carol.
In both the animated TV special and the 2000 live-action film, he is shown to have superhuman strength when he stops an entire sleigh loaded with presents from going over a cliff and lifts it over his head, although he is also described as "[finding] the strength of ten Grinches plus two" during that moment of crisis.
Thus, his feat of strength may be akin to an adrenaline rush, as he does not appear to exhibit this ability under normal circumstances.
Heroic Side
- He saved Cindy-Lou Who from the stamping machine.
- He stopped the sleigh from falling off the cliff and saved Cindy-Lou Who.
- He gave back the gifts to the people in Whoville.
- He pass the Christmas season with the Whos in his cave.
Gallery
_grin.jpg "The Grinch (2000) grin.jpg (25 KB)")
Trivia
- Dr. Seuss disputed casting Boris Karloff for fear that he would make the Grinch too scary.
- Boris Karloff's voice changes when he speaks for the Grinch. Originally he spoke in his "Narrator" voice throughout. After recording was complete, the highs in his voice were mechanically removed for the Grinch, giving him the gravelly voice heard in the finished version.
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