“A Christmas Memory” . which was written by Truman Capote and originally published in Mademoiselle Magazine in December 1956. is a meaningful and emotional narrative about household. In which. the characters of a household are defined particularly: ” Family is non merely a shelter but besides a safe topographic point to care. portion memories. forfeit. and love. ” There are many definitions about household. One of them is “A household consists of two or more people ( one of whom is the homeowner ) related by birth. matrimony. or acceptance residing in the same lodging unit “ ( US Census Bureau. Its chief maps are to bring forth and reproduce individuals. biologically and/or socially ; portion material substances ( such as nutrient. shelter. )
However. two household members ( Buddy and his cousin ) in “A Christmas Memory” are connected with each other non merely by blood kinship but besides by love and friendly relationship. The narrative employs a first-person storyteller who is called Buddy –a seven-year-old male child. but it is non his existent name. It was given by his distant cousin who is “sixty-something” and is described as “still a kid. Though it is so sad that the more Buddy grows up. the older his friend is. His friend used to recognize: “… I guess I hate to see you turn up. When you’re grown up. will we still be friends? ” But. their artlessness keeps them be best friends despite age. Besides. both of them are hapless and lonely.
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They are considered foreigners by their household. “Other people inhabit the house. relatives ; and though they have power over us. and often make us call. we are non. on the whole. excessively much aware of them. ” ( “A Christmas Memory” . p. ) Throughout the narrative. other household members did non look excessively much except for two occasions: One is when the Buddy’s friend Lashkar-e-Taiba Buddy imbibe the remnant whisky. the relations yelled at her and brought up cousins and uncles who were involved in dirts and humiliated the household. This hurts Buddy’s friend and makes she cried all dark. Another is on the Christmas forenoon when they gave Buddy gifts which made him angry: hand-me-downs. a church shirt. and a subscription to a spiritual magazine. Both of these visual aspects merely conveying unhappiness. cryings and disappointment alternatively of appeal or love.
Furthermore. they do non cognize about Buddy’s demands and desire: a bike. An interesting item is: Buddy and his friend are really hapless but why do they salvage every penny to do crackpots every twelvemonth? Alternatively of selling crackpots to hold some money or maintaining them for themselves. Buddy and his cousin give these crackpots off to aliens: President Roosevelt. a knife bomber who comes through town twice a twelvemonth. a driver of the six o’clock coach from Mobile who exchanges waves with them every twenty-four hours. a California twosome whose auto one afternoon broke down outside the house and chatted with them on the porch.
Particularly. although Mr. Haha Johnes is described as a “giant with razor cicatrixs across his cheeks” and ne’er smilings. when Buddy and his cousin purchase whisky for their crackpots from him. he gives it for free with a smiling that means there is good in all people. Peoples can non be judged on their visual aspect. Sadly. these warm gestures are given to Buddy and his cousin by foreigners alternatively of their household. They are lonely and need love ; particularly at Christmas – a season for giving and reunite. It is a fantastic clip of salutations. gifts. joy. attention and sharing that their relations ne’er give them.
Family is besides where members sacrifice for each other. The narrative is a bittersweet reminiscence get downing with” Imagine a forenoon in ulterior November. A approach of winter forenoon more than twenty old ages ago. See the kitchen of a distributing old house in a state town. ” ( “A Christmas Memory” . p. 1 ) This places the narrative during the Great Depression- a clip of great poorness which so consequences in many emotional inside informations. The manner Buddy and his cousin conceal their money is so impressive: ” These money we keep hidden in an ancient bead bag under a loose board under the floor under a chamber pot under my friend’s bed. ( “A Christmas Memory. ” p. 6 )
This bag seems really of import and valuable with them and the adult females saves money and maintain it carefully. She has ne’er traveled more than five stat mis from places and eaten in a eating house. She still gives Buddy a dime to watch the film show every Saturday. Even when Buddy is in military school. in every missive she besides encloses a dime wadded in toilet paper. She wants to heighten Buddy’s accomplishments. Buddy likes her eyes to depict the universe outside for her. She is strong with ethical motives and purity- inexperienced person and trusts in the Lord. Furthermore. she is capturing like a female parent or grandma.
Family is where people portion felicity and unhappiness which become the most beautiful memories in their lives. Buddy and his friends have many unforgettable Christmas holidays together. They save money by selling fruits and flowers. killing flies. keeping their ain shows with images and a three-legged hen poulet. And when the “fruitcake weather” comes. they buy ingredients to do crackpots and show it to their neighbours. friends or besides aliens. Following. they venture into the forests and cut down a olympian tree. When a “rich factory owner’s lazy wife” offers to purchase it. Buddy’s friend insists on declining. They respect the Christmas spirit.
It is much more valuable than money. Then. they decorate the tree with homemade decorations and odds and ends found in the Attic. Finally. they create gifts for their relations. Buddy wishes he could give his friend a knife. a wireless. and the chocolate-covered cherries she craves. His cousin wants to give Buddy a new bike. However. they embarrass to squeal that they merely have kites for each other like the old Christmas. Despite that. Buddy and his friend are happy with their kites instead than what their relations gave them. They spend Christmas twenty-four hours merrily watching their homemade kites soar in the zephyr.
Buddy shortly forgets defeated gifts from his relations and is excited “…as if we’d already won the fifty-thousand-dollar Grand Prize in that coffee-naming contest” while his friend happy as if she could see the Lord. ( “A Christmas Memory. p. 20” ) . It is their last perfect Christmas together. “Those who Know Best” – the grownups who do non care much about Buddy’s life every bit good as his dream- send Buddy to a military school where he is separated from his friend everlastingly. Although Buddy has a new place. in his head: ” Home is where my friend is. and there I ne’er go. ” ( “A Christmas Memory. ” p. 21 ) Home is non defined as a shelter.
It is where he can happen love and safety. Another meaningful in this narrative is the kite which is a symbol of freedom. bosom. friendly relationship. and dream to wing up high to touch the sky. Kites are besides memories of their beautiful yearss together. Memories are something passing by our life that we can non touch them once more except for retrieving them sometimes. However. they are of import parts in our bosom everlastingly. Thus. even when Buddy is far from his house. his childhood’s memories about his lovely friend. his dog- Queenie. Christmas holidays. and the kites ever alive in his psyche that make him strong and maintain forward.
That is why when his friend dies. Buddy feels as if he lost an unreplaceable portion and while walking across the campus on December morning- Christmas clip. Buddy still searches the sky with hope to see a brace of kites- his unforgettable memories about his lovely friend. “A Christmas Memory” is a graphic image of household and lovely friendly relationship of Buddy and his cousin that leaves a message for the reader: Family likes a house which has the base built by love. four walls connected by attention. the roof made by portion and the furniture interior are forfeit.
