Skipping Christmas

Satire uses humor or irony to criticize political or social issues. Satire is often exaggerated to the point of absurdity, as when Luther’s neighbors overreact to his bid for independence. In Skipping Christmas, Grisham uses satire to criticize the materialism and excess that surround the holiday.

Luther Krank himself is a caricature based on Ebenezer Scrooge and Dr. Seuss’s Grinch—a “crank” is a person who is seen as strange and out-of-step with the conventions of society. Scrooge and the Grinch are satirical characters themselves. They both parody the kind of person who goes around complaining about the noise and chaos and inconvenience of Christmas. At the same time, they call attention to the genuine excesses of the season—the over-indulgence, going into debt to eat and buy extravagant gifts and throw parties. Like Scrooge and the Grinch, Luther has legitimate criticisms about the way Christmas is celebrated. Also like them, his reaction goes far beyond what is reasonable, but he eventually finds a balance, whittling away the materialism to discover the underlying meaning of the holiday. Luther, confronted by the generosity of his neighbors, realizes that Christmas represents much more than the things he has come to hate about the holiday. In discovering the deeper spiritual significance of the season, he helps others to find it as well.

Grisham’s use of satire is purposeful. By exaggerating the errors of society, he make them more visible and shows how harmful they really are. At the same time, humor and hyperbole defang the “attack” on social mores, allowing the audience to laugh at their errors and put them in perspective—as Luther eventually does—to live a more balanced life.