The Pun in Punishment: Great Moments in A Christmas Story
The Pun in Punishment: Great Moments in A Christmas Story by Roxanne McDonald
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While it may be too close to home for many of us who actually had to eat soap for sassing or swearing or had to go to bed without dinner or dessert for one truancy or another, many moments in A Christmas Story send us right back to childhood—punishments and frustrations alike bringing continued joy. |
Whether it is the familiarity of punitive gestures or comments on our behavior or whether it is the coo-coo father or the silly brother or crazy rabbit-sleeper-sewing aunt, we identify at some level with many of the moments
in A Christmas Story. Here are some of my favorites:
Randy’s constant laughing
THE BOASTING
The father getting such esteem from the leg lamp, which he considers a “major award”
THE BEATING
When Ralphy beats the bull out of the bully [and when Mother coddles him and covers for him afterward, soothing him with warm water and distracting his father with talk of football itineraries, etc.]
THE SCREAMING
When in the Chinese restaurant, the family is served a duck with the head still on, and Mother screams
When Ralphy’s mother calls Schwartz’ mother and tells her the swear word Ralphy used came from Schwartz and the mother does this cartoon scream over the phone, “WHATTT?! WHATTT?! WHATT?!”
The grumpy phony Santa and impatient elves, jerking the kids into lap position as many little ones wail and scream
The overloaded electrical outlets and the inevitable blackouts whereby Father would tell everybody to stay put, not move, while he replaced the fuse, which the adult narrating Ralphy says, “The old man could replace fuses quicker than a jackrabbit on a date….”
Mother getting Randy to eat like a “piggy”—to get him to eat at all
Dad coaching Ralphy as he loads the toy rifle
And the many other disappointments and debacles and dogs, of course, make A Christmas Story the classic that it is and always will be.
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