The film How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) tells the story of the Grinch, a furry creature with green fur who smiles from ear to ear. Exiled from Whoville, he lives in a cave on top of the mountain with his faithful and only friend, his dog Max. Bad experiences with other children when he was just a child made him run away. This led to an isolation that later caused a thirst for revenge and an uncontrollable hatred of Christmas. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay. Although How the Grinch Stole Christmas displays traits consistent with other criticism, it largely falls under sociopolitical or Marxist literary criticism. This is not to say that it does not contain elements of moral criticism, as it weighs the values ​​of the Whos against the values ​​of the Grinch, nor does it lack the symbolism, style and imagery necessary to be considered formalism. Marxism is based on class struggle and economics, viewing capitalism as the cause of society's problems. The Grinch shares this view as the Whos are the capitalists who alienate him in their society as he cannot afford the same things they can afford during the Christmas season. This leads him to "hate Christmas" and "the whole Christmas season", as he thinks he cannot be a part of it due to his socioeconomic position. Marxism "criticizes texts that presuppose a classist society of economic elitism" while "defends texts that advocate the 'common man'." The Grinch is far from a "common man" in Whoville, as he clearly doesn't have the money to afford the "toys" or "who-beast roast" that the Whos seem to celebrate so much. This is a problem for the Grinch, as he aligns material possessions with happiness, and since he does not have these possessions, he thinks he cannot achieve happiness. After the Grinch thinks he has finally stopped Christmas by stealing all of the Who's material possessions, gifts and food, he is shocked to discover that Christmas "came without ribbons" and "came without labels". Money and possessions were irrelevant to the Chi. The Grinch was so sure that Christmas was based on the material that when he realized it "didn't come from a store," his "little heart[g]rew three dimensions." Please note: this is just a sample. Get a custom paper now from our expert writers. Get a Custom EssayMarxism is a theory that seeks to balance economic wealth in a way that produces a more just and just society. In the Grinch Stole Christmas, the Grinch believed that taking everything away from the Whos would level their economic status to his level, allowing everyone to be on his level and experience his unhappiness. After realizing that material wealth doesn't matter, Dr. Seuss shows us that the equal distribution of love as currency is what will bring true happiness to this village.