The first in a series of posts examining the not-so-subtle subtext of Christmas stories...
Our favorite prematurely balding, angst-ridden elementary school kid, Charlie Brown, may not get the attention he craves from the little red-haired girl, but he always has one person in his corner: the blanket-wielding, wisdom-spouting Linus Van Pelt.
Linus is Chuck's only champion in a neighborhood of nay-sayers and browbeaters. This is true, even when Charlie Brown's choice in Christmas trees is dubious, to say the least, to the other kids. Having chosen the runt of the litter (and a real tree, no less!), he is mocked by everyone in his gang (even his sister! even his dog!) -- except for Linus.
Of course, Linus knows the true meaning of Christmas, which in Peanuts Land is not shopping, and it's not parties, and it's not tinsel. This revives Charlie Brown's faith in both himself and in his chosen tree. He's so revitalized he actually skips (skips!) away with his tree before the other kids realize the error of their ways and make the holiday a warm one for our hero. And it's all thanks to Linus!
-- HARKER JONES
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