Summary
The Grinch continues his way through Who-Ville, taking all the presents and decorations from each house. He does not even leave crumbs small enough for mice behind. As morning approaches, the Grinch stuffs all of his stolen gifts onto his sleigh. He rides all the way up to the top of Mt. Crumpit – three thousand feet – where he plans to throw all the gifts, food, and decorations over the side of the mountain.
The Grinch is excited by the idea that, when the Whos wake up and find their houses empty, they will all cry. As he anticipates the cries, he hears a noise coming from far down in Who-ville. The noise gets louder and more cheerful, and the Grinch realizes that all the Whos in Who-ville are singing. The Grinch realizes that he has not succeeded in stopping Christmas from coming. He is shocked to see the Whos singing even though they have no presents. Then, the Grinch thinks that maybe Christmas has a deeper meaning besides material possessions.
The Grinch heart grows three sizes. He immediately rides back to Who-ville to return all the things he took. The Whos welcome him back with open arms, and it is the Grinch who carves the roast beast at the feast on Christmas Day.
Analysis
The end of the story focuses on the Grinch's expectations for how his plot will turn out versus the reality of what actually happens. Up until the very end of the story, the Grinch's scheme seems to be working rather smoothly – he is able to steal all the presents, food, and decorations from every Who house, and his sleigh makes it up the three-thousand-foot Mt. Crumpit with ease. As such, the Grinch is confident that his plot to prevent Christmas will have been successful. That the Grinch looks forward to hearing the Whos cry out in disappointment, however, showcases his misunderstanding of what Christmas really is. When he hears the Whos not crying but singing, just as they do every other year on Christmas, the entire tone of the story shifts: no longer delighting in the prospect of causing sadness among the Whos, the Grinch must reckon with the notion that all his efforts have been for nothing.
The story suggests that it is the Whos' continued optimism and dedication to their celebration, even in the absence of presents, decorations, and food, that truly defines Christmas. The Grinch puts this realization into his own words when he says, "Maybe Christmas... doesn't come for a store. Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more!" One could consider this statement the story's moral: Christmas is defined by togetherness and community, not by gifts and material possessions. It is this realization that not only inspires the Grinch to return to Who-ville and join in the celebration, but also causes his heart to grow "three sizes that day." While the story does take this statement literally, in many ways the Grinch's heart is a figurative representation of his transformation from a jealous and isolated antagonist to an accepted member of his community and purveyor of the Christmas spirit.
