Genre
Comedy
Setting and Context
Modern-day American suburb during the Christmas season.
Narrator and Point of View
Third-person narration.
Tone and Mood
Skeptical, Frustrated, Angry, Festive
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonists are the Kranks while the antagonist is the racket during the Christmas season.
Major Conflict
The Kranks decide to forgo the Christmas festivities because their daughter will not be spending the holidays with them. Their neighbors do not take the decision well and choose to force the Kranks to participate in the holiday traditions. When their daughter informs them she will be back for Christmas they have to make last-minute preparations for the party.
Climax
The climax reaches when Nora says to her daughter that they are having the Christmas party as usual.
Foreshadowing
“The good-byes had all been said. “Are you sure this is what you want?” had been asked for the hundredth time.” This foreshadows Blair’s decision to come back home and enjoy the festive season with family.
Understatement
“You’re going to let a lousy six hundred bucks stand between us and a Caribbean cruise?” Luther understates the amount of money Nora wants to donate yet he initially refuses to pay it.
Allusions
The novel alludes to the tropes in Christmas narratives and films that glorify the season.
Imagery
“His third step was into a shallow pothole. Cold water soaked his right ankle and oozed down quickly into his shoe. He froze for a second and caught his breath, then stepped away on his toes, trying desperately to spot other puddles while dodging traffic.”
Paradox
“We skip Christmas, save the money, and go splash in the Caribbean for ten days.” This is a paradox because the funds will still be spent on celebrations.
Parallelism
As each family in the neighborhood prepares for Christmas, the story parallels their approaches to the festive season.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
n/a
Personification
“…certainly prepared for anything the Caribbean sun could throw at him.”
