Essay Questions

This poem situates much of the mythic identity of Santa Claus, but what are some notable differences?

While much of the iconic vision of Santa Claus is included in this poem, a few things do stand out that diverge from the conventional portrait. For one thing, he is both referred to as an “elf” and a “little old driver” his slight packed with goodies. Taken together with the description of the diminutive nature of the reindeer, an inescapable conclusion must inevitably be drawn: Santa Claus is distinctly smaller than he seems. In fact, if the animated specials followed suit, Santa would perhaps be only an inch or two taller than Hermie, the elf who wants to be a dentist.

How can it be inferred that St. Nick in the story is not dressed in the typical red and white Santa Claus outfit?

The traditional garb in which Santa appears for more than a century now is, of course, the familiar red outfit with the white fur collar and cuffs and the black belt. Exactly what St. Nick looks like in this story is not entirely clear and must be inferred through the narrator’s description. Fortunately, the narrator’s description is precise enough to exclude the traditional garb from consideration. All that the narrator really provides is a simple brief overview that the jolly little elf “was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot.” Considering that there are no immediately available animals possessing fur of the bright fire engine red in which Santa is usually portrayed, it seems highly unlikely that he would be attired in that way. A more likely possibility is that this particular version of Santa is dressed much less brightly and more for the purpose of utilitarian protection against the elements and to make himself less conspicuous.

What parental warning would have to be shown on screen if the poem were adapted into an American TV show fully intact?

One features about the St. Nick presentation in this story is notably and significantly different than presentation of Santa Claus which developed over time. “The stump of a pipe he held tight in this teeth” is, in fact, lit and fully operation as the next line describes how the smoke rising from it circling about his head. In fact, many older images of Santa do often show him with a pipe, but as time progresses forward this aspect shows up less often. By the 21st century, it has pretty much disappeared entirely. A warning about tobacco use or smoking would have to be applied and appear on screen in a TV adaptation in accordance with regulations as of 2021 which would be a very strange thing, indeed.