Christmas Season
The story starts with a lot of commotion at the airport which indicates the onset of the Christmas season. From the description of crowded places and the decorations all over shopping areas, the readers get an idea of what the Christmas season looked like. A lot of people were traveling to their various Christmas destinations. “Nearby a skinny black Santa Claus clanged an irksome bell and droned out holiday greetings.” The presence of Santa also accelerated the Christmas mood. Christmas carols were played in most stores and Christmas trees with balloons and thousands of multicolored lights were aligned in every place. The greetings changed from good mornings to merry Christmas the entire season. All this gives a glimpse of what the Christmas season looked like in Hemlock.
The Suburbia
The imagery of competition within the neighborhood with each wanting to be recognized as the wealthiest or with a lot of resources is portrayed. This competition is vividly seen through Luther and Walt with the latter trying so hard to copy the lifestyle the former was living. This kind of behavior is common in the suburbs and this was not any different. “…regardless of what he earned Scheel and the missus expected their neighbors to think they had a lot more. Luther bought a Lexus, and Scheel had to have one. Bellington put in a pool, Scheel suddenly needed to swim in his own backyard, doctor’s orders. Sue Kropp on the west end outfitted her kitchen with designer appliances-$8,000 was the rumor-and Bev Scheel spent $9,000 six months later.” Scheel and Bev were always trying to compete and outdo whoever they felt was doing better than them.
Christmas Tradition in Hemlock
There was a Christmas tradition that was specific in the Hemlock neighborhood with each neighbor trying to decorate better than the other. There was a reward for whoever did the best decoration and so everybody put in their best efforts in the decorations. The tradition was mandatory and anyone who did not want to participate was harassed by the others as seen when Vic mobilized people to torment him. “…Christmas-$6,100! -$6,100 on decorations, lights, flowers, a new Frosty, and a Canadian spruce; $6,100 on hams, turkeys, pecans, cheese balls, and cookies no one ate” This is an image of some of the things that Christmas package entailed for each family. It was a time of spending and tipping as well as seen in the Chips’ store “It was the tipping season, yet another unseemly aspect of Christmas.” They would also put up a snowball named Frosty on each of their roofs to signify Christmas. There would be cooking at least in one of the homes and they would gather to eat together, especially in Luther and Nora’s home.
Neighborliness
The imagery of neighborliness is seen from the efforts each neighbor put in to make Blair’s homecoming party a success. The family had decided not to host Christmas that year until Blaire announced her coming and that changed everything. It was a last-minute call and most of the Christmas decorations were sold out yet the neighbors each pitched in where they could to make it a success. Wes gave him a Christmas tree as all had been sold out in the stores. “Who has a turkey?’ Frohmeyer asked. ‘We have two,’ said Jude Becker. ‘Both in the oven.’ ‘Great,’ said Frohmeyer. ‘Cliff, you take a team down to Brixley’s and get his Frosty. Get some lights too,we’ll string ‘em along Luther’s boxwoods here. Everybody go home, change clothes, grab whatever extra food you can find, and meet back here in a half hour.” Everyone chipped in within that short period and when Blair got home everything was perfect. Neighborliness is also shown through the action of Luther giving the Bahamas tickets to Walt and his wife, putting their issues aside. They showed neighborliness to one another when in need which was a very good habit.
