One Christmas
Encyclopedia
"One Christmas" is an autobiographical short story by Truman Capote
, portions of which were originally published in a 1982 issue of the Ladies’ Home Journal magazine. It was shortly thereafter published in 1983 as a book by Random House, Inc. The story is an emotional childhood tale about the nature of deception and alcoholism. It is Capote’s last short story and a sequel to The Thanksgiving Visitor
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by a young Truman Capote, called Buddy, who lives in Alabama with his older cousins. One Christmas he is sent to spend the holiday in New Orleans with his seldom-seen father, who has temporary custody of him. Despite being set in The Great Depression
Buddy’s father, a playboy, impresses him with many flashy possessions. Buddy misses his family in Alabama but, out of politeness, pretends to be impressed by his father’s attentions. On Christmas Eve, his father hosts a moonshine party, attended mostly by older women. Truman realizes his father is a gigolo. He also has his doubts about the true nature of Santa Claus
and his suspicions are confirmed when he sees his inebriated father putting presents from Santa under the Christmas tree. On Christmas morning, he presses his father for an additional present, an expensive model airplane. Buddy’s father buys it for him, hoping to secure Buddy’s affections, but this does not work. He is heartbroken to see Buddy leave for Alabama. Back in Alabama, Buddy’s cousins help him rationalize the true existence of Santa Claus again.
Gerald Clarke notes the story has a tired quality, reflecting Capote’s own unshakable fatigue at the time he wrote it in the early 1980s.
, Henry Winkler
, T.J. Lowther
and Julie Harris
.
Truman Capote
Truman Streckfus Persons , known as Truman Capote , was an American author, many of whose short stories, novels, plays, and nonfiction are recognized literary classics, including the novella Breakfast at Tiffany's and the true crime novel In Cold Blood , which he labeled a "nonfiction novel." At...
, portions of which were originally published in a 1982 issue of the Ladies’ Home Journal magazine. It was shortly thereafter published in 1983 as a book by Random House, Inc. The story is an emotional childhood tale about the nature of deception and alcoholism. It is Capote’s last short story and a sequel to The Thanksgiving Visitor
The Thanksgiving Visitor
"The Thanksgiving Visitor" is a short story by Truman Capote originally published in the November 1967 issue of McCall's magazine, and later published as a book by Random House, Inc. in 1968. The story takes the form of a childhood tale about a boy and his bully problem. The story has a strong...
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Plot summary
The story is narratedNarrator
A narrator is, within any story , the fictional or non-fictional, personal or impersonal entity who tells the story to the audience. When the narrator is also a character within the story, he or she is sometimes known as the viewpoint character. The narrator is one of three entities responsible for...
by a young Truman Capote, called Buddy, who lives in Alabama with his older cousins. One Christmas he is sent to spend the holiday in New Orleans with his seldom-seen father, who has temporary custody of him. Despite being set in The Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
Buddy’s father, a playboy, impresses him with many flashy possessions. Buddy misses his family in Alabama but, out of politeness, pretends to be impressed by his father’s attentions. On Christmas Eve, his father hosts a moonshine party, attended mostly by older women. Truman realizes his father is a gigolo. He also has his doubts about the true nature of Santa Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
and his suspicions are confirmed when he sees his inebriated father putting presents from Santa under the Christmas tree. On Christmas morning, he presses his father for an additional present, an expensive model airplane. Buddy’s father buys it for him, hoping to secure Buddy’s affections, but this does not work. He is heartbroken to see Buddy leave for Alabama. Back in Alabama, Buddy’s cousins help him rationalize the true existence of Santa Claus again.
Reception and critical analysis
"One Christmas" has been noted as an example of a "nostalgic writer perhaps guilty of romanticizing the past."Gerald Clarke notes the story has a tired quality, reflecting Capote’s own unshakable fatigue at the time he wrote it in the early 1980s.
Adaptations
"One Christmas" was adapted for television and aired in 1994, starring Katharine HepburnKatharine Hepburn
Katharine Houghton Hepburn was an American actress of film, stage, and television. In a career that spanned 62 years as a leading lady, she was best known for playing strong-willed, sophisticated women in both dramas and comedies...
, Henry Winkler
Henry Winkler
Henry Franklin Winkler, OBE is an American actor, director, producer, and author.Winkler is best known for his role as Fonzie on the 1970s American sitcom Happy Days...
, T.J. Lowther
T.J. Lowther
T.J. Lowther is an American actor. He started as a child star, appearing in Neon City in 1991 at the age of 5. In 1993, he appeared in his most famous role, as Philip Perry in Clint Eastwood's film A Perfect World, alongside Kevin Costner, for which he received significant praise...
and Julie Harris
Julie Harris
Julia Ann "Julie" Harris is an American stage, screen, and television actress. She has won five Tony Awards, three Emmy Awards and a Grammy Award, and was nominated for an Academy Award. In 1994, she was awarded the National Medal of Arts. She is a member of the American Theatre Hall of Fame...
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