A Christmas Story in Greater Detail

ARKANSAS REPERTORY THEATRE Study Guide, November 2016 Prepared by Robert Neblett TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 3 The Play 4 4 Synopsis 6 Characters About The Authors 7 Historical Context 8 8 Life in America 1938 9 Christmas in America 1938 10 Red Ryder and the Daisy BB Gun Impact of 1983 Film 11 In the Classroom 13 13 Fun Facts and Trivia 14 Activities 15 Questions for Discussion 17 Vocabulary About The Rep 18 NOTE FOR EDUCATORS: Throughout this Study Guide you will find words, names, and phrases in bold type. These items are key terms and phrases to understanding the world and context of A Christmas Story in greater detail. We encourage you to identify these items as vocabulary terms and as suggestions for further research and study among your students, both before and after you attend the performance at The Rep. A master list of multi-disciplinary vocabulary terms and names is included at the end of the Study Guide for easy reference. INTRODUCTION “You’ll shoot your eye out, kid!” Not exactly Tiny Tim’s refrain of “God bless us, everyone!” from Dickens, but nevertheless the constant warnings from the 1983 film A Christmas Story conjure up beloved Christmas memories for millions of people each holiday season. While other characters from any number of Christmas classics seek peace on Earth and good will toward men, all Ralphie Parker wants is a legendary official Red Ryder 200-Shot Carbine Action Range Model Air Rifle with a compass and this thing which tells time built right into the stock. Based on the memoirs of noted radio and television personality Jean “Shep” Shepherd (1921-1999), A Christmas Story depicts the many trials and eventual tribulations of the Parker family as they scramble to piece together the perfect American Christmas in the wake of the Great Depression. Serving as a realistic, sober alternative to the idealism of It’s a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol, and Miracle on 34th Street, Shepherd’s stories are filled with the struggles of the common man to find happiness in the oppressive face of commercialism, pessimism, and plain old-fashioned bad luck, all witnessed through the eyes of a child. But in the end, the Parkers face adversity with joyful hearts and the spirit of Christmas, thankful for the most valuable gift of all – each other. We triple-dog-dare ya to keep a straight face at The Rep’s production of A Christmas Story. 3 SYNOPSIS Act One Ralph Parker, as an adult, begins to reminisce about the holidays he spent as a child in Hohman, Indiana. As he tells his stories, they come to life in front of us. His nine-year-old self, Ralphie, enters with his best friends Flick and Schwartz, and they discuss what they are planning to buy their parents for Christmas. The scene changes to the Parker kitchen, where Ralphie’s mother is making breakfast. His father, known only as The Old Man, enters with the mail, irritated by the neighbors’ dogs. Ralphie is disappointed to learn that his Little Orphan Annie decoder pin has not yet arrived. His mother persuades his little brother Randy to eatby pretending that he is a pig and his oatmeal is in a trough. After battling the furnace in the basement with a few “choice” words, The Old Man sits down with a number of contest entries, hopeful that he will one day win a big prize. As Ralphie fantasizes about the BB gun he wants for Christmas, he imagines that he Little Orphan Annie decoder pin is “Ralphie the Kid” protecting his family from Black Bart and his desperados. When he tells his mother about his desire for the air rifle, her response is short but swift: “You’ll shoot your eye out.” Ralphie and Randy head out to school, only to be ambushed by bully Scut Farkas. At recess, Flick is dared to touch his tongue to a frozen flagpole and it freezes, trapping him there when the school bell rings. Later that night, after buying a Christmas tree, the family car gets a flat tire. As Ralphie helps his father change the tire, he accidentally curses (“the big one”), resulting in getting his mouth washed out with a bar of soap. When asked where he learned “the big one,” he lies and blames Schwartz, whose mother punishes him severely. Ralphie, sore at being punished, then imagines that his family must beg his forgiveness after he has gone blind from “soap poisoning.” The next day at school his teacher, Miss Shields, assigns the class a written theme, Ralphie decides to use this assignment as a way of convincing his parents to buy him his beloved Red Ryder BB gun. That night, The Old Man receives a notice that he has finally won a “major award” in one of the many contests he has entered. When it finally arrives, it is revealed to be a lamp in the shape of a female leg wearing fishnet stockings. The next day, after turning in his theme at school, Ralphie fantasizes that Miss Shields is so overcome by the quality of his paper that he will never have to do any more work for school again. That night, convinced that he is the king of all he surveys, he ventures out with his family to Goldblatt’s department store to deliver his final case for the BB gun to the great man himself: Santa Claus. 4 SYNOPSIS Act Two At Goldblatt’s, Ralphie waits in line to see Santa with Randy and Esther Jane, a girl from school who has a crush on him. Santa’s salty demeanor is so overwhelming that Ralphie forgets what he came to ask for; when he finally blurts out that he wants the Red Ryder air rifle, Santa warns him, “You’ll shoot your eye out.” This sends him into a vortex of despair, fully convinced that this is his punishment for cursing in front of his father. Later that night, he receives his Little Orphan Annie decoder pin, but is disappointed to learn that the secret message that he unscrambles is merely an ad for Ovaltine. At school the next day, Ralphie is shocked to discover that he got a “C+” on his essay. He imagines that Miss Shields is now the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz, in cahoots with his mother to deny him his prize on Christmas morning. On his way home, he is attacked by Scut Farkas, but Ralphie’s growing agitation sends him into a fit of rage. He begins punching the bully wildly and screaming the same nonsensical curse words that plague The Old Man when he can’t contain his anger any more. His mother protects him from his father’s wrath, leading to a new understanding between them. On Christmas Eve, Ralphie is forced to wear the pink bunny suit his Aunt Clara has sent him as a present. The next morning, after opening all of his presents, Ralphie is surprised to discover that his father has indeed bought him a Red Ryder BB gun. He runs outside to test it out and the BB ricochets and knocks his glasses off, convincing him that he has actually “shot his eye out.” He then accidentally steps on his glasses. Ralphie concocts a story about an icicle falling and hitting him, which his parents believe. After the neighbor’s dogs invade the Parker kitchen and devour the Christmas turkey, the family ends up dining at a Chinese restaurant. That night, as Ralphie sleeps safe in his room, adult Ralph reminisces about Christmases past, the perfect gift, and his unconventional yet loving family. Ralphie in the pink bunny suit 5 CHARACTERS In A Christmas Story, the dramatic action takes place in three different settings: the present day, during the 1938 holiday season, and inside of Ralphie’s overactive imagination. Occasionally, as a theatrical device, characters may briefly spill over from one setting to another, such as when characters from Ralphie’s real life become fantasy versions of themselves. RALPH: The adult version of Ralphie, the play’s protagonist, who is the storyteller and narrates the action of the play. RALPHIE PARKER: The play’s 9-year-old hero, still living in the wonder and magic of childhood. He has a very active imagination and often retreats into his fantasy world made up of his favorite characters from radio, comics, and movies. MOTHER: Ralphie’s mother, an optimistic, happy woman, who always looks on the bright side of things, even in the face of adversity and The Old Man’s pessimism. THE OLD MAN: Ralphie’s father, a cantankerous man who has become disillusioned with the world’s unfulfilled promises, yet tries to provide as best as he can for his family; he believes in good luck, just never seems to be on its receiving end, especially regarding his addiction to entering contests; a master of coining alternative profanities. RANDY: Ralphie’s little brother, a notoriously picky eater and a bit of a whiner. MISS SHIELDS: Ralphie’s teacher, a typical Midwestern schoolmarm, strict but sweet. FLICK: Ralphie’s friend and classmate, cursed with bad luck and a weakness for dares. SCHWARTZ: Ralphie’s friend and classmate, the boldest of the three boys. ESTHER JANE ALBERRY: A classmate, has a crush on Ralphie; very confident and a bit of a know-it-all. HELEN WEATHERS: A precocious classmate and Esther Jane’s friend. SCUT FARKAS: A bully and Ralphie’s mortal enemy, the play’s main antagonist; described by Ralphis as having cruelly curled lips over green teeth and yellow eyes.

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