1939 by Robert L. May Rudolph Story

1939 by Robert L. May, Rudolph Story

Rudolph, an American Folk Hero

The story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is an excellent example of taking a classic folk story theme and giving it new vitality by infusing the hero with distinctly American values and ideals. The combination of the classic theme and the American hero combined to make Rudolph's story an indispensable part of the Christmas holiday season for millions of people for the past 50 years. In fact, it seems as if Rudolph has always been a part of Christmas, but in reality he was only created 65 years ago. Because Rudolph has become such a celebrated part of America's Christmas tradition in such a relatively short amount of time, the study of the story of Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer is essential in any course examining the development of the fable or tale.

What is it about misfit stories that resonate with people? Perhaps it is because, in one way or another, all people are misfits. Misfit stories, whether the hero of the tale ends up leaving a hostile group to find happiness with a better group or rescuing those same people that previously belittled him, help reassure people of the value of individual difference. Misfit stories present the idea that each person, no matter how marginalized, will be accepted and valued for who they are without ever having to compromise their individuality.

On a basic level, Rudolph's story is the story of a misfit. Rudolph is different from all of the other reindeer. Rudolph's father attempts to hide Rudolph's differences, which only serves to make Rudolph feel even more alienated from the group. However, Rudolph's differences are so glaringly obvious that they cannot be hidden. The idea of such a flaw is present in all misfit tales, perhaps because each person perceives their own flaws as glaringly obvious.

What separates Rudolph from the tales that came before it, and keeps it from being a tired rehashing of the classic ugly-duckling story, is that Rudolph is not content to merely seek out acceptance from another group. Rudolph immediately finds a friend in fellow-misfit Herbie, and instead of striking out on his own like the ugly ducklings before him, Rudolph and his friend strike out to find an entire island of misfits. Furthermore, instead of just being accepted by a group of misfits, Rudolph works to make sure that the misfit toys are accepted by children and that they lose their marginalized status. This reflects the American folklore history of outsider as hero. Where other societies and groups may have the best examples of their societies as their folk heroes, such as a beautiful swan in the classic ugly ducking tale, American folk heroes are celebrated because of their differences.

In addition, the story of Rudolph encompasses the American pioneer spirit. One of the central characters is a Yukon explorer, who aids the hero and his sidekick on their quest. Furthermore, unlike many folk tales that end with the death of the monstrous antagonist, Rudolph and Herbie transform the Abominable Snowman from a terrifying threat to a docile pet-like creature. American folk heroes, such as Pecos Pete and Paul Bunyan, go up against nature and rather than conquering it, transform nature from an enemy into an ally.