089 - Fear, Shame and Glowing Noses

[captain_slinky]

In the context of the classic Rankin-Bass Christmas Special "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer", Rudolph's father ("Donner") chooses to conceal his son's glowing nose by covering it with some dirt or a weird little sock thing or something - that's not the important part here.

What IS important, is the motivation. Do you think that Donner did this more out of Fear, or Shame? FEAR for how his son would be treated for not conforming to North Pole Societal image standards? Or SHAME that one of Santa's "Main Eight" could have sired a less-than-perfect offspring?

Was it a selfless act of trying to help his son fit in, or a selfish act of protecting his own image?

(THESE are the kinds of arguments that Crystal and I have)

(EDIT: Yes we are aware that it's "A little of both", but which one is the MAIN motivator here?)

Comments

[man-of-snows.livejournal.com]

I think fear for his child and fear of his child.

[aurora77]

I would lean toward his strongest motivation being to help his son rather than himself.

[lynna12000.livejournal.com]

I think Donner was motivated by shame more than anything else. His son wasn't like everyone else; wasn't just like Donner. Donner was protecting his own image.

[colloween.livejournal.com]

I concur.