A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote
"A Christmas Memory" is a poignant short story by Truman Capote that reflects on childhood memories and the bittersweet nature of growing up. The narrative centers around an adult narrator, who recalls the last Christmas spent with his beloved cousin, referred to as Buddy. Set in a rural town reminiscent of Monroeville, Alabama, the story captures the essence of family and tradition through the lens of holiday preparations, particularly the annual fruitcake baking ritual.
Buddy and his cousin, together with their dog Queenie, embark on whimsical adventures, from gathering ingredients to delivering fruitcakes to a diverse array of recipients, illustrating the beauty of generosity and connection. Their festivities culminate in joyous kite flying, symbolizing the freedom and innocence of childhood. However, the tale carries an undertone of nostalgia, as it ultimately foreshadows the separation that comes with growing older and the eventual loss of loved ones. The story resonates with themes of memory, love, and the enduring impact of formative experiences, making it a cherished piece in American literature that many readers find relatable and moving.
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A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote
First published: 1956
Type of plot: Domestic realism
Time of work: The 1930's
Locale: Unspecified, but probably Monroeville, Alabama
Principal Characters:
Buddy , the narrator, who recalls a Christmas when he was sevenHis cousin , a woman in her sixties with the spirit of a child
The Story
The adult narrator of this story nostalgically remembers the last Christmas that he enjoyed as a seven-year-old boy with his "sixty-something" cousin, who called him Buddy in memory of a boy who had once been her best friend. Buddy lives with this cousin and other relatives in a spreading old house in a country town (which probably represents Monroeville, Alabama, where Truman Capote lived with his four unmarried adult cousins until he was about ten).
As they have done each year, Buddy and his favorite cousin inaugurate this Christmas season with a late November fruitcake baking, which entails gathering wind-fallen pecans and a visit to the dilapidated shack of Mr. Haha Jones to buy whiskey. They finance this operation with money that they have accumulated through the year in their Fruitcake Fund. After four days of baking, their fruitcakes are ready for delivery to friends—"persons we've met maybe once, perhaps not at all," who include President Roosevelt and the bus driver Abner Packer.
At this particular Christmas, the delivery of the fruitcakes is followed by a celebratory sharing of the last two inches of whiskey in the bottle used for the fruitcakes. Buddy, his cousin, and her dog Queenie all get slightly tipsy, moving two other relatives to scold Buddy's cousin for corrupting a child. The next morning's adventure heals all, however, as Buddy and his cousin search deep into the woods for their Christmas decorations. They gather wreaths, chop down a tree, laboriously drag everything home, and dress the tree with homemade decorations. They then wrap gifts, secretly making one another kites. On Christmas morning they wake early and make enough noise to rouse the others. After the presents are opened, Buddy and his cousin go to the pasture below the house to fly their new kites.
This is the last Christmas they spend together. The next year, Buddy is sent to a military school and then to a new home. Years later he receives news that his cousin has died—an event that he feels intuitively before the news arrives. As he grows older and feels winter coming on, he often thinks of "a lost pair of kites hurrying toward heaven."
Bibliography
Bloom, Harold, ed. Truman Capote. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 2003.
Brinnin, John Malcolm. Truman Capote: Dear Heart, Old Buddy. Rev. ed. New York: Delacorte Press, 1986.
Clarke, Gerald. Capote: A Biography. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1988.
Dunphy, Jack."Dear Genius": A Memoir of My Life with Truman Capote. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1989.
Garson, Helen S. Truman Capote: A Study of the Short Fiction. New York: Twayne, 1992.
Plimpton, George. Truman Capote: In Which Various Friends, Enemies, Acquaintances, and Detractors Recall His Turbulent Career. New York: Doubleday, 1997.
Rudisill, Marie. The Southern Haunting of Truman Capote. Nashville, Tenn.: Cumberland House, 2000.
Windham, Donald. Lost Friendships: A Memoir of Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, and Others. New York: William Morrow, 1987.