Within every work of art, there's a piece of the artist. I believe this is because every artist strives to be unique. I mean that I can copy another artist's work, but the work isn't mine. I think that every true artist wants to differentiate their work and to do so requires that the artist make his or her work unique. Since everyone is different, it makes sense to me that Charles Schultz wanted to make his comic strip unique. I believe he consciously personified Charlie Brown's feeling in the Christmas tree that he buys in the Charlie Brown Christmas special.
Here is my reasoning. Charlie Brown seeks medical help from Lucy. As the treating psychiatrist, She recommends directing the Christmas play. To complete the set for the play, Charlie buys a Christmas tree that no one wants. He feels a kinship, a connection to the tree. I believe that Charles Schultz meant the tree to be an extension of Charlie Brown.
Here's some of my reasoning:
1. While Charlie Brown is directing the play, Schroeder plays the piano, and the neighborhood children are laughing, dancing, and singing. Charlie is ignored. When Charlie Brown finds the tree in the lot, that tree stands forgotten and ignored among the flashier trees offered for sale.
2. Charlie buys the tree because he feels sorry for it. Charlie is directing the play because Lucy thinks it will do him good.
3. Charlie sees potential in the tree if only someone would pay attention to it. Charlie has potential too. He's the pitcher for the sandlot baseball team. Other neighborhood children must believe that Charlie has potential to lead.
4. Christmas trees are a symbol of joy. Would anyone really have cut down that tree and think they could sell it? Charlie Brown is drab and shaded a neutral "brown" because he's meant to be boring and ignored. Is it a coincidence that both the tree was chosen for the play and Charlie Brown was directing the play?
The cartoon ends with the real reason there's Christmas - to celebrate the birth of Christ and goodwill to men. The kindness that the other children show Charlie by decorating his tree shows that goodwill towards men (and women) wasn't just words in the play. But, in my opinion, the tree was a metaphor for Charlie Brown's inner ego.
