Truman Capotes story A Christmas Memory, is about Capotes childhood memory of a particular holiday season and how he enjoyed that moment in time with a special friend. Capote is illustrated by the main character, Buddy. Buddy and his distant cousin have a bonding friendship and tell of their exploits during that Christmas. They pick out a very special Christmas tree, make each other presents, and make fruitcakes. Capote was born in New Orleans as the son of a salesman and a 16-year-old beauty queen. His father worked as a clerk for a steamboat company. He never stayed with any job for long, and was always leaving home in search of new opportunities. This put a strain on his parents marriage, which eventually led to divorce when he was four. Young Capote was brought up in Monroeville, Alabama. The story is also set in Monroeville. He lived some years with relatives, one of which is his cousin who became the model for several of his novels, stories, and plays. When his mother married again to a rich businessman, Capote moved to New York, and adopted his stepfather's surname. The story starts in a kitchen in a rural community in the Deep South, during the Depression in the 1930s. The main characters through out the story are Buddy and his cousin. They are characterized indirectly and directly and are both stationary characters because they really do not change from the beginning to the end of the story. The story is written in the first person narrative. The narrator is a little boy talking about his own life. An example that exemplifies the first person narrative is "the person to whom she is speaking is myself. I am seven; she is sixty-something. We are each others best friend"(Capote). During the story, Buddy and his cousin, prepare for the Christmas holiday. The setting and tone play a great role in defining the story. The characters are from a poor socioeconomic background, but they are still able to find the Chri...
