1. Plot
   1. Introduction
      1. The introduction starts when the narrator introduces the setting, and remarks about a past-event, which was: Halloween. During this time, the narrator introduces several characters.
   2. Starting Incident
      1. The starting incident begins when the narrator says, "I am troubled myself about the nature of Santa Claus and I am trying to hang on to him in any way that I can". Some more information is given about the characters. An important quote during this time is when the mother talks to the neighbours and says, "I practically had to tell her". This quote was about Anne, and unfortunately, the narrator overheard this, which sparked his suspicion of Santa Claus.
   3. Rising Action
      1. Rising Action is when the story goes on about the oldest brother, Neil, and his return to home. "The days go on by in the fevered slowness until finally on the morning of December 23 the strange car rolls into your yard". Afterwards, Neil spends time with his siblings and takes them outside to enjoy the snow. The rising action ends when the father says, "We would like you to stay up with us a while".
   4. Climax
      1. The climax is where all the tension from the story finally hits its max, and an outcome is shown. This starts when the narrator sees boxes filled with gifts bearing the tags of Santa Claus. He realizes that his presents no longer say, "from Santa Claus". The narrator shows that he was expecting this, but could not deal with the emotional stress behind it. "It is as if I have suddenly moved into another room and heard a door click lastingly behind me. I am jabbed by my own small wound", he described this experience as.
   5. Falling Action
      1. "But then I look at those before me. I look at my parents drawn together before the Christmas tree. My mother has her hand upon my father's shoulder and he is holding his ever-present handkerchief. I look at my sisters, who have crossed this threshold ahead of me and now each day journey farther from the lives they knew as girls. I look at my magic older brother who has come to us this Christmas from half a continent away, bringing everything has and is. All of them are captured in the tableau of their care". With his family, each of them, gradually going from childhood to adulthood, all together with him, to support him when it is his turn as well.
   6. Conclusion
      1. "Every man moves on," says the father. The narrator knows that he is speaking of Santa Claus. "But there is not need to grieve. He leaves good things behind". This line is very significant towards the conclusion of the story. The father says that the narrator, the young boy, should not grieve about this loss, but instead, be glad, that this experience has left something greater behind.
2. Conflict
   1. Childhood to Adulthood
      1. This type of conflict is Person vs. Self. It is about the protagonist (narrator) and himself. The narrator was struggling with the belief of Santa Claus in this short story. This type of conflict was not directly stated, but the reader could infer that this was the main conflict as it is talked about throughout the story. During the final paragraph of the story, this conflict is resolved when the dad talked about always believing in Christmas spirit.
   2. Whole Family for Christmas Eve
      1. This type of conflict is Person vs. Nature. In the beginning of the story, the family is waiting for Neil, the oldest son in the family, to return home from southern Ontario. The family was very worried that Neil may be unable to come home due to a severe snowstorm, but luckily, he is able to come home safely and on time. The reason why this conflict is Person vs. Nature is because nature, the snowstorm, is stopping Neil from coming home.
   3. Father's illness
      1. This type of conflict is Person vs. Fate/Self. The father in the story is portrayed with an illness. ""Hello, Neil," they say. "How is your father?" "Oh," he says, just "Oh."" Through the context, the reader can assume that this many be the father's final christmas.
3. Characters
   1. Narrator
      1. The narrator is a grown up man, who is telling the reader about his past experience. The story is told as his eleven year-old self.
   2. Neil
      1. Neil is the oldest of all the siblings. He is nineteen and employed on the "lake boats". The narrator looks up to Neil and enjoys having him around. Neil is portrayed to the only member of the family that lives outside the house/farm environment.
   3. Father
      1. The father plays a big role towards the narrator. He helps the narrator with his troubles from childhood to adulthood. In the story he is currently very ill, and due to this, it adds more suspense to the whole story. One important quote that the father says is, "every man moves on". This line is significant to the story and the narrator. This helps the narrator with his step towards adulthood.
4. Narration
   1. This story is narrated in first person, from an innocent eye point of view. The narrator is grown up, but is telling this story as a past-experience, and thus, from when the narrator was a child. This is told to the reader in the prologue, "I am speaking here of a time when I was eleven".
5. Theme
   1. Growing Up
      1. The theme is about growing up. The narrator, an eleven year-old boy, is taking a step towards adulthood by learning that Santa Claus is not real. With the help of his family, he is able to overcome this transition smoothly.
6. Mood
   1. Nostalgic
      1. The mood of this short story is rather nostalgic. The narrator, telling this past experience, makes it seem that he misses the days of his youth.
7. Symbolism
   1. The cartons
      1. "The cartons hear the lettering of Canada Streamship Lines, and are bound with rope knotted intricately in the fashion of sailors. My mother says they contain his "clothes" and we are not allowed to open them." The cartons are actually the christmas presents. The reason for this is because many of the children still believe in Santa Claus; this symbolism was a way to prevent the kids from finding out that Santa Claus does not exist.
8. Literary Devices
   1. Methaphors
      1. "The snow fell between us and the doors was transformed in shimmering gold beams".
         1. This metaphor shows how they were going door to door, when they found a door open it was as light as "shimmering gold beams".
      2. "I am trying to hang on to him any way that I can... I have hoped in all possibilities as fiercely as I can; much in the same way, I think, that the drowning man waves desperately to the lights of a passing ship on the high sea's darkness."
         1. This is an important metaphor as it emphasizes the pain the narrator is going through during his transition from childhood to adulthood. He is trying to hold onto his belief in Santa, just like the drowning man.
   2. Similes
      1. "We moved like muffled mummers, upon the darkened country roads."
         1. They are comparing their movement to muffled mummers.
      2. "The clothes my mother hangs on the line are frozen almost instantly and sway and creak from their suspending clothespins like sections of dismantled robots."
         1. They are comparing the swaying and creaking of the frozen clothes to a section of dismantled robots.
   3. Imagery
      1. Using the information given throughout the story, the reader can imagine a large family home. This home is in the country, because they have a farm. Through the relationships, the reader can infer that it is a very friendly home, where everyone cares and loves for each other. The setting is during the winter time, so it is cold, and the outside is covered with snow.