Grace Weed
Dr. McClinton-Temple
Advanced Writing
November 30, 2016
Jack Skellington
Jack Skellington is the main character of the Disney movie
Jack Skellington
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993). He is mainly
voiced by Chris Sarandon, but also by Danny Elfman while
singing1. Also known as the Pumpkin King, Jack is in
charge of all things spooky for Halloween in Halloween
Town. He is often accompanied by his ghost dog, Zero, to
whom he confides in about his worries in the beginning
of the film. Although he is adored by many, Sally, a rag
doll whose goal is to help Jack in every way possible, is in
love with him. However, Jack does not realize this or the
love he has for her as well, until the end of the film. Even
Creator: Tim Burton
First Appearance: The Nightmare Before
Christmas
Voiced By: Chris Sarandon, Danny Elfman
though Jack is seen as a hero for being the scariest of
them all in his town, he can’t help but feel like he needs something different in his life.
Character Role:
When Jack finds himself in Christmas Town, he realizes that the joy and spirit that lives within the
holiday of Christmas is the change he wants. He decides to interfere and have Santa Claus kidnapped
so he can take his place on Christmas Eve. Jack asks for Sally’s help with orchestrating his new holiday,
and she accepts against her better judgement. In preparation for this event, Jack has his creepy goons
of Halloween Town act as elves by making the toys for him to deliver. On Christmas Eve, Jack dawns a
custom made Santa suit and rides off into the night on his sleigh pulled by skeleton reindeer. While
Jack thought he was doing an excellent job, it turned out that the toys made by his elves were
terrorizing the kids to whom he delivered. This resulted in the National Guard trying to shoot down
Jack and his sleigh from the sky. Jack then realizes that he is not cut out to be Santa and returns home
to Halloween Town to reappoint Santa Claus to his rightful position. However, he finds out that Sally
has already tried to save the holiday by attempting to release Santa from the Oogie Boogie’s keeping,
which only resulted in her being held captive as well. Jack successfully rescues them both. In this
moment, he not only saves Christmas, but also realizes that he is in love with Sally.
Jack’s Presence in Today’s Culture:
The love story of Jack and Sally is known worldwide and is referred to in multiple popular songs,
including “I Miss You” by Blink 182. The Nightmare Before Christmas has given Jack much fame. His
face is now seen on many different items such as bags, wallets, clothing, birthday cakes, etc. Jack’s
famous appearance of a black and white pin stripped suit is now a popular outfit for fans to mimic on
Halloween, and is usually paired with a costume of Sally as well. Jack also has a presence in today’s
culture in a controversial way. In 2014, the way Jack went about taking Christmas and making it his
own was looked down upon for his lack of incorporating Jesus 2. It was classified as an issue with
cultural appropriation, and was crucified by the public alongside of the inappropriate doings of Miley
Cyrus and other famous singers.
References:
1. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107688/ Retrieved November 27, 2016.
2. DeVito, Lee (December 17, 2014). “’The Nightmare Before Christmas’ – Tim Burton’s Lesson of
Cultural Appropriation Gone Awry”. Detroit MetroTimes. Retrieved November 30, 2016.