The Nightmare Before Christmas -- Nostalgia

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The Nightmare Before Christmas...

The character Jack is introduced as a character un-satisfied with his current life. His dissatisfaction becomes apparent in his opening song Jack's Lament:

"And I Jack, the pumpkin king,
Have grown so tired of the same old thing…
Oh, somewhere deep inside of these bones
An emptiness began to grow,
There’s something out there far from my home,
A longing that I’ve never known
....
"But who here would ever understand
That the Pumpkin King with the skeleton grin
Would tire of his crown, if they only understood
He’d give it all up if he only could…
Oh, there’s an empty place in my bones,
That calls out for something unknown
The fame and praise come year after year
Does nothing for these empty tears"

Jack feels that his life is empty and is no longer what he once loved. In this emptiness he is experiencing a type of unappeased yearning, a type of nostalgia. He yearns for his life to feel full like it once did. He, however, doesn't know how to re-gain excitement for his life. And instead of trying to find excitement in his homeland he feels that what he yearns for "something out there far from my home". Jack doesn't' realize during this lament that Sally is listening in. Sally expresses to herself that 'she understands how you [Jack] feels for she feels it too'. Sally's longing though is a longing for Jack and for his happiness to return. Sally too, is a character yearning for a different life. However, she isn't yearning necessarily for a life she once knew, typical of nostalgia, but she is yearning for a life wants to have. However, she is empathetic towards Jack, and yearns for his happiness to return, which is like empathetic nostalgia, not her own nostalgic return.

Jack very quickly gets his wish to take a journey far from home and unexpectedly finds some relief for his pain when he stumbles upon Christmas Town. When in Christmas Town he proclaims:

"Oh, I can’t believe my eyes!
And in my bones I feel the warmth that’s coming from inside
....
"I’ve never felt so good before,
this empty place inside of me is filling up, I simply cannot get enough
I want it, oh, I want it, oh, I want it for my own.
I’ve got to know, I’ve got to know, what is this place that I have found.
WHAT IS THIS?
…Christmas town..? Hmmmm…"

When Jack returns to Halloween Town he suffers an acute case of Nostalgia for Christmas Town. So much so that he strives to re-create Christmas Town in Halloween and then even takes over actual Christmas by trying to be Santa Claus. Jack is driven in his attempt to fill his bones with warmth again. However, taking over Christmas doesn't actually allow him to achieve this. Jack is nostalgic for Christmas Town but ultimately he is nostalgic for his 'old bony self again'. He finally comes to this realization once he crashes back down to reality. He sings:

"But I never intended all this madness,
never,
and nobody really understood,
well, how could they?
That all I ever wanted
was to bring them something great.
Why does nothing ever turn out like it should?
Well, what the heck, I went and did my best.
And by God, I really tasted something swell.
And for a moment, why,
I even touched the sky
and at least I left some stories they can tell,
I did.
And for the first time since I don't remember when
I felt just like my old bony self again.
And I, Jack, the Pumpkin King.
That's right, I am the pumpkin King! Hah! Hah! Hah!
And I just can't wait until next Halloween
'cause I've got some new ideas that will really make them scream
and, by God, I'm really gonna give it all my might!
Uh-oh, I hope there's still time to set things right…."

It is after crashing to the ground that Jack has an internal homecoming or nostos. Jack again feels like his 'old bony self again'. Which is what he wanted all along. He didn't necessarily long for Christmas, but for the warmth of Christmas re-ignited his drive for his old life. After his internal homecoming to self, Jack then experiences a literally homecoming to Halloween Town.

Upon Jack's return to Halloween Town, the citizens also experience a type of homecoming since they realize they have gained the old Jack back and are excited to be returning to their old town ways of Halloween. Sally, in particular is thrilled to see Jack's return and his psychological return of happiness.

Overall, the film explores various types of Nostalgia including internal longing for a former self, longing for a place both other and homeland, and empathetic nostalgia. These are primarily explored by Jack but also by Sally and the other Halloween Town's people.

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