Peanuts by Charles Schultz has depicted the trials and tribulations of childhood for 73 years. As a child, I related to Charlie Brown’s feelings of failure and not fitting in, but not giving up despite it. I always made sure to read Peanuts whenever we got the Sunday comics, and I watched all the holiday specials whenever they came on TV. However, would it surprise you to know that the Peanuts have also done a special on cancer? Given how lighthearted the Peanuts specials seem, it seems a bit unexpected that they would do a special on cancer, but when you consider how they portray the struggles children go through so well, it’s really not. Why, Charlie Brown, Why? does a good job of showing cancer through a child’s point of view, and really hits you in the feels.
In the special, Linus has befriended a new girl named Janice, who he has a bit of a crush on, and they love to play on the swings together. As they get on the bus, Janice bumps her arm on the railing by accident, bruising it. Linus notes that Janice has been bruising easily lately, after she shows him all the bruises she has gotten lately, and she says she never used to. Once they get to school, Janice starts feeling feverish and tired, and has to go to the nurse. She finds out that she has a fever of 102, and has to go home. Three days later, Janice is still not back, and no one has heard from her. Then, in class, Linus and Charlie Brown find out she is in the hospital.
Feeling concerned for their friend, Linus and Charlie Brown decide to visit Janice in the hospital to check up on her and make sure she’s alright. At the hospital, Janice tells them that she doesn’t just have a fever, she has cancer, more specifically leukemia. Charlie Brown bluntly asks if she’s going to die, which does seem a little callous, but in a situation like this, he’s probably so worried and in shock that he didn’t stop to think about how that might come across. Linus scolds him for saying that, but Janice says she asked the doctors the same thing, and the doctors told her they can treat leukemia now, so she should get well. Linus incredulously asks how they can just tell her she has cancer and maybe they’re wrong. Janice explains to them, in detail, all the tests she had to go through, like a blood test, bone marrow test, X-rays, and chemotherapy. Despite her cancer, Janice resolves to get better, go back to school, and swing on the swings. Linus says if she does he’ll push her on the swings forever, and they hug. On the way back, a despairing Linus can’t help but ask his friend “Why, Charlie Brown, Why?” then walk away, crying.
I like this special because it shows kids what would happen if they had a friend or a relative battling cancer. Kids in that situation might have the same questions and thoughts as Charlie Brown and Linus do. “Are you gonna die?” “Are the doctors sure?” “Maybe they’re wrong!” The special shows them that it’s normal and okay to have those feelings and answers their questions. It shows them how the doctors know how their friend/relative would have leukemia and the types of treatments they would be undergoing. But most importantly, it shows that it’s normal to be scared and angry when someone you love so much gets sick and that it’s normal to ask, “Why? Why did this have to happen?” When someone you love gets so seriously ill, it feels so senseless and absurd, like why did it have to happen to them of all people? There is no rhyme or reason for cancer, and that is a tough pill to swallow. Even adults can’t answer why.
When Linus gets home, Lucy asks where he was. Linus explains he was visiting Janice in the hospital, and that she has leukemia. Since this is Lucy we’re talking about here, she just insensitively asks him to get her a glass of milk. While getting her the milk, Linus can’t help but reflect on the day Janice wasn’t feeling well in class, and how he touched her forehead and felt how warm she was. “You touched her?” Lucy asks, horrified. “And now you’re handing me a glass of milk? You could catch leukemia from her and give it to me!” Linus tries to explain to Lucy that cancer isn’t contagious like normal diseases are. Lucy responds that Janice probably got it because she’s a “creepy kid.” Linus, who is getting fed up with Lucy’s BS, responds that Janice didn’t get cancer because of anything she did wrong. It just happened. Lucy tells Linus to take back the milk, to which Linus epically roasts her by saying, “No thank you, I don’t want to catch your crabbiness.”
Their conversation is enlightening because it clears up a couple of misconceptions that kids who may have relatives with cancer may have. No, cancer is not contagious, and no, you don’t get it because of anything you did (or didn’t) do. Like Linus says, it just happens. It happens to the good and the bad, you cannot control it. Which is always a scary thought, it’s distressing to think that you can’t stop bad things from happening to the people you love. But this scene also demonstrates something else: unfortunately, when someone you love is sick, sometimes you’ll have to deal with people who are uninformed and insensitive to what your loved one is going through, and don’t really care to try and understand. You just have to realize that that’s what they are, and to not take it personally.
Time passes, and now it’s winter. Janice is finally able to join Linus and Charlie Brown in going to school and riding the bus, though due to chemotherapy, poor Janice has unfortunately lost her hair and has to wear a cap. Although she’s upset she lost her hair, she says that she’s feeling pretty good, and that the doctor says she’s doing great. When they get to school, Linus shows Janice that unfortunately the swings have been taken down for the winter, but promises to give her a good ride on the swings when they get put back up in the spring. Unfortunately, the cap Janice is wearing attracts the attention of a bully, who starts making fun of her cap, and once he flicks it off, her bald head. Linus absolutely GOES OFF on this blockhead (as he should!). He gets all up in the bully’s face and chews this kid out, furiously explaining Janice’s cancer. “Does that make you happy?” Linus yells. “Would you like to go through what she’s gone through? Think about it! Or don’t you think about anything?” Fortunately the kid apologizes after that and compliments her cap.
I can’t help but feel sorry for Janice here. Poor Janice was probably looking forward to finally being out of the hospital for a bit, going back to school, being with her friends, and doing normal kid stuff, and here this bully comes and starts ripping into her appearance due to her leukemia. She was probably feeling a bit self-conscious about her appearance already, and to have someone make fun of her baldness must have ruined a day she was looking forward to, and made her even more insecure about how she looks. Of all the scenes in the special, this one is the one that hits me the most in the feels. Also, you know someone must have done something bad if Linus is losing his shit, he’s usually one of the more level-headed characters.
Some more time passes, and now it’s Christmas! Linus goes to Janice’s house to give her a Christmas present, but one of her sisters (I’ll call her Eliza) answers instead. Eliza tells him Janice is at the hospital, but will be back tomorrow. Janice’s other sister (I’ll call her Mia) overhears and asks what’s going on. Eliza tells Mia Linus brought a present for Janice. “Another present?” Mia says annoyed. She complains that everyone brings Janice presents, and that “she gets more presents than the two of us combined!” Mia complains that they have to be careful not to get sick around her, and that “She’s become a real nuisance!” Linus asks her if she really means that, and she says she guesses not, it’s just that they both feel a little left out since Janice got sick. Linus gives Mia the present to give to Janice and leaves. Her sisters go to place Linus’s present on top of the ever-growing heap of presents surrounding the Christmas tree. “She sure does get a lot of presents though,” Mia remarks. Eliza says that maybe that’s how people show that they hope she gets well.
I think this part of the special is important because I feel that this is a real reaction a lot of kids in Janice’s sisters’ shoes have, and it is important to represent that. Even though they know that their sister does need extra attention due to being sick, it’s still hard not to feel neglected and overshadowed by her getting extra attention and gifts from everybody, and with the extra responsibilities they have due to her being sick. It’s a lot for a kid to handle. However, their reaction doesn’t mean that they don’t love her, they’re just really stressed and trying to work through their hard feelings. It’s not easy to have someone you love in the hospital, and it’s normal to snap and let it out, as evidenced by them and Linus snapping at the bully. However, it’s important that they don’t take it out on Janice, she didn’t choose to be sick.
The snow melts, and now it’s spring! Janice once again joins Linus and crew at the bus stop and says she’s feeling much better. Linus excitedly tells her that the swings were put back up and that he’s glad she’s back. Charlie Brown says he’s sad seeing her empty desk when she’s gone. When they get to school, Linus shows her that the swings are up, and Janice says she has a surprise for Linus. While Linus is pushing Janice, her cap falls off, and she has a full head of blonde hair again, signifying she has recovered.
In my opinion, this special deserves a lot more love and attention than it gets. It seems as though this is one of the more forgotten Peanuts specials, which is a shame because it does a really good job at teaching kids about cancer, and how people may react to it. It is tough to see a loved one suffering with cancer, and it can be comforting to have a source to answer your questions and validate your feelings. For that reason, it deserves more recognition.