Hans Christian Andersen’s Life Reflected in His Short Stories
By reading and relating to the experiences of Andersen’s past, we, the readers, can positively declare that through the use of children’s characters, the author depicts his past experiences, including sorrow, pain, and derision in his short stories. Perhaps the predominant portion of his stories is based on his imagination; however, the author definitely engraved some of his life images into the characteristics of the children in his works. By looking at “The Ugly Duckling,” “The Story of a Mother,” “The Little Mermaid,” and “The Little Match Girl,” we can see the reflection of Andersen’s life in these stories.
The Innocence of Childhood in Andersen’s Stories
Understanding his biographical analysis, we may proclaim that the most significant elements in Andersen’s stories are the pureness and the innocence of the souls of the children. The children in his stories aren’t aware of the real world; all they know is the goodness and pureness in their surroundings, and this also involves the parents who shade the darkness and evil so their children wouldn’t see them.
“The Ugly Duckling”: A Reflection of Andersen’s Struggles
A vivid example of his life reflections is “The Ugly Duckling.” From his biography, we know that Andersen was not accepted and welcomed anywhere he went. He was called names, ostracized from different groups, bullied, etc. The same happens in “The Ugly Duckling,” where we can encounter the same elements. In fact, from a personal perspective, this short story has the same chronological plot structure as Andersen’s life. First, he is not accepted, then bullied, and then becomes the finest of all. And by this work, the author spreads awareness to those children who find themselves in the same position and grants them hope that sooner or later, they will be better than anyone else.
Family Relationships: “The Little Match Girl” & “The Story of a Mother”
Another example is “The Little Match Girl,” who had only her grandmother that would love and support her, who would never raise a hand on her or insult her. Similarly, Andersen’s grandmother was one of his loved and favorite persons who believed in him, supported, and loved him until she passed away. Accordingly, “The Story of a Mother” roused emotional and sensitive feelings in me as a reader. In this story, the author is grateful for what his mother has done for him. Even if he is apart from her, he cannot forget the goodness and the love he received from her, the sacrifices she has gone through just for her children.
“The Little Mermaid”: Unrequited Love and Loss
In terms of analyzing “The Little Mermaid,” to some extent, this story contains more personal biographical details than the other short stories. Andersen wrote this magnificent work when his best friend, Edvard Collin, was getting married. For some obvious reasons, the author had strong feelings towards his friend that were not mutual. Being heartbroken, Andersen composed this intimate and sensitive masterpiece that even reached Hollywood. In this work, we can see that the mermaid’s loved one marries another woman, which hurts her deep in her heart, knowing that her loved one gave his heart to another woman.
Conclusion: Andersen’s Legacy
All these works have proven to reflect Andersen’s childhood, as well as his adulthood. We can observe the predominant elements in these stories, such as innocence, pureness, and unawareness of evil and bad. We also notice the contribution of good parents in “The Ugly Duckling” and “The Little Mermaid” and bad parents in “The Little Match Girl” over their children’s lives, where some sacrifice their lives and some become the reason for the misfortune that their children had. Andersen’s purpose was to write these stories to escape reality and be engraved in his readers’ hearts as a person who dedicated his life to educating others.