Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales

Author: (Dan) Andersen/H.C. / Zhang Peiwen
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: (Andersen) wrote fairy tales, observing everything through the eyes of a child and writing them with the brush of a poet, thus making them naturally wonderful, worthy of being called myths. Truly, none before him and none after could match his achievement. — Zhou Zuoren
Andersen's fairy tales are both for children and suitable for adults to read, making later children's literature exceptionally rich in themes, creative methods, and techniques. The 19th century was a peak period for the development of Western literature and art. Great masters emerged one after another, with works of enduring value constantly appearing. These masters and these works continue to have a global impact, providing models for literary and artistic creation. Children's literature is no exception. It achieved groundbreaking achievements in the 19th century. One outstanding writer in this field is Hans Christian Andersen (1805–1875). His fairy tales are still beloved by children—and adults—around the world. His name is also widely known. The primary language textbooks in Chinese elementary schools include his works. In other words, every Chinese person with a basic education knows the name of this Danish master.
Andersen's achievement lies in elevating fairy tales to a new height, making them an important literary genre., fairy tales have existed since ancient times, since the time children begin to understand, when grandmothers, mothers, or aunts tell stories to them in their cradles—what we generally call "folk tales." But as serious literary creations, they can be said to have begun with Andersen. Before publishing fairy tales, Andersen was already a writer. He wrote novels, poems, plays, and travelogues, among other things. He gained social recognition in these fields, but at the age of 35, when he began publishing his first fairy tales, he resolved to dedicate his life to writing for children. This may have been related to his own difficult childhood. He was born into a poor urban family and often struggled with hunger, so he had no childhood to speak of. He wanted to write "stories for children to listen to"—this was also the title of his first few fairy tale collections. This title reflects his attitude toward children; he loved them—he saw himself as their friend. But he also believed that when his stories were being "told to children," adults would be listening nearby, so he wanted to "offer something for them to think about." Therefore, his fairy tales were not only to enrich children's spiritual lives but also to inspire adults. This is to say, his fairy tales had a kind of "mission."
In his hands, the genre of fairy tales was raised to the same level as adult literature, even surpassing it. He made full use of the characteristics of fairy tales, giving his works something that is often lacking in adult literature: rich fantasy, innocent and whimsical ideas, and simple humor. But these qualities did not come solely from his subjective imagination; they were rooted in real life. Many of his beloved works, enjoyed by people of all ages, share this characteristic, such as The Nightingale, The Emperor's New Clothes, and The Shepherdess and the Chimney Sweeper, all filled with a strong sense of life. Although the plots may not align perfectly with reality, the impressions they create in readers are convincing, believable, and entertaining, deepening the sense of realism and working subtly on the subconscious.
Taking The Emperor's New Clothes as an example, the emperor—and his courtiers—were foolishly adorable, vainly adorable, and vividly portrayed, making readers feel a sense of realism through their thoughts and actions. Moreover, the entertainment value of this fairy tale far exceeds that of the clowns we see on stage or television screens today. The "emperor" is a typical character in a typical setting, providing great humor and pleasure while also inspiring our thoughts and perspectives. Compared to our reality, rulers like the "emperor" can still be found today, and he remains a deeply meaningful archetype. But even in this clownish character, Andersen shows his love for humanity. Without such love, he likely could not have created this character. He hopes that our human life will become more rational, mature, and cultured. For this purpose, he deliberately portrays such a rare and precious figure—as a negative role model for humanity. In the vast majority of his fairy tales, he expresses his passion for humanity, his respect for human dignity, and his praise for human progress.
For example, in The Little Mermaid, it is a love story with a heavy tragic undertone. We are moved by its touching plot, but it is easy to overlook the love for humanity and the fervent hope Andersen has for humans in this story. The sea princess falls in love with a human prince—in Andersen's imagination, this prince represents all the fine qualities of humanity: beauty, kindness, gentleness, and kindness, with culture sufficient to deserve the title "human." To win his love, she must obtain an important quality that makes her a "human": a soul. The condition for gaining this is that she must win the prince's love for her. To achieve this, she makes the greatest sacrifice: she allows the witch to transform her fish tail into human legs, in exchange for having her tongue cut out—she becomes mute. The prince likes her, but she cannot express her love for him or speak her heart. In the end, he marries a woman he mistakenly believes saved him from drowning at sea—actually, it was the sea princess who saved him. But she cannot speak, so she cannot reveal the truth. On the night of their wedding, the hope of gaining a "soul" is shattered for her. Her only option is to return to her original form and go back to the sea, where she can live happily as a princess for 300 years—as a lower form of life, her lifespan is longer than that of humans, but the condition is that she must sleep on the chest of the groom at the wedding, stab him with a knife, and let his blood splash onto her feet, restoring her fish tail. But when she sees the groom sleeping so happily beside the new bride, she resolutely dives into the sea and turns into foam.