Andersen's Fairy Tales ()

Author: (Dan) Hans Christian Andersen
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: (Hans Christian Andersen) wrote fairy tales, observing everything through the eyes of a child and writing them with the pen of a poet, thus making them naturally wonderful, worthy of being called myths. Truly, there was none before him and none after him. — Zhou Zuoren
Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales are both written for children and suitable for adults to read, making later children's literature exceptionally rich and diverse 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 influence today, 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 worldwide—as well as adults. His name is naturally well-known. The primary language textbooks in Chinese elementary schools all include his works. In other words, any Chinese person with a basic education does not know the name of this Danish master.
An 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 things. Grandmothers, mothers, or aunts telling stories to babies by the cradle are fairy tales—we generally call them "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 first gained social recognition in these fields, but at the age of 35, when he published his first fairy tale collection, 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 represents 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 also be listening, so he wanted to "offer something for them to think about." Therefore, his fairy tales were not only meant to enrich children's spiritual lives but also to inspire adults. That is to say, his fairy tales had a kind of "mission."
In his hands, the literary 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 imagination, 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 brimming with a strong sense of life. Although the plots may not perfectly match real life, 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 charming, vainly charming, 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 laughter 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 profoundly meaningful archetype. But even in this comical character, Andersen shows his love for humanity. Without such love, he probably could not have created this character. He hopes that our human life will become more rational, mature, and cultured. For this reason, he deliberately portrays such a rare and precious image—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 underwater 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 worthy of 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 the woman he mistakenly believes saved him from drowning at sea—actually, it was the sea princess who saved him. But she has no ability to 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 newlywed prince and stab him with a knife, letting his blood splash onto her feet, so that her legs can return to their fish tail form. But when she sees the prince sleeping so happily beside the new bride, she resolutely dives into the sea and turns into foam.