Chinese New Curriculum Standard Required Reading: Andersen's Fairy Tales

Author: (Dan) Hans Christian Andersen
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-08-01
Features: The Tales of Hans Christian Andersen is a world literary classic and a book that can be read from childhood to old age. Hans Christian Andersen wrote too many fairy tales—far more than the few familiar ones everyone knows. So please read this The Tales of Hans Christian Andersen, which collects the fairy tales of the beloved and should-be-read grandfather Hans Christian Andersen. The fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen are literary works that can be read from childhood to old age. When read in childhood, they seem fun, but as one grows older and wiser, they become more profound. The Emperor's New Clothes, a story familiar to many, is a prime example. Hans Christian Andersen was a famous Danish fairy tale writer of the 19th century and the founder of world literary fairy tales. He was born into a poor shoemaker family in Odense City. In his early years, he attended a charitable school and worked as an apprentice. Influenced by his father and folk oral literature, he had a lifelong passion for literature. At the age of 11, his father passed away, and his mother remarried. To pursue his art, he came to the capital, Copenhagen, alone at the age of 14. After 8 years of struggle, he finally showed his talent in the poetic drama Alfonsine. As a result, the Royal Danish Theatre sent him to the Slagelse Grammar School and Helsing?r School for free education, which lasted for 5 years. In 1828, he enrolled at the University of Copenhagen. After graduation, he remained jobless and mainly relied on his earnings from writing. In 1838, he received the Writers' Prize—the state granted him a non-official allowance of 200 Danish rigsdaler annually. Hans Christian Andersen never married and died on August 4, 1875, at the home of his friend, the merchant Michael Pedersen.
Hans Christian Andersen's literary career began in 1822. In his early years, he mainly wrote poetry and plays. After entering university, his writing matured. He published travelogues and operettas, as well as poetry collections and poetic dramas. In 1833, he published the novel The Improvisatore, which earned him international acclaim and is considered a masterpiece of his adult literature. "To fight for the future generation," Hans Christian Andersen decided to write fairy tales for children and published Stories for Children. For the following several years, he released a collection of such fairy tales every Christmas. He continued to publish new works until 1872, when he gradually stopped writing due to cancer. Over nearly 40 years, he wrote a total of 168 fairy tales.
The fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen have a unique artistic style: poetic beauty and comic humor. The former is the dominant style, often seen in celebratory tales, while the latter is more prominent in satirical ones. The early fairy tales are filled with fantastical imagination and an optimistic spirit, reflecting a blend of realism and romanticism. Representative works include The Tinderbox, Little Tycho's Flowers, Thumbelina, The Little Mermaid, The Wild Swans, and The Ugly Duckling. The mid-period fairy tales reduce the fantastical elements and increase the realistic ones. While criticizing evil and praising kindness, they express an unwavering pursuit of a better life, as well as a hint of melancholic doubt. Representative works include The Little Match Girl, The Snow Queen, The Shadow, A Drop of Water, The Mother's Tale, and The Man Who Made Toys. The late-period fairy tales are even more grounded in reality, focusing on the suffering of the lower classes and exposing the cold, dark, and unfair aspects of society. The tone of these works is somber. Representative works include Dream Under the Willow Tree, She Is a Waste, The Bachelor's Nightcap, and Belle of the Fortunes.