Hans Christian Andersen 1805 1875 His Life and
- Slides: 9
Hans Christian Andersen 1805 -1875 His Life and His Fairy Tales
His Life o o Born in 1805 in Odense, Denmark Father was a shoemaker, mother was a washerwoman Spent time with his grandmother who worked at the local insane asylum Always different from the other boys--he made up stories, created paper dolls and puppets. o
His Life o o Moved to Copenhagen at age 14, he was taken under the wing of a local patron of the arts Spent most of life representing Odense and Copenhagen ideals; floating Most traveled Danish writer of his time – spent 9 years outside of Denmark Died of cancer in 1875; buried in Assistens Cemetary, Copenhagen
The Fairy Tales o Some based on traditional folk tales – much like the tales of the Brothers Grimm – most are original works o Religious undertone usually present – undogmatic Christianity, focusing on bond to human nature (ex: The Little Mermaid’s original ending had her “dying” and moving on to a purgatory state) o The Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen are closely linked with his life experiences. . .
THEMES Shoes - his dad was a cobbler o The odd-man out – Many describe Andersen as stork-like, and he was very aware of how people perceived him. o Two distinct worldviews: 1. The simple peasant view of the world held by his mom vs. 2. The progressive worldview held by his father. These are two strong and opposing forces that pervade many of the tales. o A fondness for his grandmother, whom Hans was very close to as a child. o
Fairy Tales-Recognize any? The Steadfast Tin Soldier v The Dung Beetle v Grandmother v The Ugly Duckling v The Red Shoes v The Toad v The Emperor’s New Clothes v The Brave Tin Soldier v The Girl Who Trod on a Loaf v The Drop of Water v The Philosopher’s Stone v The Little Mermaid v Thumbelina v The Flea and the Professor v The Fir Tree v
o The Fairy Tales of Hans Andersen are as popular today as they were during his lifetime, over 150 years ago…
Read your group’s designated section of “The Little Mermaid. ” Make note of the following as you read: o Where you see Hans Andersen’s life/values reflected o Differences between this version and the Disney version o Reflection of Danish culture—what might this tell us about the culture of the Danes/what they value? o Elements of timelessness—what makes this story so enduring?
§ Many of Hans Andersen’s fairy tales are similar in theme to “The Little Mermaid. ” Why are they so timeless? § How can we apply these understandings to our trip? (think personally and politically)
