Hans Christian Andersen: The Man Who Made Fairy Tales Even More Unrealistic

Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish author, known for his fairy tales that are loved and cherished by children all over the world. Born in 1805, Andersen was a lanky man with a chin that could pierce through a wall. Often referred to as the “Ugly Duckling” of his family, Andersen’s looks did not stop him from becoming one of the most beloved authors of all time.

Andersen had a knack for storytelling, often taking tales that already existed and twisting them into more unrealistic and troublesome versions. Famous tales such as “The Little Mermaid” and “The Snow Queen” were initially simplistic, but Andersen added characters that terrorized readers like the Sea Witch and the Robber Girl.

Despite initially being criticized for his writing style, Andersen’s popularity grew when he inadvertently started the trend of singing to animals, thanks to his tale “The Nightingale.” His characters all parallelled real-life situations, using fairy tale magic to solve problems that we all can relate to: being kidnapped by trolls, having your foot cut off to fit a glass slipper, or being stuck in a glass coffin because no one ever told you not to eat the apple from the witch.

Andersen’s stories are famous for their endings, often keeping readers up at night questioning what they actually mean. In “The Little Match Girl,” for example, the protagonist dies of hypothermia after seeing visions of heaven in each match she lights. Is heaven a metaphor for the life she could have had if she wasn’t so darn cold on the street? Who knows, but readers everywhere were happy to have their children fall asleep with existential dread.

Andersen’s personal life was just as interesting as his tales. He often drew inspiration from his own experiences, like traveling the world and getting drunk with Charles Dickens. Andersen was never married and had a great love affair with literacy that lasted his whole life. He was also known to exaggerate his social status, insisting on being called “Herr Hans” and getting pissed when people didn’t recognize him even though he totally wrote “The Ugly Duckling.”

Today, Hans Christian Andersen’s beloved tales continue to be read by children all over the world. His work has been adapted into countless plays, movies, and musicals, and has even inspired a mermaid statue that pisses off real-life Copenhagen citizens. So, the next time you read a fairy tale, remember to thank Hans Christian Andersen for making unrealistic childhood dreams even more far-fetched.