Biography
Hans Christian Andersen's life is a testament to the power of storytelling and the rise from humble beginnings to global fame. Despite his proletarian roots, he became Denmark’s most celebrated writer, enchanting readers worldwide with his fairy tales. His journey from poverty to literary immortality is as captivating as his stories themselves.
Early Life
Born into a world of stark poverty, Hans Christian Andersen was Denmark's first significant author of proletarian descent. His upbringing was marked by limited formal education and financial hardship, yet his magnetic personality and extraordinary talents won the admiration of both the general populace and the elite. Andersen's father, a shoemaker with a love for books, indulged his son with stories and theatrical experiences, even crafting a puppet theater for him. His mother, plagued by illiteracy and superstition, came from a similarly impoverished background and succumbed to alcoholism in her later years. Despite these challenges, Andersen's flair for performance caught the eye of Prince Christian at Odense Castle, although societal pressures nudged him towards a conventional trade. Defiant, Andersen pursued his dreams of acting and adventure, setting off for Copenhagen in 1819, driven by his mother's faith in a fortune teller's prophecy of his future success.
Arriving in Copenhagen, Andersen initially struggled to find his footing in the theater but quickly befriended influential figures, including poets and scientists. A pivotal relationship was with Jonas Collin, a high-ranking civil servant who took Andersen under his wing, ensuring he received a proper education. Despite his awkward appearance—a tall, gangly figure with large feet and a distinctive face—Andersen's charisma attracted numerous benefactors. By the early 1830s, he had gained the favor of the public and the upper echelons of society through his poetry. It was during this time he experienced his first romantic heartbreak with Riborg Voigt, which spurred his lifelong habit of travel as a means of coping with his restless spirit.
Life’s Work
By 1831, Andersen had achieved international recognition as a poet, dramatist, and travel writer. However, his true triumphs came in 1835 with the release of his first fairy tales and the semi-autobiographical novel, The Improvisatore. This story of a Danish boy's rise from poverty to success resonated deeply, as did his subsequent novels, which highlighted the plight of the underprivileged and critiqued societal neglect of artists. Compared to literary giants like Sir Walter Scott and Victor Hugo, Andersen's novels were celebrated across Europe.
While his novels held significance, Andersen's legacy endures through his fairy tales, a genre in which he truly excelled. His initial collection, Wonder Tales, included both original stories and those inspired by his childhood and global folklore. Unlike the academic compilations of the Brothers Grimm, Andersen's tales were imaginative and of superior literary quality. Reflecting the romantic movement's interest in common folk, Andersen's proletarian background gave him a unique perspective, enabling him to critique the upper classes while maintaining a childlike ability to connect with young audiences. His tales, sophisticated yet approachable, drew in readers of all ages.
Among Andersen's most beloved stories are "The Princess and The Pea," "Thumbelina," "The Little Mermaid," "The Tinder Box," and "The Emperor’s New Clothes." These narratives, characterized by their romantic sentimentality and wit, are free of didacticism. Andersen's prolific period during the 1840s saw him refine a style that embraced everyday language over formal prose. "The Ugly Duckling," a metaphor for Andersen's own life journey, stands out, as do "The Nightingale," inspired by his unrequited love for Jenny Lind, and other classics like "The Fir Tree," "The Snow Queen," "The Red Shoes," and "The Little Match Girl." By 1850, Andersen's storytelling prowess...
(This entire section contains 1637 words.)
Unlock this Study Guide Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
had reached new heights with tales such as "The Shadow," "The Ice Maiden," and more.
Literary Legacy
Andersen's oeuvre of 156 fairy tales, compiled as The Complete Andersen, has been translated widely, rivaling only the Bible in terms of linguistic reach. His stories, while entertaining, are revered for their exploration of profound themes such as love, loss, and societal injustice. They also embody the Enlightenment's humanistic ideals, reflecting Andersen's belief in higher powers guiding him.
Gifted in engaging young minds, Andersen's childlike spirit permeated his writing. However, his emotional vulnerability sometimes strained friendships, notably with Charles Dickens, where Andersen's prolonged visit led to a cooling of their relationship. Despite this, Andersen cultivated a vast network of creative figures, including luminaries like Heinrich Heine, Victor Hugo, Felix Mendelssohn, and Franz Liszt. His friendship with the Grand Duke Carl Alexander of Weimar exemplified his acceptance among Europe's elite, a validation Andersen sought and cherished.
Despite his acclaim, Andersen's personal life was tinged with isolation. He never married, with his romantic pursuits, including those of Riborg Voigt and Jenny Lind, ending in disappointment. Andersen's solitary travels were both an escape from loneliness and a source of inspiration, fueling his creative endeavors. As he expressed in his autobiography The Story of My Life, travel was synonymous with living. His adventurous spirit took him across Europe and beyond, overcoming his anxieties and contributing rich travelogues to his literary corpus.
Enduring Influence
Hans Christian Andersen's later years were marked by continued literary productivity, yet it is his fairy tales that secured his place in literary history. Rooted in the romantic tradition that elevated the fairy tale, his works resonate across cultures and generations. By 1843, Andersen recognized the universal appeal of his stories, omitting "told for children" from their titles, acknowledging that they often carried deeper meanings best appreciated by adults.
Andersen's ascent from poverty to the highest societal circles, including dining with kings and receiving knighthood, seemed improbable given his humble origins. Some critics suggest his writing was driven by a desire for social acceptance. Regardless, his artistic contributions are undeniable. Honored as both an iconoclast and a national treasure, Andersen was celebrated with the illumination of Odense upon his honorary citizenship in 1867, fulfilling the fortune teller's prophecy. His passing in 1875 was mourned by many, including Danish royalty, underscoring his lasting impact on the world of literature.
Bibliography
Andersen, Jens. Hans Christian Andersen: A New Life. Woodstock, N.Y.: Overlook Press, 2005. A highly readable and useful biography examining the writer’s life and literary work.
Book, Frederik. Hans Christian Andersen. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1962. This biography studies Andersen’s personal and literary history. It considers how psychiatry, folklore, and the history of religion affected Andersen’s life. Andersen’s autobiographies are examined in the light of what was real and what was the fairy tale he was creating about his life. Contains illustrations of his fairy tales and photographs.
Bresdorff, Elias. Hans Christian Andersen: The Story of His Life and Work, 1805-1875. New York: Noonday Press, 1994. This book is divided in two sections: The first part is a biographical study of Andersen’s complex personality; the second is a critical study of his most famous fairy tales and stories.
Conroy, Patricia L., ed. The Diaries of Hans Christian Andersen. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1990. A wide selection of excerpts from Andersen’s diaries written from as early as when he was a schoolboy and throughout the artist’s life. Complete diaries from two trips to England are translated in entirety. Includes illustrations of his drawings and paper cuttings, plus a useful bibliography.
Dollerup, Cay. “Translation as a Creative Force in Literature: The Birth of the European Bourgeois Fairy-Tale.” The Modern Language Review 90 (January, 1995): 94-102. Discusses the European bourgeois fairy tale’s development as the result of translation of the stories of the brothers Grimm into Danish and the stories of Hans Christian Andersen into German because children would not be familiar with foreign languages. Argues that the Grimms and Andersen were adapted to European middle-class values.
Grobech, Bo. Hans Christian Andersen. Boston: Twayne, 1980. Grobech provides a solid introduction to Andersen’s life told in entertaining narrative style. The book includes studies of Andersen’s fairy tales, his international influence, and his influence in the twentieth century. It can be read by the general reader as well as literary specialists.
Johansen, Jorgen Dines. “The Merciless Tragedy of Desire: An Interpretation of H. C. Andersen’s Den lille Havfrue.” Scandinavian Studies 68 (Spring, 1996): 203-241. Provides a psychoanalytic interpretation of “The Little Mermaid,” focusing on the tension between earthly love and religious reparation in the story. Discusses the themes of love and salvation in an extensive analysis of love and sexuality in the tale.
Nassaar, Christopher S. “Andersen’s ‘The Shadow’ and Wilde’s ‘The Fisherman and His Soul’: A Case of Influence.” Nineteenth-Century Literature 50 (September, 1995): 217-224. Argues that Oscar Wilde’s tale is a Christian response to Andersen’s nihilistic tale. Claims that, while Andersen’s tale is about the triumph of evil, Wilde’s story is about the triumph of Christian love.
Nassaar, Christopher S. “Andersen’s ‘The Ugly Ducking’ and Wilde’s ‘The Birthday of the Infanta.’” The Explicator 55 (Winter, 1997): 83-85. Discusses the influence of Andersen’s “The Ugly Duckling” on Wilde’s story. Argues that, in spite of the surface differences, Wilde’s story is a direct reversal of Andersen’s.
Rossel, Sven Hakon, ed. Hans Christian Andersen: Danish Writer and Citizen of the World. Amsterdam: Rodopi, 1996. This scholarly collection of essays establishes Andersen as a major European writer of the nineteenth century. Special attention is given to his biography as well as his travel writing and fairy tales.
Spink, Reginald. Hans Christian Andersen and His World. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1972. An excellent overview of Andersen’s life. Emphasizes how his background and childhood affected his art. Extensively illustrated with photographs, drawings, and reprints of the illustrated fairy tales in several foreign-language editions.
Toksvig, Signe. The Life of Hans Christian Andersen. New York: Harcourt, Brace, 1934. An in-depth biography that provides valuable information in spite of its early publication date. Illustrated.
Wullschlager, Jackie. Hans Christian Andersen: The Life of a Storyteller. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2001. A thorough biography of the writer.
Criticism by Hans Christian Andersen
