Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875), was a Danish writer. Though a poet and novelist, he is most famous for his fairy tales. He has delighted young readers of all lands with his sometimes simple, always imaginative stories of fir trees and flowers, storks, swans, and nightingales, and princes, princesses and soldiers.
Anderson took traditional tales and themes and by his sympathetic understanding of human emotions and qualities gave them deeper moral and symbolic meaning than they had possessed originally. Some of these tales are based on stories told by common people among whom he spent his childhood. Others are mainly products of his own imagination, though strongly colored by folk themes and settings. Andersen's sunny nature would not permit him to use bitter satire, but he sometimes mocked people's frailties in a gentle way, as in "The Emperor's New Clothes." Often there is a tinge of sadness, as in "The Ugly Duckling." Andersen is said to have considered this story, which tells of an awkward young swan at first mistaken to be a duckling, an allegory of his own life.
Hans Christian Andersen was born in Odense, the son of a poor shoemaker. His ugliness made him shy, and he was treated rudely by other children in school. When he was 11, his father died and Hans quit school to work in a factory. He amused himself at home by reading plays and acting them out with puppets in a toy theater he had built. When he was 14, Hans left home for Copenhagen. There he tried everything to get into the theater - write, act, sing, dance. He did attract the attention of influential persons and was sent to a government school. Although 17 years old, Hans had to enter a class for small boys. His `unhappiness continued, but he remained in school for five years. He then left to try his hand at poetry, travel books, farce, and fiction.
Andersen's first novel, The Improvisatore (1835), was received enthusiastically, and his financial troubles were at end. In the same year the first instalement of his fairy tales were published, and were reviewed unfavorably by all critics but one. Andersen agreed with this general opinion, for he considered his adult work of more importance. Nevertheless he kept on writing fairy tales.
Andersen's first novel, The Improvisatore (1835), was received enthusiastically, and his financial troubles were at end. In the same year the first instalement of his fairy tales were published, and were reviewed unfavorably by all critics but one. Andersen agreed with this general opinion, for he considered his adult work of more importance. Nevertheless he kept on writing fairy tales.
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