The stories written by Hans Christian Andersen have never been particularly cheerful, often having rather grim undertones and serving as cautionary tales rather than a fun pastime. However, even among Andersen’s rather grim narratives, “The Little Match Girl” takes a special place due to its somber plot. The story opens with the description of a blizzard, mentioning a little girl being caught in it and struggling to walk since she is incredibly cold (Andersen). As the story evolves, it is revealed that the girl’s mother is long dead, that the girl must sell matches in order to survive, and that on this Christmas Eve, it has been particularly difficult to sell any matches.
In a desperate attempt to get warm, the girl lights one of the matches, and the world around her suddenly transforms. She can almost feel the warmth of a fireplace and the coziness of a home, but the match burns down completely., and the girl is left in the cold again. She strikes another match and sees a more detailed picture this time. She imagines a festive dinner and tasty food that makes her mouth water. However, as soon as she reaches out to touch the food, the match burns completely.
The girl notices a falling star and assumes that someone has just died, the soul ascending to heaven as a star (Andersen). She strikes the third match without any hesitation and sees her grandmother, who lovingly takes her to a place where no sorrow exists. In the morning, people notice a dead girl leaning against the wall and smiling. However, being in a hurry to celebrate Christmas, people quickly forget about the match girl and return to their routine.
Work Cited
Andersen, Hans Christian. The Little Match Girl. American Literature, n.d. Web.