Short Story Review: The Little Match Girl by Hans Christen Andersen

The Little Match Girl, also known as, The Little Matchstick Girl was published by Hans Christen Andersen in 1845, and it is a testament to his broad literary talent and ability. It is one of the most beautiful and saddest stories about loneliness and the magic of memories.

The story features Isabella, who is a poor, sick Danish girl who has left home and is alone in the dark, cold alley on New Year’s Eve. She is afraid to go home because her father will beat her for not selling matches. In attempt to keep warm she lights the matches and sees comforting visions. Isabella looks to the sky and sees a shooting star, a premonition that someone is dying and going to heaven, according to her dead grandmother.

While I could say that it falls into the genre of fairy tales because of the use of an urchin which steals her slipper, it is a short story that shares some of the fairy tale characteristics.

What I liked about this was his use of contrasting themes, and how he balanced them, for example on one hand you have loneliness, cold, dark, hunger, which are contrasted with comfort, light, warmth, and heaven. It brings an ideal of acception versus rejection as an undertone.

I learnt how he invoked empathy for the girl, and how he balanced her miserable life in contrast with her belief in the hope of heaven. How her death, despite being sad, is better in a way, because she is carried away to a place where there is no more cold, hunger, or fear.

Andersen, H.C. (1845). The little match girl. Retrieved from http://www.andersen.sdu.dk/vaerkhersholt/TheLittleMatchGirl_e.html