Jack Zipes, Hans Christian Anderson's Telling and Essay

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Jack Zipes, Hans Christian Anderson's telling and retelling of folk tales reflects the author's views of what was 'proper' behavior for both children and adults. Anderson advances a specifically bourgeois notion of morality -- both the upper classes and the lower classes are chastised when they show self-centered or imprudent behavior. For example, in the famous story "The Emperor's New Clothes," a foolish emperor is taken advantage of because of his vanity. The Emperor's excessive concern for his physical appearance leads him to commission the most elaborate costume imaginable. The fact that the fabric can supposedly be seen only by those who are fit for their position causes all of the great men of the land to pretend to be able to 'see' the imaginary clothes. The leaders of the land are shown to be ridiculous. Only a child is willing to tell the plainspoken truth. The leaders know that they are probably not 'fit' for their positions and are reluctant to even see the clothes as they are being made, reflecting Anderson's views that royalty and the aristocracy are not deserving of their positions.

However, Anderson does not celebrate the wisdom of the common man and children in all of his stories.

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This is most notable in "The Red Shoes," where the poor, adopted daughter of a woman shows no appreciation for her benefactress and suffers as a result. Like the Emperor and his minions, the girl is vain and because of this vanity she must suffer -- far worse than the Emperor. When children transgress, their fate is even worse than the Emperor who is just humiliated. The little girl of the tale grows to associate finery and aristocracy 'above her station' with red shoes. She believes, erroneously, that red shoes lead to her liberation from poverty when she was spotted by her old, rich guardian by the road. She takes advantage of the older woman's poor sight so she is allowed to be confirmed in a pair of red shoes. The girl thinks nothing of prayer when being confirmed, only her beauty, and does not nurse the sick old woman when she is dying. She only thinks of her shoes and goes to dance at a ball. Eventually, the girl must have her feet chopped off by a woodcutter because….....

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