“HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN AND THE DISCOURSE OF THE DOMINATED” JACK ZIPES Jessica Brumley, Alliah Davis, & Alexandra Wolfe
Jan 19, 2016
“HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN AND THE DISCOURSE OF THE DOMINATED”
JACK ZIPES
Jessica Brumley, Alliah Davis, & Alexandra Wolfe
THESIS
Jack Zipes discusses how Hans
Christian Andersen’s desire and
struggle to ascend his social position in
19th century Europe significantly
influenced the synthesis of his
literature.
HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSON STRUGGLED WITH HIS
INTEGRATION INTO THE UPPER CLASS
Hans Christian Anderson strongly desired to be completely accepted by
upper class nobility
Despite Hans Christian Anderson’s great success as a writer, his proletarian
family background restrained his efforts to rise from the dominated class and
into the dominating circle. This inspired his belief in natural nobility.
“…he devoutly believed that certain biologically determined people were
chosen by divine providence to rise above others.” Zipes, 248.
Andersen rationalized his need for recognition by the upper classes by
asserting his own artistry as God given gifts that merited his progression in
social hierarchy
HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN INFUSED HIS OWN DOMINATED L IFE INTO HIS
TALES BY DEMONSTRATING A COMMON THREAD
Andersen was born in a ‘Lumpenproletariat” society
“In almost all of Andersen’s early tales, he focuses on
lower-class or disenfranchised protagonists, who work their
way up and into society.” Zipes, 279
His tales are essential because they exposed similar motifs
such as ““significance of providence, the essence of
geniality, the role of the artist, the treatment of women, and
the system of patronage.” Zipes, 271
HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSON APPEALED TO THE LOWER CLASS BECAUSE HE SPOKE FROM HIS OWN EXPERIENCE
AND STRUGGLES
“Everything In It’s Right Place” Zipes, 293.
“The Gardener and His Master” Zipes, 298.
“Andersen’s genius, despite his servility,
rested in his inability to prevent himself from
loathing all that he admired.” Zipes, 303.
EVALUATIONJack Zipes makes an excellent argument establishing Hans Christian
Andersen’s conflict with social order and how it translated into his literary
tales. The evidence he uses, including excerpts from the works of Noëlle
Bisseret, Finn Hauberg Mortensen, and Hans Christian Andersen himself
enhance his argument by giving the reader a stronger insight into 19th century
Europe and motive behind Andersen’s work. In addition, Zipes’ use of
Andersen’s actual literary fairy tales into his argument to connect his
assertions could probably convince the most skeptical readers. Jack Zipes'
argument relates to other scholarship's such as "Hansel and Gretel" and
"Molly Whoopie" because hidden within these other fairy tales is a symbolic
struggle with being lower class.