Measure of the Mermaid: Popularity of H. C. Andersen

Questions for Contemplation:

Why is The Little Mermaid, namely, Hans Christian Andersen’s most popular tale?

What are the elements that Andersen incorporates into his writing that contribute to a successful and time honored tale?

Is there a method or formula to the way in which Andersen experienced popularity with some of his tales and not other?

Hans Christian Andersen is undeniably a unique storyteller when placed next fellow tale writers of his time and even those who are influenced by him presently. He has been described on numerous accounts in this way, “No other European writer did more to make himself misunderstood by his readers while begging for their recognition than Hans Christian Andersen” (Zipes xiii). The recognition that Andersen pried for is a complex and intricately bound issue that is subtly reflected in his writing style, the symbolism of his characters and plots, and parallels his tales draw to his own experiences growing up and living in seventeenth century Denmark. In this right, there are a great many things that can be hypothesized for contributing to the success of some of Andersen’s more famous tales such as The Little Mermaid (1837), as this is arguably his most internationally acclaimed tale. This write up aims at capitalizing on how Andersen’s passion for the theatre, the dramatic nature of his literature, the infusion of his own unique experience with the class system and personal life reflected in his tales and how these things, but certainly not limited to, are attributes of his tales that have achieved wide international popularity.

Andersen’s Technique:

Considering how Andersen’s works are characterized for their unapologetic portrayals of how society is unfairly but realistically structured in his time, his tales have a darker tone to them than some of Andersen’s predecessors. Zipes comments on the experience of reading Andersen and the emotion evoked:

“…it is painful to read the hurt and rage in his tales that account for their profound dramatic tension. One must indeed be careful not to read Andersen too much into his tales and other works. Yet, to a certain extent, it is somewhat unavoidable: he embodies his thoughts and desires in his writings, and there is a great temptation to read the fairy tales as autobiographical representations.” (xiv)

This passage gives readers a good idea of where Andersen’s tales are categorized on the spectrum of subject matter. Perhaps his place along this continuum, nearer the end that represents a darker and more depressed motif, is unassuming of the success and popularity that he achieved across the world with his most honored tales and adaptations. What was it the people saw in these tales that not only spoke to those struggling with the oppressive class structure at the time but also spoke to those who were at the top of the class system? Andersen would not only traverse the class system with his popularity but also impressively traverse time with his tales as adaptations and retellings continue today.

Andersen had an interest in writing even in his early childhood. Having the mind and creativity to begin writing as early as he did allowed him to mature along with his writing and incorporate much of his adolescence, a very telling time for Andersen, into his writing career. For example, “Andersen constantly defended notions of self-abandonment and self-deprivation in the name of aristocratic-bourgeois laws and standards designed to make members of the lower classes into tractable, obedient citizens” (Zipes 37). This aspect of Andersen pouring a lot of his own experience into his tales, undeniably contributed to the effectiveness of his end product in achieving a level of success. When speaking specifically about Andersen’s The Little Mermaid, it is apparent that she parallels Andersen’s life in certain ways. She breaks away from her world to join another as he went to live with the aristocratic Collin family.

Andersen and the Theatre: Integrating Theatrics into the Fairytale

Andersen had a strong interest in the theatre through out his childhood and into his adult life. Because of this innate passion for the theatre, it can be argued that Hans Christian Andersen infused elements into some of his tales that inspired potential performative elements seen by other creative minds. Zipes affirms his passion for the theatre when he stated, “Andersen’s greatest love was unquestionably the theatre and the musical world…in the course of his life he composed over thirty dramatic works, and twenty-five of his original pieces…today these works are largely forgotten” (Zipes 19). Andersen’s tales have been adapted in several different realms of media, as outlined by another piece on this site, and this performative and theatrical nature to tales such as The Little Mermaid pervades, it is understandable why audiences have enjoyed this tale in theatres, on the stage or even illustrated dramatically on a page. It is ironic that Andersen’s attempts at writing plays and dramatic literature for the stage failed considerably. Andersen’s most renowned theatre piece was The Mulatto which was actually an opera. Andersen adapted his own dramatic poem Agnete and the Merman as an opera in 1843 when it was deemed a “monumental flop” (Zipes 20). This work came after his initial conception of mer-people in his works as he had already written The Little Mermaid.

Unaligned with Society: Reflected in Andersen’s Themes

With the several dramatic pieces he wrote for the stage, Andersen did not achieve the success he had hoped for in this avenue which is surprising. It seemed that when he was writing instead for children, in the realm of fairy tales and folklore, is when the public saw him to be an outstanding writer. This perpetuates Andersen’s struggle to align himself with a society that he always seemed to be in contention with. Not so say that he was not interested in writing for children or choosing this avenue of literature. It is noted that “…his experience with the theatre influenced the way he shaped many of his stories and fairytales, for it was through an appreciation or the stage that he developed a keen sense of observation and dramatic flare” (Zipes 19). This statement clearly outlines the success that Andersen’s The Little Mermaid achieved in the theatrical world because of this sense of dramatics which Andersen was able to incorporate into his tales.

For any writer, achieved success can be attributed to how connected an author was to their work and the creative process of producing a work. Andersen was no exception with this assumption: “Andersen was at his best when he could experiment with personal experience in his own idiom” (Zipes 25). Jack Zipes proposes that his achieved success was also attributed to:

“...his extraordinary understanding of how class struggle affected the lives of people in his times, and some tales even contain a forthright criticism of abusive domination – though his critique was always balanced by admiration for the upper classes and a fear of poverty.” (71)

The reality of Andersen’s unique situation of class experience is reflected in his tales as an experience of seeing both the perils of living in poverty as well as the pleasures of living a rich life. In this very mindset, many of his stories manifest this very complex but profoundly unique critique of society that only Andersen has the full understanding of and reflects it in The Little Mermaid.

A Sophisticated Spin on Fantasy and Adventure

With Andersen’s tale The Ice Maiden, towards the end of his writing career, he used “careful description of the Swiss locale and humorous sketches of the miller’s household. Andersen transforms the common events and everyday routine of country people into a miraculous adventure story” (Zipes 45). It was Andersen’s ability manipulate situations as such is the case in The Ice Maiden and make them more appealing with twists of excitement to connect with an audience in a more dramatic and personal way. Andersen always was attempting to appeal to a more mature audience however in his constant struggle to break through to the upper class mentality.

In this same way, Andersen uses creatures such as mermaids in his most popular tale of the little mermaid as strong agent to differentiate this story from some of his other less fantastical tales. He also uses this agent of the adventurous “under the sea” setting which sets him apart from other creative story tellers that even he was influenced by such as Goethe and other German writers during the seventeenth century. Not that fantasy and fantastical creatures were unfamiliar to the realm of story telling. Quite contrarily, including fantasy and adventure in a tale could be argued as a definitive aspect of the fairy tale. It can also be said that “The popularity of this tale [The Little Mermaid] may, in fact, have a great deal to do with the long history of European fascination with mermaids, often associated with sirens and water sprites” (Zipes 107). But Andersen created this world under the sea with mermaids and sea urchins and humanized it which made it much more tangible for critics and audiences at the time. In a modern day sense, it continues to live on as one of the most famous tales noted for its creative setting. “Under the Sea” has a connotation that will for ever be associated with the tale of The Little Mermaid, largely in part due to the Disney film adaptation with music, but it was Andersen who initially conceived of this world in the first place.

This is not to be confused for a comparison between Andersen’s original tale and the Disney adaptation of The Little Mermaid. It should be made clear that the two versions are quite obviously and radically different from one another. It can be justified however that the two resemble enough similarities to allow for a proper parallel to be drawn in this context of popularity being discussed. Andersen is a prominent figure in literary tradition that has influenced writers in and outside of his genre, children and adults across the world. For a writer that struggled with his role in society in the truly unique and challenging upbringing he experienced, his story telling and literary themes certainly would not be the same with out this influence. His achieved popularity often occurred in endeavors that he would not have predicted. Understanding Hans Christian Andersen is a far more difficult task to manage than understanding why tales such as The Little Mermaid achieved such wide success. The monument of the bronze Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen is a secure indication that Andersen’s legacy is immortalized by the single figure in his home country. The statue is most symbolic of his longing to escape and become a part of another world in a society that would never fully understand the complexities behind one of the world’s most famous fairy tale authors of all time.

Works Referenced for this Piece:

Greene, Carol. Hans Christian Andersen: Teller of Tales. Children’s Press Chicago. Chicago, 1986.

Wullschlager, Jackie. Hans Christian Andersen: The Life of a Storyteller. Alfred A. Knopf. New York, 2001.

Zipes, Jack. Hans Christian Andersen: The Misunderstood Storyteller. Routledge. New York, 2005.