Hans Christian Anderson
I just realized that today is Friday the thirteen. An unlucky day for the superstitious people as both Friday and thirteen are considered unlucky. However, looking at it from a mathematics viewpoint, two negatives would be a positive right? So it should be a lucky day! Haha, at the very least, it had been a lucky day for me. J I found a pair of cheap and rather good looking pair of boots. It only costs 150kr and is much cheaper than the rest of the boots that I have seen. Looking forward to wearing my new boots tomorrow! :p
Yesterday in Danish Culture lecture, I received two shocks. The first shock: the lecturer told us, “Do not ever imagine Hans Christian Anderson with children on his lap, reading stories to them. He does not like children.” This is a serious shock to me. He is a world-renowned fairy tale writer. I guessed I simply assumed that he would be a children lover and that he wrote for the love for the children. However, this was not the impression I got during the lecture. I got the impression that he wrote to earn money. This fact was really hard for me to believe so I went to check it out on the internet just now. Then, I found on a publication by “The New York Times” that “Anderson was not especially fond of children”. This was also supported by other websites and publications. Of course, now that I think about it, “love for children” is not a criterion for a fairy tale writer. I simply assumed. I wonder what he thinks about this talent of his that allows him to connect so closely with children all over the world when he is not fond of them. I have also read and learnt a few more facts of him online through different publications. I think it is really interesting how different he is from my imagination of him. It really made me realize how bad it is to simply make assumptions.
My second shock… the lecturer told us, “Don’t think that mermaids are such beautiful things with such a nice and sweet voice. They sing to lure the seamen to jump into the sea so that they can drag them into the sea and play with them.” My conclusion: Mermaids are water demons. I was really shocked. He told us this when he was referring to the famous “The little mermaid” story by H.C. Anderson. The story which I had initially thought was tragic but beautiful; suddenly seemed to be such a terrible and extremely tragic story. Somehow, it does not seem like a fairy tale story to me anymore. Perhaps I am extremely naïve, but I still like fairy tales to have “happily ever after” endings. I know it is corny, impractical and dumb to believe that fairy tales should have “happily ever after” endings but that is what draws me to fairy tales in the first place. I guess I am still a child at heart who still yearns for life to always have a “happily ever after” ending.
Yesterday in Danish Culture lecture, I received two shocks. The first shock: the lecturer told us, “Do not ever imagine Hans Christian Anderson with children on his lap, reading stories to them. He does not like children.” This is a serious shock to me. He is a world-renowned fairy tale writer. I guessed I simply assumed that he would be a children lover and that he wrote for the love for the children. However, this was not the impression I got during the lecture. I got the impression that he wrote to earn money. This fact was really hard for me to believe so I went to check it out on the internet just now. Then, I found on a publication by “The New York Times” that “Anderson was not especially fond of children”. This was also supported by other websites and publications. Of course, now that I think about it, “love for children” is not a criterion for a fairy tale writer. I simply assumed. I wonder what he thinks about this talent of his that allows him to connect so closely with children all over the world when he is not fond of them. I have also read and learnt a few more facts of him online through different publications. I think it is really interesting how different he is from my imagination of him. It really made me realize how bad it is to simply make assumptions.
My second shock… the lecturer told us, “Don’t think that mermaids are such beautiful things with such a nice and sweet voice. They sing to lure the seamen to jump into the sea so that they can drag them into the sea and play with them.” My conclusion: Mermaids are water demons. I was really shocked. He told us this when he was referring to the famous “The little mermaid” story by H.C. Anderson. The story which I had initially thought was tragic but beautiful; suddenly seemed to be such a terrible and extremely tragic story. Somehow, it does not seem like a fairy tale story to me anymore. Perhaps I am extremely naïve, but I still like fairy tales to have “happily ever after” endings. I know it is corny, impractical and dumb to believe that fairy tales should have “happily ever after” endings but that is what draws me to fairy tales in the first place. I guess I am still a child at heart who still yearns for life to always have a “happily ever after” ending.