THE LITTLE MATCH

GIRL
Hans Christian Anderson
Author Introduction
• Hewas born in the town of Odense, Denmark on April 2,
1805.
• The Little Match Girl is a fairy tale published in 1845.
• Hegot inspiration for this story from a drawing by
Danish artist, Johan Thomas Lundbye, where a girl was
seen selling matches on the street.
• It is also based on his mother’s hardships as a child.
Outline
•A little girl’s father sends her to sell matches
on a cold New year’s eve
 1st vision

Iron stove: The little girl felt as if she

was sitting in front of the heat of the stove,

which is symbolic of the feelings of warmth and

safety which she longed for and it reminded her

of the love and affection which she got from her

grandmother.
 2nd vision
Feast: She saw a feast laid on table, comprising a

roast goose stuffed with apples and dried plums. It

showed the need of a poor hungry child to eat and

relish such a delicious meal, which only rich could

enjoy.

It addresses how hungry the small girl was, and if she

did not freeze, she would surely had died of

starvation.
 3rd vision

Christmas tree: It was huge, brightly lit and beautifully

decorated, the sort of which could be found in a

wealthy home. The evergreen Christmas tree is a sign

of undying life and rebirth needed to endure the winter

months. The little girl in the story tried to survive in the

extremely cold, winter night by lighting the matches.

This shows the longing for celebration and enjoyment.

 4th
vision
Grandma : She has been described as the only

person who loved the little girl. Unable to sell

matches, the little girl preferred to sit in the snow

and imagine her grandmother’s face, full of

tenderness and love. The memory of her

grandmother’s love helped her to keep warm for

sometime, when the passers- by remained oblivious

to her suffering.
 Symbolism

• Iron stove
• Christmas tree
• Falling star
• Matches
• Cold
 Themes

• Faith and hope

• Class differentiation
Didactic story
• A didactic story is one in which is intended to teach people a moral lesson.
Q and A
• Why was the girl out in the cold? What prevented her from going back home?
• How appropriate is the title of the story?
• Why does the author describe the girl as a picture of misery?
• Why was the girl carrying matches with her?