A Whole New Perspective: Disability in the Works of Hans Christian Andersen
Open Access
Author:
Condrack, Tiana
Area of Honors:
English
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Christopher Dean Castiglia, Thesis Supervisor Claire Mary Colebrook, Thesis Honors Advisor Mary L Sellers, Thesis Supervisor
Keywords:
Fairy Tales Disability Hans Christian Andersen Class
Abstract:
Hans Christian Andersen’s life has been forgotten and misrepresented. Labeled as a narcissist and a child, Andersen never received the recognition he deserved. In his life, the aristocracy discredited him, and in the wake of his death, academics misunderstood him. As a man crushed by an oppressive class system, Andersen used his fairy tales to explore his dark reality. Through his portrayal of disability, Andersen chronicled what it felt like to be a member of the lower class. By connecting his social limitations to physical and mental impairments, Andersen's fairy tales became a form of therapy where he explored his expectations for reality.
