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Lucy May Lucas
Alison Walker-Stromdahl
TWRT 112
4 June 2014
A Tale of Dreams, Hope, and Transformation
Interpellation is the process by which hegemonies, or rather power figures,
spread their ideologies into the masses. Ideologies function to assimilate
individuals into a wider society and promote a collective identity. Each individual
has two identities: one which society imposes and one that takes form from one’s
own personality and social history. It can be said that who and what one chooses
to become can heavily depend on the set of ideologies in which they operate. One
of many ways in which ideologies are spread is through literature. The written
work of the author then, will often reflect the ideologies of both parts of their
identity. Through this research, I have come to learn of how Hans Christian
Andersen challenged and overcame the status quo and surmounted to greatness.
The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen is a tale of an ugly
duckling’s quest for his identity. A close examination of this tale will also unveil
an inner story and telling of Andersen’s self-perceptions, his struggles, and his
journey to literary acclaim. Throughout the tale, the ugly duckling (Hans
Christian Andersen) is told to be as he clearly is not. The other (animals) regard
the little duckling’s inklings of his true self to be “foolish ideas”. Despite the need
to fit in, there in them lies a deeper commitment to discover their true self. The
central idea is that the search for one’s true identity is a process of self-discovery
as opposed to a process of assimilation.

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An individual’s sense of self-esteem is conditioned through the
relationships of their early life. The fairytale of Hans Christian Andersen’s life
begins to take shape in 1805 Odense, Denmark. Andersen was born “the son of a
shoemaker and an illiterate washerwoman” (Wullschlager). This is typical of a
rise fairytale: in which beginnings are in poverty. Despite their lack of money,
Andersen considers himself fortunate in that his parents show him a great deal of
love (“The Fairy Tale of My Life” 2). A common ideology within most fairytales is
that love is a strong force that aids one to rise and conquer even the most bleak of
circumstances. By show of their love and devotion to him, Andersen’s parents
nurture a fundamental sense of security, love, and acceptance in the young boy.
This initial relationship that children have with their parents are of great
significance in shaping the child’s sense of self and overall well-being.
Next to family, the most influential relationship to a person is the one with
his friends. Andersen was like his father who “seldom associated with his equals”
(“The Fairy Tale of My Life” 3), he too “did not play with other children; instead
he stayed at home and sewed dolls’ clothes” (Book 10). As a result, they were
mostly their own influence. This choice of solitude allowed them to think for
themselves, as well as invest most of their time in their own self.
Parents will often influence the child based on their own experiences and
life example. Andersen’s father never had the opportunity or means to pursue his
true passion for learning, the closest thing he had to an education was the
knowledge he acquired through the books he possessed. Sharing his passion,
interests, and even more- his regret- would make a lasting impression on the
young Andersen. It made it clear to Andersen to see that if he were to continue in

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the same path as his father, it would lead to unfulfillment. Andersen’s father is
the first to expose his son to the world of literature. When he was a young boy, his
father read him “tales from the Arabian Nights” (Wullschlager). These tales were
an outlet to a world of imagination and possibilities and would also serve to later
influence his style of writing.
Tales inspire and often shape one’s life ways that are unexpected. The
Arabian Nights is told in a frame story structure. The story that serves toframe
all the other stories is about a king who is betrayed by his unfaithful wife. The
king lays vengeance on women by taking virgin princesses for his wife for one
night and then executing them the following day. Many women die, that is, until
the vizier’s daughter Scheherazade devises a clever plan. Scheherazade’s plan
consists of marrying the king and prolonging her execution by telling him
fascinating tales of “the excellencies and shortcomings, the cunning and
stupidity, the generosity and avarice and the courage and cowardice that are in a
man…” (Hasse 56). Scheherazade times the tales so that there is just not enough
time to finish, that way the king must allow her to live one more day so that he
may know the end. It is said that after 1001 nights Scheherazade runs out of
stories, but by that time the king has grown to love her and does not wish to kill
her any longer. In many ways Andersen’s life becomes a parallel to the tales of the
Arabian Nights. Like Scheherazade, Andersen possesses a gift for narration. This
gift precipitates a change in the course of their fate. Andersen’s own life serves as
the frame story for his many fairytales. His tales are also eclectic in their nature:
inspired by vast travel, life experiences, and the stories told to him in his youth.

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Society’s ideologies and expectations may segregate rather than assimilate. At
the turn of the 19th century, Denmark experienced many setbacks in terms of
their economy, so to rebuild their society they lay their framework for life around
discipline. While life seemed “toradiate peace and harmony,” beneath the surface
there was “inner conflict” because of such “repressive idyll” (Scavenius 22). It is
these ideologies that strengthened the working class, but primarily benefitted
farmers or aristocrats whom they worked for. Andersen was very attuned tothe
hierarchy and aristocracy of society. He depicts this hierarchy through his tale of
The Ugly Duckling. The mother duck instructs her ducklings to "make a nice bow
to the old duck,” as “she's the most genteel of anyone” and points out the
“crimson flag” worn by the old duck is “the highest distinction any duck can earn”
(“The Ugly Duckling” 292). The mother duck conditions her ducklings to perceive
one’s value is in relation to their class. That is why Andersen wishes to be “among
the fortunate ones…” for the sake of the many books they had,” the qualities
which distinguishes them, “and for what they might be able to become in the
world” (“The Fairy Tale of My Life” 21). Andersen recognizes that the privileged
class has access to a life much different from monotonous and intense labor of
work. So he finds a mean to break into this life.
If the values of society don’t allow one to be their true self, then it is time to
adopt new values. When romanticism swept throughout Europe, it brought about
a new way of expression, living, and thinking. “The liberal movement grew in
strength, especially in the academic world and among the middle classes, the
liberal press, whose leading journal was Fædrelandet (“The Fatherland”;
established in 1834), subjected the monarchy and its conservative administration

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to severe criticism” (Denmark). So it is through the academic world (literature)
that Andersen finds an opportunity to change his fate. At the time, Copenhagen
was thought to be an epicenter of growth and liberal movement. So Andersen
made a decision to move to Copenhagen, as it was there that he believed he could
attain fame (“The Fairy Tale of My Life” 22). In the tale of the The Ugly Duckling,
the ugly duckling mirrors Andersen’s decision to leave, when he flies away from
home (“The Ugly Duckling” 293). The departure marks an attempt tobreak away
from the constraints of their hometown and those pertaining ideologies. It also
marks the beginning of a quest for their true identity.
When there is a divergence from an ideal, one often becomes an outcast. A
difference in appearance can present as a struggle, as there is a tendency to
oversimplify one as being “ugly”. Andersen uses “gawky and odd" to describe the
ugly duckling (“The Ugly Duckling” 292). This is congruent to people’s
description of Andersen’s own appearance. The ugly duckling (Andersen) is not
just different in his appearance but also in his desires and values. This difference
in desires and values can present as a struggle, as there is a tendency to
oversimplify one as being “foolish”. Andersen is repeatedly advised to“learn a
trade” (“The Fairy Tale of My Life” 20-21, 24, 31). This is society’s attempt to
assimilate him. Society’s attempt toassimilate Andersen is captured in the tale
when the duck is advised to “lay eggs and learn how to purr or throw off sparks…”
(“The Ugly Duckling” 297). This is clear in depicting how ideals force one to be
someone or something that they are not.
The true self begins to reveal when one pursues and aligns themselves with
their true passions. The duckling finds “delight to swim about on the water…” he

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finds it “refreshing to duck your head in and dive down to the bottom” (“The Ugly
Duckling” 296). Just like the duck, one will find happiness and feel invigorated by
doing what is true to their nature. Andersen cautions that society will persist to
say that doing so is “an absurd idea,” also that these ideas “would vanish if you
were able to lay eggs or purr…” (“The Ugly Duckling” 296). Society will even go to
the extent of saying that the “unpleasant things” they say are “for your own and
proof of real friendship” so its best to heed their advice (“The Ugly Duckling”
296-297). In actuality it is a disservice. It leads one further from uncovering their
true identity. Their disservice will only create “a deep longing” (“The Ugly
Duckling” 296). Andersen “besought of God to help and guide” him… and was
“comforted by so doing” as he “firmly trusted in God and” his “own good fortune”
(“The Fairy Tale of My Life” 25). The duckling mirrors this faith when he refuses
to assimilate and dares to “go back out into the wide world” (“ The Ugly
Duckling” 297). Although the end goal may not be clear, for the true self to unveil,
one must shows relentless determination and faith in that things will turn out for
the best.
Even people that are different try to identify influences. Andersen identifies
with the English. In particular Charles Dickens, whom he found “happiness to see
and speak with” (“The Fairy Tale of My Life” 301). In Andersen’s tale, it is the
ugly duckling’s case that he meets the swans. The little duckling “had no idea who
these birds were, nor did he know anything about their destination. Yet they were
more precious to him than any birds he had ever known. He was not at all
envious of them. After all, how could he ever aspire to their beauty?” (“The Ugly
Duckling” 297). Influences allow one to assimilate in a way that is of one’s own

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choosing. Influences are powerful even if they are only an image or idea to aspire
to.
Initially one might only see how fate led to the duckling’s transformation,
or assume that Andersen implies that nobility is a quality one is born with.
Especially when he says, “there’s nothing wrong with being born in a duck yard,
as long as you are hatched from a swan’s egg” (“The Ugly Duckling” 300).
But it would be more aligned with Andersen life to say that he believes each
person possess an inherent value, which stems from their true self.
While it’s normal to want a sense of approval, it can be more of a disservice to
compromise one’s self for the sake of approval. Expectations can suppress
individuals because they don’t align with the ideologies and values of that society.
But it’s those qualities that are part of one’s inherent identity and will be of most
value and will serve to set one apart (in the best way). It will take time to cultivate
into this person, but one must commit to the journey, even if the path leads one
astray from the norms & might even outcast them. Andersen message is that to
reach one’s full potential- one must be their true self.

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Works Cited
Andersen, Hans Christian, and Naomi Lewis. The Fairy Tale of My Life: An
Autobiography. 1871. Reprint. New York: Cooper Square Press, 2000.
Print.
Andersen, Hans Christian. “The Ugly Duckling.” The Annotated Classic Fairy
Tales. Ed. Maria Tatar. New York: Norton, 2002. 288-301. Print.
Book, Fredrik. “Hans Christian Andersen: A Biography.” Trans. George C.
Schoolfield. Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press, 1962. 9. Print
“Denmark.” Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc., 2014 Web. 2 June 2014.
Haase, Donald. “Arabian Nights.” The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Folktales and
Fairy Tales. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2008. 55-60. Print.
Popova, Maria. “How Hans Christian Andersen Revolutionized Storytelling, Plus
the Best Illustrations from 150 Years of His Beloved Fairytales.” Brain
Pickings. Brain Pickings, n.d. Web. 2 June 2014.
Scavenius, Bente. “ The Golden Age Revisted: Art and Culture in Denmark 1800-
1850.” Trans. Barbara Haveland and Jean Lundskaer-Nielsen. Denmark:
Gyldendalske Boghandel, 1996. Print.
Wullschlager, Jackie. “Hans Christian Andersen.” The Illustrated Exhibition
Guide. The British Library, n.d. Web. 18 May 2014.