This small poor girl is trying to sell matches because … In the last analysis, then, ‘The Little Match Girl’ is an atypical fairy story in many ways: it is largely plotless, it doesn’t offer its protagonist a chance of happiness in this world at the end of the story, there is no magical or supernatural intervention that saves her from her plight, and it only really features one character (two if we count the grandmother), with no on-stage ‘villain’ (only the violent father … “Granny! It would be handy as a cradle for his would be children. By then the girl realized that she would lose the vision of her grandmother when the match would go out. Isabella - The main character of the story is a poor, young Danish girl who is dying, alone and hypothermic on New Year's Eve, in a dark alley, without shoes or a hat. “Oh, how wonderful that was!” What a nice warm flame! The little match girl who died of cold and hunger is referred to here. But what would her father say it such a waste! How was the “last evening of the old year”? It's an often studied piece in academic circles. Analyzing the Plot of The Little Match Girl 1. The short story “The Little Match Girl” is all about the poverty, hunger and helplessness of a little girl who is sent to sell matches when she is supposed to stay at home or at school. When she left home she had slippers on, it is true; but what was the good of that? So the New Year’s Eve is a symbol for the beginning of a new life (after death) of the girl in heaven. By sequencing descriptions of her poverty alongside the cold, selfish, and uncaring attitudes of the citizens around her, Andersen makes it immediately clear to the reader that the harsh environment of the urban city is no place for such a little girl. They also foreshadow the girl’s own death. About the title of the story “The Little Match Girl”, it is very straightforward and represents the protagonist of the story, the poor little girl. Falteringly she took out a match and lit it. She rubbed another against the wall: it burned brightly, and where the light fell on the wall, there the wall became transparent like a veil, so that she could see into the room. What was there in the centre of the table? Privacy & Cookie Policy, The girl’s wish fulfillment but only after her death, The girl came to see her grandmother alive. A poor young girl forced to sell matchsticks desperately lights one match to survive the winter night. Rising Action The Based on Hans Christian Andersen’s classic story, Arthur Pita presents a beautiful recreation of The Little Match Girl through dance, song and Frank Moon’s live atmospheric music. These might be deliberate attempt from the writer to keep the story universal in its appeal. Additionally, his characterization of her intentionally evokes the reader’s sympathy and thus plays into the common fairy tale trope of the misfortunate child as a protagonist, potentially impacting where the reader may expect the story to go next. But the Christmas lights mounted higher. She takes shelter and, to try to stave off the cold a bit, lights a match. Using imagery and juxtaposition, Andersen contrasts the poverty of the little girl with the surrounding wealth. The title ‘Little Match Girl’ is quite apt as it revolves around a little girl who sells matches. She tried to warm up with the matches by lighting them up, one by one. live atmospheric music. Poverty. Who is the speaker? Although the fate of the little girl is morbid, it is portrayed as a happy ending, befitting the tone of a fairy tale because the little girl is finally free of the suffering that she has lived with for her entire life as a result of her poverty. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. 15. So, in its appeal, this story transcends all ages and cultures.