Explain how is the story interspersed with didactic elements. Give two examples
of imagery used in this extract.
ch- the little match girl
Answers
'The Little Match Girl' by Hans Christian Andersen is a touching story with strong didactic elements. A text that is didactic in nature seeks to convey a moral lesson. In this story, the author uses contrasts to bring out the irony of the child's situation and convey a strong message to the readers.
To begin with, the author describes what the child sees. She sees light shining from 'each window' of the houses, but she herself is in the dark. The rich had enough to keep their homes lit up and warm, while right outside, there were unfortunate people like the little child, who were so cold. Similarly, the girl could 'smell the beautiful roast goose that was being cooked' in 'all the houses', but she could not eat any of that. The contrast here is between the poor girl's basic necessities of food and warmth and the luxury of the rich people's lifestyles.
The second example is of when the little child lit a match and could see things. However, the magical things disappeared as soon as the match finished burning. In the light of the match, the child could see through the wall. She saw what she yearned for- the laid out table and the goose. It was within her reach, but the match went out and the 'damp wall' stood between her and her desires. These are essentially walls that humans have built, to keep the poor out. Such walls have divided society into two categories- the haves and the have-nots. The child was unfortunately in the latter category and did not have enough clothes, food or shelter, which is why she died.
Through both these examples, the author has tried to convey a message to the readers to be aware of the degree of poverty that exists right outside their doors and to do their bit to help out as much as possible.
Answer:
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