Hans Christian Andersen's 1848 fairy tale ''The Little Match Seller'' is a story that can teach us a moral and reveal several themes through the short and simple plot. If you’re not familiar with the story, it goes like this: The Little Match Girl . Exposition The exposition of the story is that the Little Maiden is left out on the streets, on a cold New Years Eve while every one is at home celebrating. Quiz & Worksheet - What are Services Retailers? courses that prepare you to earn The Fairy Tale Forest (Sprookjesbos in Dutch) of the amusement park Efteling in the Netherlands has a three-dimensional attraction showing the story of the Little Match Girl, called Het Meisje met de Zwavelstokjes. It doesn't take much to make the little match girl happy as she's able to imagine something so much greater than her reality. Little Match Girl can be viewed as a work of opposites can be analysed as a work of opposites. Anyone can earn Create your account. She drew one out. I don’t care that it keeps on giving me this story because I love how the little match girl was able to see her grandmother even though she was gone. 2. There is often a lesson learned at great expense. credit-by-exam regardless of age or education level. If she can be grateful for the warmth of a match, what do most of us have to complain about? A moral is a lesson that readers can learn about how to live life, while a theme is a big idea or message. Have you ever felt invisible? She huddles between two houses and desperately lights her matches to warm herself. Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. This is a fairy tale about a poor girl who has visions as she freezes to death on a cold New Year's Eve. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. When one falls from the sky, the little match girl thinks it means that someone has died because her deceased grandmother once told her that 'when a star falls, a soul ascends to God.' The Little Match Girl, also titled, The Little Matchstick Girl is one of our Favorite Fairy Tales. ‘The Little Match Girl’ was first published in 1845 with the Danish title Den Lille Pige med Svovlstikkerne (‘The little girl with the matchsticks’). The Little Match Girl - Study Guide. 3. Why didn't the girl in The Little Match Girl go home? She thought as if she was sitting in front of a big stove. Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Match Girl (1845) is one of the saddest, most beautiful stories about loneliness and magic of memories. imaginable degree, area of ; Anime and manga. All rights reserved. When she left home she had slippers on, it is true; but what was the good of that? The lights of the Christmas tree rose higher and higher, she saw them now as stars in heaven; one fell down and formed a long trail of fire.” —from “The How did she lose her shoes? If I could rate this from 1 to infinity, I would rate it infinity. It doesn't get any more pathetic than a hungry, cold, lonely, little girl who's afraid to go home. {{courseNav.course.mDynamicIntFields.lessonCount}} lessons Log in here for access. What is the duration of Resurrection of the Little Match Girl? © copyright 2003-2021 Study.com. As this pathetic child freezes, she lights a match for warmth. Working Scholars® Bringing Tuition-Free College to the Community. The Little Match Girl Plot Climax Sequence of incidents or events of which a story or play is composed. succeed. The Little Match Girl Strategy: Dyads (pairs) Objectives: 1. Flashcards - Real Estate Marketing Basics, Flashcards - Promotional Marketing in Real Estate, Expert Advice on Bullying for Teachers | Bullying Prevention in Schools, Common Core English & Reading Worksheets & Printables, Technical Writing for Teachers: Professional Development, McDougal Littell The Americans: Online Textbook Help, NMTA Middle Grades Math: Data Collection, Quiz & Worksheet - Percent Increase Formula, Quiz & Worksheet - Properties of the Orthocenter, Quiz & Worksheet - The Last 100 Days of the Civil War, Quiz & Worksheet - Importance of Sensitivity Training for Managers, John Ruskin's The Stones of Venice: Summary & Explanation, New York State (NYS) Common Core Standards, Creative Writing Exercises for Middle School, Tech and Engineering - Questions & Answers, Health and Medicine - Questions & Answers. Most terribly cold it was; it snowed, and was nearly quite dark, and evening-- the last evening of the year. The Little Match Girl Study Guide is a resource for teachers and students. A small poor girl was trying to sell matches on the street because her strict father had told her to. Andersen seems to be communicating that we should not be like those people. Kerry has been a teacher and an administrator for more than twenty years. The little girl's fingers were stiff with cold. In the story, a nameless little girl tries to sell matches on a freezing cold night on New Year's Eve. Though many suffer the same fate today as well, the living conditions for the children of the poor was particularly miserable back in Andersen’s time . The little match girl's next vision is of a beautiful stuffed goose dinner. A bright glimmer warmed her cold hands and charmed out commendable images. This may be significant as the Little Match girl on her journeys sees how other people live and it is in contrast to her own way of living. The Little Match Girl : About the Story. How do they relate to the plot? Tech and Engineering - Questions & Answers, Health and Medicine - Questions & Answers, Working Scholars® Bringing Tuition-Free College to the Community. When her body is found, she is smiling. She took one match out of a bunch. The little girl cannot sell any of those matches so she decided to sit for a while, lean herself in the stone wall and light up a match to warm herself from extreme coldness. Flashcards - Real Estate Marketing Basics, Flashcards - Promotional Marketing in Real Estate, Assessment in Schools | A Guide to Assessment Types, Expert Advice on Bullying for Teachers | Bullying Prevention in Schools, Organizational Behavior: Skills Development & Training, Human Resource Management: Skills Development & Training, CLEP Introductory Business Law: Study Guide & Test Prep, NMTA Middle Grades Math: Writing & Solving One-Step Equations. What is the genre of The Little Match Girl? Log in here for access. She had not given a name as she represents one of Th many poor children belonging to lower class in Victorian Era, who had to face hardship because of poverty. Earn Transferable Credit & Get your Degree. flashcard set{{course.flashcardSetCoun > 1 ? As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 83,000 It was a very cold winter night close to the end of the year. The students will practice using their listening skills as the Teacher tells the story. Nice, soothing and drowsy heat was coming from it. When was The Little Match Girl published? Kerry has been a teacher and an administrator for more than twenty years. What are some themes in the story? It was so terribly cold. Visit the Fairy Tales & Fables: Study Guide & Homework Help page to learn more. “Once, she was sent out of the house to beg and, when she could not do it, she sat for a whole day under a bridge and cried (Marley 2). The little match girl's next two visions describe her ascension into the afterlife as she dies from hypothermia. {{courseNav.course.topics.length}} chapters | Does The Little Match Girl end the way you expected? This story makes the reader think twice about passing someone in need without offering help. The little matchseller cupped her hand over it, and as she did so, she magically saw in its light a big brightly burning stove. The Disney Animation Studio quite famously changed the ending of “The Little Mermaid” to give it a classic happy ending, but did not make the same decision here. Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you We, the readers, realize that while she had those pleasant visions she is actually dying and breaking from reality. Why? Create your account, {{courseNav.course.topics.length}} chapters | But what would her father say it such a waste! Get a short summary as well as an analysis of the main themes and morals in Hans Christian Andersen's classic 1848 short story. Another overall idea that this story presents is that people who have a hard life on Earth will be rewarded in the afterlife. Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. People ignore her and she has no money to bring home to her family. One of the most well-known stories is the one of the little match girl. lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. What is the theme of The Little Match Girl? The moral lesson is to always be yourself and you will be taken care of. This detail shows her belief in an afterlife and that she will be rewarded by seeing her grandmother when she dies. Quiz & Worksheet - What is a Complete Graph? I keep on reading this story because of eSpark, but I actually don’t care. Rising Action The Katie teaches middle school English/Language Arts and has a master's degree in Secondary English Education. The little girl transcends her cold, hunger, and loneliness when she freezes to death and joins her beloved grandmother in heaven. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. How does Hans Christian Andersen reveal character? 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 the match goes out, the goose disappears. The falling star represents her ascension into heaven. She has a Master of Education degree. What are some symbols? Already registered? The girl stretched her hip and legs towards the fireplace however the match went out. In the cold and gloom a poor little girl, bareheaded and barefoot, was walking through the streets. She has a Master of Education degree. The tree grows until the lights are like stars. She has been taken away from the pain of this world to a place where she is loved. The young girl in the story does not have a name, and no one really notices her until she is dead. In this cold and darkness there went along the street a poor little girl, bareheaded, and with naked feet. 's' : ''}}. As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 83,000 The next day, the people who live in the houses nearby find her frozen to death. A young girl is sent out by her impoverished parents to sell matches on the last evening of the year. Evening came on, the last evening of the year. Types of Hybrid Learning Models During Covid-19, Creating Routines & Schedules for Your Child's Pandemic Learning Experience, How to Make the Hybrid Learning Model Effective for Your Child, Distance Learning Considerations for English Language Learner (ELL) Students, The Ambitious Guest by Nathaniel Hawthorne Analysis, Little Blue Penguin Facts: Lesson for Kids, Black History Month Lesson for Kids: People, Quotes & Facts, Quiz & Worksheet - Evaluating Types of Retail Competition. But what would her father say it such a waste! What can we learn from this very short story, and what big ideas does Andersen communicate? 4. Poverty “The Little Match Girl” presents a poignant critique of cultural attitudes to extreme poverty and inequality during the period of the industrial revolution. Do they tug at your heartstrings? Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you I was sitting by the window in my house just as always when on the road connecting my house to other houses on the street, I saw a small little girl with a tall man. When she lights the next match, she sees a huge, beautifully decorated Christmas tree. Let's examine the themes, or main topics, and morals, or lessons, of this story. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. The Little Match Girl is a widely read story by Andersen which focuses on the plight of the poor children who suffer undeserved hardships just because they were born in the wrong socio-economic strata. In this lesson, we will discuss the themes and morals from 'The Little Match Girl' by Hans Christian Andersen. Moral Short Story – The Little Girl Photo credit: takekha from morguefile.com. The little match girl is unloved, abused, and shoeless. Quiz & Worksheet - HR Development Features & Challenges, Quiz & Worksheet - King Agamemnon & the Trojan War, Quiz & Worksheet - Properties of Octahedrons, Ancient Greek Sculpture: History & Characteristics, North Carolina Common Core State Standards. How do you respond when you see people begging on the street? To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post. Her little hands were blue from cold. Types of Hybrid Learning Models During Covid-19, Creating Routines & Schedules for Your Child's Pandemic Learning Experience, How to Make the Hybrid Learning Model Effective for Your Child, Distance Learning Considerations for English Language Learner (ELL) Students, The Ambitious Guest by Nathaniel Hawthorne Analysis, Little Blue Penguin Facts: Lesson for Kids, Black History Month Lesson for Kids: People, Quotes & Facts, Quiz & Worksheet - Evaluating Types of Retail Competition. Did you know… We have over 220 college The story also gives an instructive moral for how we can live our lives by showing the bystanders who ignored the girl in a negative light. Snow was falling, and it was almost dark. Charles Dickens, who was also writing during the latter part of the 19th century, similarly tackled themes of poverty and social consciousness. If so, you might sympathize with the main character in ''The Little Match Seller.'' 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The final match she lights reveals a vision of the little girl's grandmother, whom she describes as 'the only person who had loved her.' This story presents the idea that we can use our minds to create a better place than reality, and that the poor and humble will eventually be rewarded in the afterlife. The next morning when the little match girl is found frozen to death, she is smiling. | {{course.flashcardSetCount}} Teaching Financial Literacy & Personal Finance, Overview of Blood & the Cardiovascular System, Electrolyte, Water & pH Balance in the Body, Sexual Reproduction & the Reproductive System, How Teachers Can Improve a Student's Hybrid Learning Experience. They were very large slippers, which her mother had hitherto worn; so large were they; and the poor little thing lost them as she scuffled away across … It is likely that the many people who saw this little beggar disapproved of her without understanding her circumstances. As she lights each match, she has visions. The Little Match Girl is to be considered the same. An additional theme is the idea that there are countless people suffering in the world who have no name and are easy to overlook. An error occurred trying to load this video. Falteringly she took out a match and lit it. credit by exam that is accepted by over 1,500 colleges and universities. The title ‘Little Match Girl’ is quite apt as it revolves around a little girl who sells matches. Teaching Financial Literacy & Personal Finance, Overview of Blood & the Cardiovascular System, Electrolyte, Water & pH Balance in the Body, Sexual Reproduction & the Reproductive System, How Teachers Can Improve a Student's Hybrid Learning Experience. The Little Match Girl A translation of Hans Christian Andersen's "Den lille Pige med Svovlstikkerne" by Jean Hersholt. What a nice warm flame! Info & links . A moral is a lesson that readers can learn about how to live life, while a theme is a big idea or message. flashcard set{{course.flashcardSetCoun > 1 ? Have you ever felt alone on a freezing wintry night? © copyright 2003-2021 Study.com. When she does this, she has visions of warmth and happiness; visions of her enjoying a meal, then celebrating around a Christmas tree, and, finally, seeing her grandmother who had died. As the little match girl comes closer to death, she envisions a falling star and her grandmother, which point to one of the themes , or main topics, of the fairy tale: the pain of this world is only temporary. Earn Transferable Credit & Get your Degree, The Little Match Girl: Moral, Themes & Analysis, The Little Match Girl: Characters & Analysis, The Little Match Seller: Summary & Characters, Hearts and Hands by O. Henry: Theme & Analysis, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings: Analysis & Themes, Hearts and Hands by O. 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Despite her dire circumstances, the little girl dreams of warmth and food as she tries to earn money for her family. How did the ending make you feel? But the saddest, starkest holiday child, the strangest 19th-century combination of sentiment and social realism and holiday imagery, is without doubt Hans Christian Andersen's Little Match Girl. lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. Get unlimited access to over 83,000 lessons. Either way, it shows that she is beginning to separate from the reality of her life on Earth. How Long is the School Day in Homeschool Programs? Not sure what college you want to attend yet? Parental Guidance:Some material of this video may not be suitable for children below 13 years of age. 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The moral lesson taught in the film is to always be an honest, responsible person. How Long is the School Day in Homeschool Programs? The little match girl is no longer thinking about her sad, miserable existence. What is Professional Development for Teachers? Alejandra August 3, 2020 at 4:06 pm. How? Using imagery and juxtaposition, Andersen contrasts the poverty of the little girl with the surrounding wealth. At this point in the story, her grandmother 'took the little maiden, on her arm, and both flew in brightness and in joy so high, so very high, and then above was neither cold, nor hunger, nor anxiety--they were with God.' The Little Match Girl or in a literal translation "The little girl with the matchsticks", is a short story by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, which was first published in 1845. The little girl is cold, poor, lonely, and miserable, but seems to be doing her best to help her family. Already registered? {{courseNav.course.mDynamicIntFields.lessonCount}} lessons Although she is freezing, she's afraid to go home because her father will beat her for not bringing back any money. first two years of college and save thousands off your degree. When Hans Christian Andersen wrote this story, it was illegal to beg on the streets, so families got around these laws by selling matches. In some ways, it shares something with Charles Dickens’s stories highlighting the plight of the poor, and indeed, we might draw a (tenuous) link between Dickens’s famous story A Christmas Carol from two years earlier and this story. While a potentially scary hallucination, the little match girl may have found it silly. transparent able to be seen through with clarity Thanks to its brevity and delicate approach to the topic of death, "The Little Match Girl" serves as a great tool, like most fairy tales, to teach children important lessons about the tougher topics in life like death and loss as well as social issues like poverty and charity. Imagine sending your child out into the cold to beg in the hopes that he or she can bring in enough money to support the family. In this attraction, use is made of the Pepper's ghost technique. Yet, no one helps her. The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen is a fairy tale about a young girl who is sent out on a snowy night without a hat or shoes to sell matches to earn money for her family. Get unlimited access to over 83,000 lessons. One of the morals, or lessons, of The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen is to behave charitably toward those who are less fortunate. The Little Match girl is forced to sell matches for her father regardless of the fact that it is the 31 st December and it is cold. One message that this story holds is that we should not underestimate the power of one's mind and imagination. Andersen seems to want to make readers aware of the social condition of a great part of society. In this cold and darkness there went along the street a poor little girl, bareheaded, and with naked feet. Or do you view their way of asking for money with disapproval? Log in or sign up to add this lesson to a Custom Course. Out of fear of losing her grandmother as she lost the other visions, the girl lights all the matches at once. When all the world seems to be celebrating the New Year’s Eve, the girl is deprived of the joy. What is the moral lesson of The Little Match Girl? To learn more, visit our Earning Credit Page. and career path that can help you find the school that's right for you. So, she sits between a couple of houses and lights some matches to keep warm. Sometimes, like in “The Little Match Girl” death is viewed as a happy ending since the suffering of this world is over. We hope this study guide will help both teachers and students better appreciate the nuances of Andersen's poignant story. The little girl was physically freezing but was able to transport herself to a hopeful and warm place with the visions in her head. Eventually, she ran out of matches. Quiz & Worksheet - What are Services Retailers? Level: intermediate-advanced Language Skills: reading, writing and speaking.Vocabulary activities are included. Passage – 2 They did not help her when she was trying to sell matches in the cold and only noticed her when she had frozen to death.