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bazoom42 7 days ago

Does Andersen ever use the “happily ever after” ending?

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miningape 7 days ago | parent [-]

Literally, I can't think of a single happy ending in even one of his stories.

It always ends with death, disappointment, or apathy.

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bazoom42 7 days ago | parent | next [-]

Andsersen has some happy endings, eg the Snow Queen or the Ugly Duckling. I guess the Matchstick Girl has the closest to a “happily ever after” ending, since she dies and goes to heaven.

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AlotOfReading 7 days ago | parent | prev [-]

Death usually is a happy ending in his stories. It's ascension to paradise and being freed from mortal suffering. It makes more sense if you're a deeply religious man from the 19th century than it does today, admittedly.

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Exoristos 7 days ago | parent [-]

78% of the world population are religious today, per e.g. Statista.

	▲	bazoom42 6 days ago \| parent \| next [-]
		Yeah but not every religious writer considers suffering and death a happy end.
	▲	AlotOfReading 7 days ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		Being religious is not quite the same thing as having a cultural frame of reference where death is a happy ending.