Change And Rebirth In Scandinavian Literature
In Scandinavian literature, writers use journeys as symbols of change and rebirth. Through the
journeys, the characters discover the unknown aspects of their lives, recognize their worlds for
what they are, and choose the future they want to pursue. Some characters make sacrifice on
their journeys in order to experience the unseen beauty and to seek spiritual contentment. The
little mermaid in Hans Christian Andersen s story voluntarily sacrificed her fishtail and tongue
for a wisp of love from the prince after her first trip to the world above. Abbot Hans in The
Legend of the Christmas Roses risked his life on the trip to see the Lord s garden at Christmas
Eve. The main characters in The Ugly Duckling and The Red Shoes were driven to... Show more
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Facing the dangerous route to the sea witch s residence, her heart was beating with fear, she
almost turned back. But by reminding herself of her goals, her courage returned. (68) She was
not the helpless, vulnerable, little princess in her father s palace, rather, she turned into a strong
minded woman who bravely sought for the truth about her nature and who willingly endured
unimaginable pain for love. The sea witch warned her about the terrible consequences of her
decision: every time your foot touches the ground it will feel as though you were walking on
knives so sharp that your blood must flow. (68) And more severely, if she failed to marry the
prince, the first morning after he has married another, your heart will break and you will become
foam on the ocean. (69) Even though her voice trembled and her face turned white as a corpse,
she answered, I still want to try. (69) However, the little mermaid s painful efforts did not come
out as she expected. The prince treated her as his lovely pet and she, who sacrificed her voice for
legs, could not reveal the truth that she was the girl who saved him. Yet the little mermaid held on
to her beliefs, I will take care of him, love him, and devote my life to him. (72) And so she did. As
the prince fell in love with the neighboring princess, it seems that the little mermaid s journey was
going to come to a dreadful end. At the most frustrating moment, on the edge of death, she danced
for the prince to please him and refused to kill him for her own life. Her devotion and selflessness
shows her transformation from a sentimental, imaginative, and impulsive mermaid girl to a rational,
faithful, and mature human. In the end, Andersen indicated her transformation by granting her a
chance to obtain the immortal soul, a soul that only human could have. At the end, the little
mermaid kissed the bride s forehead and smiled at the
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