The Ugly Duckling

4 Pages 1108 Words

The tale of “The Ugly Duckling” has been told for many generations. It is the story of a little swan that is mistakenly hatched in a duck’s nest and because of his strange and different appearance he is teased and ridiculed. Even his mother can’t understand how this “ugly duckling” could be one of her own. The ugly duckling goes through many hardships and a long, lonely winter. Then upon seeing his reflection in the pond he realizes that he has become a beautiful swan and happily swims off, joining a group of nearby swans.
At first glance, many may perceive this as a cut and dry fairy tale. Sending the message that without outward beauty, you will never be able to achieve inner peace and happiness. I feel that with the writing of this tale Andersen was trying to send a different message. I think Andersen was trying to encourage us to be true to ourselves and to have tolerance and acceptance of others. By remaining true to ourselves and following our dreams we will someday acquire the inner peace and happiness we desire.
While researching “The Ugly Duckling” I found that Andersen wrote autobiographies periodically throughout his life. Andersen believed these autobiographies were necessary he stated, “To understand my writing, one must first have knowledge of my life”. (Andersen) Andersen often incorporated themes and people from his own life experiences into his stories. Thus, without the autobiographies, Andersen did not think his writings could be completely understood. This holds true for the meaning behind the tale of “The Ugly Duckling.” Andersen had a poor childhood. His father was a shoemaker and although he wasn’t highly educated, he did have a love of books and stories, these he shared with a young Andersen on a daily basis. His mother was an uneducated, unskilled worker with a big heart. Although she loved Andersen, after the death of her husband, she did not posses the skills or t...