1. Sample Essay 1
2. Sample Essay 2
3. Sample Essay 3
4. Sample Essay 4
Prompt: Reflection on the Ending of the Story The Little Match Girl
3 Sample Essays: Reflections on the Ending of The Little Match Girl
Sample Essay 1: Reflections on the Ending of The Little Match Girl
She perished in the biting cold of New Year's Eve. On the first day of the new year, her lifeless body was found amidst burnt matchsticks, one bundle completely consumed. Nobody knew the wonders she beheld, especially the glorious vision of her grandmother and her flying towards the joys of the new year.
She ascended into a realm of radiant light, love, and kindness—a world where a gentle grandmother awaited her with warm hearths, sumptuous meals, resplendent Christmas trees, sheltering embrace, and boundless divine mercy. She escaped forever from earthly torments, hunger, cold, loneliness, and misery. She departed in peace, with 'rosy cheeks and smiling lips.' Surely, this countenance will haunt generations of readers: the girl departed in joy, forgiveness, and grace. She smiled farewell to all, forgiving everything: the vile curses, the cruel beatings, the cold indifference of humanity... She departed like an angel, having endured the world's trials, returning to God, to the heavenly realm. In that aspect, the story's conclusion is a fitting, warm, and profoundly humane one. Andersen didn't use fanciful wings for escape but instead stooped down to the harsh reality of life, to empathize and cherish the unfortunate fates, to recognize and value the pure, noble dreams of humanity.
- However, it's not entirely a happy ending. Andersen's tale concludes, yet the readers' minds remain restless, pondering over human nature, life, human relationships, and fate. The writer doesn't shy away from the harsh reality. The girl's pure and innocent soul has perished, died on New Year's Eve, in hunger and cold. A new year promises new beginnings, but the girl ended her journey right at the threshold of the new year. There's no chance, no future for her. Before dying of hunger and cold, she died because of the cold, indifferent, ruthless, selfish nature of humans. She dared not return home for fear of her father's curses and beatings. She was abandoned, desperate, fighting against the cold pricelessly in the face of the indifferent, apathetic gazes of passersby. She was lonely, desolate while everyone else joyously welcomed the new year. She lay there amidst the callous chatter of the people. She bid farewell to life, bidding farewell to it because nobody loved her, nobody cared, protected her. Her death forever leaves behind sorrow, lingering like an haunting question in everyone's heart: how to never have unhappy children like the little match girl on this earth?
The story, gentle and simple, raises profound issues, portraying high human values through the writer's loving heart and appreciation for human beings. The ending of the story is like a poignant question, like a suggestion that the writer sends to readers of many generations, across all horizons, about living, attitudes, and feelings towards others, especially towards the unfortunate.
Above is the section Reflections on the Ending of The Little Match Girl Next, you prepare to answer textbook questions, Compose The Little Match Girl and along with the section Write a paragraph expressing your feelings about the little match girl to study Vietnamese Literature in 8th grade better.
Sample Essay 2: Reflections on the Ending of The Little Match Girl
Anyone who has ever read 'The Little Match Girl' by the Danish writer Andersen will never forget the flickering match flames amidst the cold New Year's Eve, connected to a beautiful world of dreams of the impoverished little girl. The story may have ended, but the haunting power of those beautiful dreams still fills the minds of readers, listeners through the compelling storytelling and vivid descriptions of the author.
Anyone who has ever read 'The Little Match Girl' by the Danish writer Andersen will never forget the flickering match flames amidst the cold New Year's Eve, connected to a beautiful world of dreams of the impoverished little girl. The story may have ended, but the haunting power of those beautiful dreams still fills the minds of readers, listeners through the compelling storytelling and vivid descriptions of the author.
The conclusion of the story juxtaposes the joyful scene of life with the tragic death of the little match girl. On New Year's Eve, due to extreme hunger and cold, she died with rosy cheeks and lips smiling. The next morning, the sky was lightly blue, and everyone happily left their homes. Amidst the joy and excitement of everyone, she died against a wall, amidst the matchsticks that had ignited, deeply affecting the readers' hearts. This is a highly remarkable ending, entirely different from the endings of fairy tales. While fairy tales usually end happily and the characters find happiness right in real life, 'The Little Match Girl' concludes with a tragic, poignant ending for the poor, unfortunate fate of the little match girl. However, Andersen's talent lies in describing tragedy without evoking the character's despair and the sadness of life. Because the girl departed in boundless happiness and contentment when she was dearly loved and cared for by her grandmother. From there, she will live forever with her. Through the detail of her death, her cheeks still rosy, her lips still smiling, the author wants to affirm that the girl did not die because she transcended the bitter, dark, cruel reality to step into a brighter world. And only death can free the misery of life, and happiness only comes when she dies with a 'smiling lip'. Even more miraculous is the happiness with her when she is with her loving grandmother, flying up to the merciful God. Only Andersen truly understands and appreciates because his heart belongs to the poor, unfortunate people in life. That ending remains a tragedy, haunting the reader's heart, shining with profound human values. Contrary to the extreme unhappiness of the little girl is the indifference of people.
The more we cherish the dreams of the little girl, the more painful it is to witness her tragic death. And we must thank Andersen for describing the girl's death with profound sympathy. The light of the dreams appearing whenever a match flares up has become a bright halo shining beside the poor girl in the final moments of her life, driving away all ice, cold, helping her forget all the pain, sorrow of earthly life. When seeing those unfinished matchsticks, those people become cold, indifferent, lacking in love: 'Probably wants to warm up'.
Entering the story 'The Little Match Girl,' readers cannot help but feel the significance of the image of the match flames. It represents the flame of childhood dreams of a warm family home, of being well-fed and well-clothed, of playing and living in the love of everyone. This is the profound humanistic meaning of the work. And the image of the girl begging her grandmother to ask the merciful God to let her go with her serves as a reminder for us to love children and to ensure that they have a happy life in the warmth of a family, in the caring and cherishing of everyone.
The poor little girl! In a society lacking love between people, the writer Andersen wrote this story to express endless sympathy for the little match girl in general and the class of the poor in particular, to alleviate the pain that throbs in the hearts and also to comfort the unfortunate souls. Although the author described the girl's death with rosy cheeks and lips smiling, it still moves readers to tears. Even though the book is closed, the image of the little match girl still lingers and exists in me and all those who have read the story. The message he embedded remains profoundly meaningful to this day.
Sample 3: Thoughts on the ending of the story The Little Match Girl
The work 'The Little Match Girl' by Andersen will make us never forget the image of the little match girl with the flickering match flames. It was a cold New Year's Eve connected to the sweetest and happiest dreams of the poor unfortunate girl. The story may have ended, but the haunting power of her dreams and fantasies still fills, especially the death of the little match girl, which remains a nostalgia in the reader's mind.
The story concludes amidst the joy of life, yet the little match girl meets a tragic end. On that New Year's Eve, she endured hunger and cold all day without daring to go home for fear of her father's beating. It was the extreme cold and hunger that claimed her life, with rosy cheeks and a smiling face. As the sun rose on the first morning of the new year, the sky turned blue, and everyone happily left their homes.
Amidst the excitement and joy of everyone, she met her end against a wall on the sidewalk, surrounded by matchboxes and used matches, an image deeply ingrained in the reader's mind. This ending is entirely different from those of fairy tales. The little match girl had no happy ending, nor did she find happiness in real life. Instead, she tragically perished, evoking immense pity.
However, the writer's skill lies in writing tragedy without evoking horror and the sadness of the character's life. Because the little match girl departed in boundless happiness and contentment, being with her grandmother, loved and cared for to the fullest. The image of her death, with rosy cheeks and a smiling mouth, is evidence that she did not die; she merely transitioned from a bitter, dark world to a brighter one.
Only in death could her life be freed from suffering, and her joy and happiness were being with her grandmother, ascending to the merciful God. Andersen understood and deeply appreciated this, as his heart belonged to the wretched and unfortunate in society. The story's ending, though tragic, shines with humanistic values.
Contrasting the tragedy of the little match girl's death is the indifference of society. When seeing those burnt-out matches, people become cold, apathetic, lacking in compassion, only muttering a chilling phrase: 'Maybe she wanted to warm up.' The little match girl is truly pitiful, especially in a society devoid of empathy and compassion among people. Andersen wrote this story partly to express boundless pity for the little match girl and the fate of the wretched in society in general, comforting and soothing their pain. Partly, it's also to condemn and denounce the indifference of those lacking empathy in society.
The image of the little match girl's death is always the most poignant, even though the writer described her with rosy cheeks and a smiling mouth. Even as the book closes, the image of the little match girl lingers in the souls of all who read the story.