Reflections on The Little Match Girl by Andersen

Prompt: Reflecting on The Little Match Girl

Three sample essays on the appreciation of the story The Little Match Girl.

1. Appreciating the story of The Little Match Girl, sample number 1: 

Among us, many have read 'The Ugly Duckling,' 'The Little Mermaid,'... by Hans Christian Andersen - the famous Danish writer in the 19th century. He is the writer of 'every time, everyone, and every house' with fairy tales for children.

The Northern flavor, with snowflakes, with swan wings, with the little mermaid, with the magical match flame,... seems to bring our childhood to live with many dreams, beautiful dreams.

The story 'The Little Match Girl' was written by Hans Christian Andersen in 1845, when he had been writing for over 20 years, a world-renowned name. It belongs to the type of story that is both real and imaginary, with a fairytale-like color, deeply poetic, evoking a profound compassion, a noble human beauty. The little match girl froze to death in the snow, with rosy cheeks and lips as if smiling, dreaming of legendary dreams!

Readers often wonder: where is the little girl's mother? Many speculate that the girl is orphaned. Her most beautiful childhood was the time spent with her kind grandmother in a lovely house surrounded by spring flowers. Her life turned unhappy after her grandmother's death, living with her rude and miserly father, she had to 'huddle in a dark corner, always listening to curses and insults'.

Hans Christian Andersen takes us along the match-selling path of the little girl. A typical moment speaks of extreme poverty, expressing the utmost unhappiness of a child. It was a New Year's Eve 'with intense cold, falling snow'. She went out bareheaded, at first wearing 'a few shoes', but shortly after, her shoes, one was torn by the cartwheel, the other was taken by a strange boy, thrown into the sky, and he said it would be 'a cradle for a future dog'. She sells matches in the dark night with her small bare feet, soon 'her feet turn red, then purple again from the cold'. Looking at her, who wouldn't feel compassionate?

The author creates two contrasting scenes on a New Year's Eve. A girl goes selling matches all day without selling a single match, 'hungry and freezing' wandering the streets, not getting a penny from anyone! Her hair and back were covered in snow. In contrast, every house's window was 'bright with lights' and in the street, there was 'the tempting smell of roast goose'. These are two contrasting scenes. The story becomes bitter! On the match-selling journey to survive on New Year's Eve, the little girl lives in loneliness, sadness. A happy past returns to her soul. The old house with spring flowers, with the image of her grandmother, warm and happy! Where is it now? The current house is in ruins, all day she only hears curses. The fate of the little match girl is truly bitter and pitiful! A childhood soaked with tears. Behind the scenes of life, the fate of the little match girl on New Year's Eve is a follow-up view of the author Hans Christian Andersen with many mysteries, with endless worries.

Aside from the cold and loneliness, the little match girl also suffered from severe psychological pain, constantly tormented and haunted. At home, she was verbally abused by her father, wandering in the snowy night, on New Year's Eve, if she couldn't sell a few matchboxes or no one gave her a penny to bring back, she would definitely be beaten by her father! This unhappiness is terrifying, it always weighs heavily on her soul. Knowing that 'parents' love is childhood heaven' only shows the depth of the Danish writer's humanitarian heart. He gently reminds someone who is being loved and cherished in their parents' arms to empathize with the mental suffering, the pain of unfortunate little ones like this match girl. Because knowing how to share with others is also happiness.

The most touching, the best part when the author talks about the dreams of the little match girl. She had struck all the matches in a matchbox. At first, it was a 'dare' to light a match, with the intention of 'warming up a bit'. How could the flame of a match withstand a whole night of heavy frost and snow? At first, she only saw, she only discovered the match flame was 'blue', then 'white', 'glowed pink around the wooden match looking delightful'. From a tiny joy, simple joy of a poor child like her, she entered into wonderful dreams. Every match from the girl's hand struck was a 'magical' flame. The first match 'shone like a ruby' made her 'feel like sitting in front of an iron stove with shiny copper figures'. The fire in that stove 'comforting and radiating gentle heat'. That's also the dream of impoverished souls in the bitterly cold winter! A writer with a beautiful soul, a compassionate and imaginative heart can empathize with such simple dreams of poor children.

The second match flared up. The girl's soul was taken to a cozy house with 'curtains made of colorful fabric', with a luxurious feast. A table with a white tablecloth, precious porcelain dishes, roast goose. She was 'hungry and freezing', so she found it most miraculous that the goose jumped off the plate and carried both a fork and knife on its back, advancing towards her. The match extinguished, the dream faded. The little match girl still sits alone under the snowy sky on New Year's Eve. Whoever carries the most humane feelings in their heart will surely shed tears when thinking about the fate of the little girl after the second match extinguishes, the dream fades.

Then the third match also flared up. The girl seemed to see before her eyes a splendid Christmas tree adorned with thousands of bright candles, sparkling on the green branches... She was reaching out towards the tree... then the match went out. This time, she saw the candles flying high until they 'turned into stars in the sky'. The richness of language and emotion of the story has brought a new intensity. From the candles on the Christmas tree (in the dream), she thought of the sparkling stars in the sky, then thought of a changing star, a soul that 'flew up to heaven with God'. It is also necessary to appreciate the image of God in Andersen's story, it is a symbol of belief towards the extremely lofty, sacred, and good. God in the dream, not in the concept of many religions, as well as Fairies, Buddhas in Vietnamese fairy tales.

The little girl gradually sinks into the enchanting dreams of childhood as she strikes the fourth match. In the greenish flame from the match, she 'clearly sees her grandmother smiling at her'. And this time too, the match burns out, extinguishing the dream: 'The match goes out with a puff and the bright apparition on the little girl's face also disappears'. More than a century has passed since Andersen wrote this story (1845) but readers all over the planet - those lovely little students - still seem to hear the poor little match girl's prayers echoing somewhere. You're still obedient, grandma! 'I plead with you, grandma, beg the kind God to let me come back to you...'

Fluttering in the dream. The night gets darker, the cold gets harsher, and the snow covers the ground thicker. The matches illuminate each other. Her grandmother appears huge and beautiful. Her grandmother holds her hand and they fly high, high 'no hunger, cold, or sadness threatens' her anymore. The two grandmother and granddaughter have gone to serve the kind God.

Andersen's talent lies in talking about the death of the little match girl, dying of hunger, freezing in the snow without evoking horrifying tragedy. She hasn't died and she didn't die! She and her grandmother left this bitter, cruel, and desolate reality to enter a new world, more beautiful, happier. That's her dream; to ascend to heaven with the kind God. The image of the little match girl lying on the snow, among the matchboxes, one of which had burned out completely 'with rosy cheeks and lips smiling' on New Year's Day is a deeply meaningful image, evoking much sorrow in people's hearts. The sky is light blue, the sun shines brightly, and the snow still covers the ground. Everyone happily leaves their homes. And they say to each other: 'She must want to warm up!' The earth and the sky are still beautiful. There are still those who are indifferent to the pain of others. Life still has many sad scenes like 'the snow still covers the ground'. Who knows 'the grand scene when the two grandmothers fly up to welcome the joys of the new year?'

Reading 'The Little Match Girl', the image of the flame - the match is the most glittering image'. It is the flame of childhood dreams about the warmth of family, about being well-fed and happy, about the love of family that grandparents, parents bring to their children. From the flame - match has turned into stars in the sky... to light the way for the little girl flying up to God. Through the flame and the bright stars, Andersen sympathized, appreciated, praised the dreams, whether simple or miraculous, of childhood, the human beauty of 'The Little Match Girl' story is skillfully expressed through the image of the flame'. And he also gently reminds people to share love, not to be indifferent or indifferent to the pain, the unhappiness of the little ones. Andersen has a gentle writing style. The humanistic value of 'The Little Match Girl' story helps us see that he is the writer of 'every time, everyone, and every house' as Victor Hugo, the great French writer, said. Let's think about and strive for a tomorrow - a beautiful tomorrow for childhood in warmth, happiness, singing, and peace.

3. Reflection on 'The Little Match Girl', sample 3:

Anyone who has read The Little Match Girl by Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen will surely never forget the tiny flickering match flames in the midst of the bitterly cold New Year's Eve night, intertwined with the impoverished girl's beautiful imaginary world.

The ending of the story is truly sad but the haunting power of the beautiful dreams still fills the minds of readers, listeners through the captivating narration and vivid descriptions by Andersen...

In the darkness and biting cold of Denmark, one can almost see a girl with pale purple lips, starving and shivering, walking barefoot on the streets. An orphaned girl in misery, afraid to return home because she hasn't sold any matches yet, fearing her father's punishment. The writer has created a vivid sense of realism by immersing into the emotional moments of the girl.

The first striking impression evokes a sense of sympathy as the image of the girl emerges amidst the vastness of the night during the approaching New Year's Eve. While 'every house is brightly lit and the street is filled with the smell of roasted goose,' she reminisces about the beautiful past when her kind grandmother was alive. The cozy little house with strings of spring flowers contrasts sharply with the reality of life with her harsh father in a dark corner, the poverty accompanied by his relentless cursing.

To quell the cold sensation, she 'sits huddled in a corner,' 'draws her legs close to her body,' but perhaps the fear is even stronger than the cold, making her feel 'even colder.' She cannot go home because she knows 'her father will surely beat her.' 'At home, it's just as cold,' the scariest thing for the girl is not the lack of warmth but the lack of love. It's truly pitiful when her small body futilely struggles with the icy feeling outside and the coldness from within her heart, causing 'her hands to stiffen.'

At that moment, she only wishes for something very small: 'Hmm! Wouldn't it be nice to strike a match to warm up a bit?' but it seems she is not brave enough because doing so would ruin a match not sold. But then she also 'dares to strike a match,' to start a journey of imagination beyond the harsh reality. Her dream begins from looking at the flame: 'initially blue, gradually disappearing, turning white, then glowing pink around the wooden stick, shining brightly, pleasing to the eye.' That light overshadowed the feeling of the vast darkness, revealing the image of 'an iron stove with raised copper figures shimmering.'

Her pleasure comes in the hallucination of 'the fire burning cheerfully and emitting a gentle heat.' It's a very simple dream while reality is cruelly 'the snow covering the ground, the wind blowing fiercely... in the bitterly cold winter night.' The dream of sitting for hours 'in front of a stove' also dissipates when 'the fire suddenly goes out, the stove disappears.' The moment she feels 'chilled to the bone' imagining her father's curses makes one's heart ache. Darkness once again shrouds the gloomy color in her soul.

Perhaps that's why the author allowed her to light up the second matchstick, igniting a small joy even if only in dreams. Not only did she have to endure the cold, but she also had to withstand hunger as she went all day without eating anything. Therefore, the bright light of the matchstick transformed the drab wall into 'a curtain of colorful fabric.' The happiness of the warm homes came to her when she saw: 'The table was set, the tablecloth was white, there were precious porcelain dishes on the table, and there was even a roast goose.'

If only all the imagined images turned into reality, she would be so happy, when 'the goose jumped off the plate' would bring her a sumptuous meal to overcome the chilling hunger. But once again, the illusion vanished, and she had to face 'the deserted, freezing streets, covered in white snow, with the howling wind.' Not only that, she also witnessed the cold indifference of the passersby, a contrasting image vividly depicted by the author that stings before the unfortunate child.

And once again, the next matchstick lit up, allowing her to live in the most beautiful dreams of a child. In a life struggling every minute, she had to bid farewell to the playful joys of childhood. The light from the matchstick radiated a glorious glow, giving her 'a Christmas tree,' as if bringing her to a paradise of childhood: 'Thousands of candles shining brightly, sparkling on the green branches and many colorful paintings like those displayed in the store.' The irony is all those beautiful images she could only look at but not touch, because they were all illusions, like the stars in the sky she could not reach. Our hearts choked up with the author's narration, for the child is gradually exhausted and about to succumb to the deadly cold of the Snow Queen's realm.

In the final moment of her life, perhaps the author did not want readers to witness a tragic death due to cold, hunger, lack of love, and joy in the miserable life of the little girl, so he gave her many lights and joys to reunite with her beloved grandmother whom she deeply adored. The image of her appeared in the last moments of the little girl is not merely an illusion but the reality seen through the pure soul of the child. Her grandmother appeared with a smile, bestowing upon her the blessing of reliving a warm and loving life of the past. Her rejoicing upon meeting her grandmother again and her innocent pleas are the final words of someone about to depart from this world. She lived with her own complete joy, but perhaps none of us could hold back tears: 'Back then, you told me that if I was obedient, I would meet you again, granny! I beg you, granny, please ask the merciful God to bring me back to you. Surely, He won't refuse.'

In that heartfelt confession, we understand the harsh reality and injustice that she is enduring. What she needs is genuine love in a tolerant and compassionate world. Therefore, death is no longer frightening for her. She goes back to her grandmother, to another world 'without cold, hunger, or any threats.' The author allowed her small hands to ignite the Light - 'matchsticks lighting up like daylight' - so she could see her 'grand and venerable' grandmother coming to greet her and fly together into the dream world in the radiant light dispelling all the darkness weighing down her life.

The story concludes. A new day begins, 'the sun rises, bright and shining in the pale blue sky.' Life goes on, people welcome 'the first day of the new year appearing on the body of the little girl sitting among the matchsticks,' looking at her to casually comment: 'perhaps she wants to warm up.' No one knows the wonders she saw, only one witness to 'the glorious scene when the grandmother and granddaughter flew up to welcome the joys of the new year,' that is the author. He bowed down to the sorrow of an unfortunate child, telling us this touching story with endless love for children and the impoverished. Andersen raised his voice to awaken the frozen hearts, sending the message of love to everyone.

3. Reflection on the story The Little Match Girl, model number 3:

The fairy tale by Andersen has traversed countless childhoods of people. It evokes rich imagination in readers while also embedding many messages from the author. No one can forget the tiny matchstick lights flickering amidst the bitterly cold New Year's Eve, associated with a beautiful dream world of the poor little girl in 'The Little Match Girl,' along with a sad but gentle, humane ending.

In that freezing winter, there was an orphan girl with pale lips, a hungry belly, walking barefoot on the cold street. She dared not return home for fear of being beaten by her father if she hadn't sold any matches. On New Year's Eve, she huddled in a corner, 'drawing her legs under her,' unable to go home because she knew 'her father would definitely beat her.' A pitiful girl lacking both the warmth of fire and human affection.

She silently wished for a match to ignite warmth. Her small wish, she dared not fulfill simply because she feared she would waste the matches. But then, she also 'risked striking a match.' Thus, she saw the magic beyond the tiny flame: 'at first blue, then it vanished, turned white, glowed pink around the wooden stick, dazzlingly bright to behold.' She noticed 'an iron stove with copper reliefs glistening.' Perhaps amidst the harshness of reality, she had a simple yet distant dream. As the match went out, so did her dream state, and she returned to the present. She envisioned her father's terrible curses. Fear enveloped her soul.

Not only did she battle the cold of winter, but she also endured hunger all day. The light from the second match illuminated the bleak wall into a 'colored fabric curtain.' She overflowed with happiness seeing: 'the dining table set, a pristine white tablecloth, expensive china dishes, and even a roast goose.' But it all happened in a blink. Not only that, she witnessed the indifferent coldness of passersby. The more we pity her, the more we resent the society she was born into and grew up in.

And once again, the match lit up, giving her 'a Christmas tree,' like returning her childhood: 'Thousands of brightly lit candles, sparkling on fresh green branches and many colorful paintings like those displayed in the store.' Her joy awakened then quickly vanished like the previous match. Everything she saw was just an illusion. She couldn't reach out but only sense for a moment through her imagination. Before the freezing winter night, she was slowly exhausting and collapsing.

Here is the section for the Reflection on the story The Little Match Girl next article, you are ready to answer the textbook question, Thoughts on the ending of The Little Match Girl story and along with the Summary of the short story The Little Match Girl by Andersen to study Vietnamese Language class 8 better.