Literary Analysis: Deconstructing Elements in Andersen's Tales

This essay provides a literary analysis of Hans Christian Andersen's 'The Ugly Duckling' and 'The Little Mermaid,' focusing on elements such as exposition, foreshadowing, inciting force, conflict, rising action, crisis, climax, falling action, and resolution. In 'The Ugly Duckling,' the analysis explores the duckling's journey of self-discovery and acceptance, highlighting the conflicts he faces due to his appearance and the eventual climax where he transforms into a swan. For 'The Little Mermaid,' the analysis delves into her longing for a human soul and the sacrifices she makes for love, ultimately leading to her transformation into a daughter of the air. The essay examines how these literary elements contribute to the overall themes and messages conveyed in Andersen's classic fairy tales. Desklib offers similar solved assignments and study resources for students.

Running head: ENGLISH
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Author Note

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1. Exposition is the introductory material which gives the setting, creates the tone, presents
the characters, and presents other facts necessary to understanding the story.
The story, ugly ducklings illustrates the incident or the story of a plain looking little bird who
was born in the year barnyard. The plot of the story highlights the context where the sisters
and he brothers of the bird tease his for being ugly. The bird thus runs off with the entire
flock of the wild ducks. The story highlights the notion of the personal and the self
confidence which is one of the essential factor to adjust in the community.
In the study, the little mermaid the story illustrates the scenario of the details and the
description of the watery world, the home of the king of the sea and his families. The story
revolves around the little mermaid falling in love with the prince who was the son of the king
of the surface. The story revolves around how the mermaid went to the level to win the heart
of the prince but at the end dissolved in foam earning their souls that are immoral in nature.
2. Foreshadowing in the use of hints or clues to suggest what will happen later in the story.
In the story ugly ducklings, it was evident that the ugly duckling will someday be happy and
get accepted by his family from the fact that after every bad deeds there comes a good time.
In the story of the little mermaid, the ending of the story was understood when the
grandmother of the little mermaid highlighted difference among the humans in the land
surface and the sea people since they have different eternal souls and varied rate of life
expectancy.
3. Inciting Force is the event or character that triggers the conflict.
The force that triggered the conflict in the ugly ducklings is the battle with himself. The ugly
ducklings in his story and the synopsis learned to battle his fear and the ill treatment he had

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been facing from the outside world and the families which actually helped him to face the
broader world.
As per the story of the little mermaid, the force or the incidents in the story that triggered the
conflict rate is the scenario of the evil witch who ensured to help the little mermaid to win
the heart of the prince. This is the scenario of conflict since the little mermaid got biased with
the attractive offerings of the evil witch in the blind of the love.
4. Conflict is the essence of fiction. It creates plot. The conflicts we encounter can usually be
identified as one of four kinds. (Man versus…Man, Nature, Society, or Self)
In the story, the ugly ducklings there had been certain scenario targeting the insults of the
ugly duckling, from other birds, from other family members, from the cat of the old women,
and the children of the farmer who rescued the ducklings from the winters cold.
In the scenario of little mermaid, the conflict rose within the little mermaid who belong from
the sea and her love for the prince of the surface. Furthermore emotional and mental conflict
rose when the prince married some one else and the mermaid hurled herself in the dissolving
foam and boar aloft as the daughters of air.
5. Rising Action is a series of events that builds from the conflict. It begins with the inciting
force and ends with the climax.
In the ugly ducklings, there has been no such rising actions from the conflicts since the story
illustrates the development and the growth of the personal challenges and the personal
transformation.
In the story, the little mermaid the conflict raised when the evil witch suggested the little
mermaid to become mute and cut her tongue. The witch furthermore influenced her to drink a

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magical portion that helped her to change her tail to legs so that she can woo and win the
heart of the prince.
6. Crisis is the conflict reaches a turning point. At this point the opposing forces in the story
meet and the conflict becomes most intense. The crisis occurs before or at the same time as
the climax.
The crisis in the story of the ugly ducklings was how the little duckling got rejected from her
friends the family members and the society regarding his acceptance for his ugly gestures.
The crisis furthermore raised in the story when the little duckling was abandoned in the
winter cold since the children of the farmer disowned him
As per the story of the little mermaid, the crisis rose when the prince became very much fond
of the little mermaid but did not thought of marrying her. Though the little mermaid got
desperate to get the heart of the prince, the mermaid refused to kill him, hence transforming I
the dissolving foam of the sea.
7. Climax is the result of the crisis. It is the high point of the story for the reader. Frequently,
it is the moment of the highest interest and greatest emotion. The point at which the outcome
of the conflict can be predicted.
The climax for the story of the ugly ducklings was at the place where the ugly duckling had
to spend a cold and a wintery night in the cave until the time of the spring. This time frame
helped the ducklings to gain courage and self skills towards facing the world. In the spring
time the duckling was accepted by the swan after he transformed in a swan.
The climax for the story of the little mermaid was when the prince married some one else
while the evil sea witch who had the motive to harm the king and the family of the land used

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little mermaid as her weapon and instructed her to kill him, which the mermaid refused to do
and thus transformed herself in the dissolving foam of the sea acquiring a soul with the birth
of the daughters of the air.
8. Falling Action is the event after the climax which closes the story.
In the story ugly duckling, the falling action refers to the scenario where the little duckling
saw his reflection in the lake and realised towards his astonishment that he have grown to a
beautiful and matured swan.
In the story, the little mermaid, the falling action refers to the scenario where the little
mermaid refused to drive the knife in the heart of the prince and hurls herself towards the
dissolving foam and boar as the daughters of the air by earning immortal souls by the good
deeds she have done.
9. Resolution (Denouement) rounds out and concludes the action.
The conclusion of the story, the ugly ducklings is the scenario where the little ugly ducklings
found that he got finally accepted by the family and the friends after being transformed in a
beautiful swan.
As per the conclusion of the story, the little mermaid, the little mermaid of the story hurls
herself towards the dissolving foam and boar as the daughters of the air by earning immortal
souls by the good deeds she have done. The story conclude with the formation of the famous
brine statue of the little mermaid on the harbour of the Copenhagen in the year 1913.

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Reference and Bibliography
Hans Christian Andersen : The Little Mermaid. (2019). Retrieved from
http://www.andersen.sdu.dk/vaerk/hersholt/TheLittleMermaid_e.html
Hans Christian Andersen : The Ugly Duckling. (2019). Retrieved from
http://www.andersen.sdu.dk/vaerk/hersholt/TheUglyDuckling_e.html