The Steadfast Tin Soldier
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The Steadfast Tin Soldier is a Danish fairy tale written by Hans Christian Andersen and first published in 1838, as part of his fourth volume of Eventyr, Fortalte for Børn (Fairy Tales, Told for Children). It was originally known as Den Standhaftige Tinsoldat, and also commonly referred to as The Brave Tin Soldier or The Courageous Tin Soldier in English.
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[edit] Plot synopsis
On his birthday, a boy received a set of tin soldiers, born from a tin spoon. One was missing part of his leg because there had not been enough tin left to finish him. The tin soldier was set on a table where there also stood a paper castle, complete with paper figures, including a lovely ballerina with a sequin on her sash. She stood with her leg so high in the air that the tin soldier could not find it; He thought that she also had only one leg and fell in love with her.
When night fell and the house was asleep, the toys started to play. The black troll in the tobacco box told the tin soldier not to keep looking at the ballerina, but the tin soldier ignored him. The troll then told him, 'just you wait until tomorrow.' The next day the tin soldier was set in the windowsill where he fell and landed in the street below. He was found by two boys and put out to "sea" in a paper boat. As the boat sank, he feared for his life, but all the while he stood at attention, as a soldier should. He went down with the ship and was eaten by a fish.
Miraculously, the fish was caught and sold to the household from which the soldier had been lost. The cook found him in the belly of the fish while she cleaned it, and the soldier, still at attention, was reunited with the ballerina.
Suddenly the tin soldier was swept up and thrown into the fire by one of the small boys, surely the fault of the troll. He began to melt and felt a terrible heat, although he did not know if it was from the fire or from love. Just then a draught blew the ballerina into the fire. She lit up and was gone. The tin soldier melted into a bit of tin. When the maid cleaned out the ashes the next day, she found a little tin heart; Of the ballerina only the sequin remained.
[edit] Analysis
The story is generally taken to be a sad one, though, like many of Andersen's other tales (The Little Mermaid, The Little Match Girl), it implies that the tragedy of physical death is outweighed by the permanent rewards which follow. Central to this story is the soldiers unwavering sense of duty in the face of his hardships. Andersen concludes the story on a symbolic note: throughout the sufferings and difficulty of life, only love is eternal.
Andersen probably drew the inspiration for The Steadfast Soldier from his own childhood experiences. As a young boy he took great care in handling his toys, making their own clothes and acting out plays on a handmade stage.
[edit] Adaptations
The story of The Steadfast Tin Soldier was adapted as one of the segments in the Disney's animated film Fantasia 2000. The segment follows the adventures of the tin soldier set to the music of Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Major by Dmitri Shostakovich. In it, though, the story was changed slightly: the ballerina appears to be made of porcelain, glass, or ceramic. In this version, the soldier finds out that the ballerina has two legs; he is disappointed, but the ballerina still accepts him. Also, replacing the troll is a jester themed jack-in-the-box, who is jealous of the soldier since the ballerina likes the soldier. In the end, the Jack-in-the-box gets thrown in the fire instead of the soldier and ballerina, and she gives him a kiss for rescuing her.
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