The Angel

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This article is about the Hans Christian Andersen short story. For other uses, see Angel (disambiguation).

The Angel is a Danish fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, first published in 1843. It was part of Andersen's seventh volume of fairy tales Eventyr, fortalte for Børn (Fairy tales, Told for Children) as Engelen.

[edit] Plot synopsis

A child has died, and an angel is escorting him to Heaven. They wander over the earth for a while, visiting the child's favorite places. Along the way they gather flowers to transplant into the gardens of Heaven. The angel takes the child to a poverty-stricken area where a dead field lily lies in a trash heap. The angel salvages the lily and tells the child a beautiful story, explaining why he wants to take this flower in particular to Heaven.

[edit] Analysis

Published in 1844, The Angel is said to exemplify Andersen's writing as belonging to the Romantic Period. It also displays his desire for an uncomplicated relationship with God, untouched by the "hellfire and damnation" strictures of Scandinavian Christianity.