Chapter 7 The Little Match Girl

Comprehension Passages

Passage 1

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

Most terribly cold it was; it snowed, and was nearly quite dark, and evening— the last evening of the
year. In this cold and darkness there went along the street a poor little girl, bareheaded, and with naked
feet. When she left home she had slippers on, it is true; but what was the good of that? They were very
large slippers, which her mother had hitherto worn; so large were they; and the poor little thing lost them
as she scuffled away across the street, because of two carriages that rolled by dreadfully fast.

One slipper was nowhere to be found; the other had been laid hold of by an urchin, and off he ran with
it; he thought it would do capitally for a cradle when he some day or other should have children himself.
So the little maiden walked on with her tiny naked feet, that were quite red and blue from cold. She
carried a quantity of matches in an old apron, and she held a bundle of them in her hand. Nobody had
bought anything of her the whole livelong day; no one had given her a single farthing. She crept along
trembling with cold and hunger—a very picture of sorrow, the poor little thing!

Question 1.
Which day of the year was it in the story?
Answer:
It was terribly cold. It snowed, and it was nearly quite dark. It was New Year’s eve and the night was
freezing cold.

Question 2.
Describe the condition of the girl.
Answer:
The little girl was bare headed and barefoot in the freezing cold as she had lost the slippers she had worn
which belonged to her mother and were too large for her. Her feet were quite red and blue from cold.

Question 3.
What did the girl carry in her pocket?
Answer:
The little girl carried a quantity of matches in an old apron, and she held a bundle of them in her hand.

Question 4.
Had she managed to sell any matches?
Answer:
Nobody had bought anything of her the whole livelong day; no one had given her a single farthing.

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Question 5.
Does the author give us a glimpse into the Victorian society?
Answer:
Yes, we get a glimpse into the society in which parents were cruel enough to make their * small children
work in the freezing cold. Begging was a menace and child abuse was common.

Passage 2

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

Lights were shining from every window, and there was a savoury smell of roast goose, for it was New-
year’s eve—yes, she remembered that. In a corner, between two houses, one of which projected beyond
the other, she sank down and huddled herself together. She had drawn her little feet under her, but she
could not keep off the cold; and

she dared not go home, for she had sold no matches, and could not take home even a penny of money.
Her father would certainly beat her; besides, it was almost as cold at home as here, for they had only the
roof to cover them, through which the wind howled, although the largest holes had been stopped up with
straw and rags. Her little hands were almost frozen with the cold. Ah! perhaps a burning match might be
some good, if she could draw it from the bundle and strike it against the wall, just to warm her fingers.
She drew one out—“scratch!” how it sputtered as it burnt! It gave a warm, bright light, like a little
candle, as she held her hand over it. It was really a wonderful light. It seemed to the little girl that she
was sitting by a large iron stove, with polished brass feet and a brass ornament. How the fire burned! and
seemed so beautifully warm that the child stretched out her feet as if to warm them, when, lo! the flame
of the match went out, the stove vanished, and she had only the remains of the half-burnt match in her
hand.

Question 1.
Where did the girl seek some shelter from the cold?
Answer:
The girl in order to escape the freezing cold huddled in a corner, between two houses, one of which
projected beyond the other. She had drawn her little feet under her, but she could not keep off the cold.

Question 2.
Why could the girl not go home?
Answer:
The little girl did not dare to go home, for she had sold no matches, and could not take home even a
penny of money. Her father would certainly beat her for earning no money.

Question 3.
Describe her home.
Answer:
Her house was in as poor a condition as her. It was almost as cold at home as on the street because they
had only the roof to cover them. They lacked adequate woollens to keep them warm. There also the wind
howled through the cracks, although the largest holes had been stopped up with straw and rags.

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Question 4.
How did she try to keep herself warm?
Answer:
She thought of lighting her matches to keep herself warm .

Question 5.
What did she imagine when she lighted the first match?
Answer:
When she lighted the first match it seemed to give a warm, bright light, like a little candle. It was really a
wonderful light. It seemed to the little girl that she was sitting by a large iron stove, with polished brass
feet and a brass ornament. How the fire burned! and it seemed so beautifully warm that the child
stretched out her feet as if to warm them.

Passage 3

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

She lighted another match, and then she found herself sitting under a beautiful Christmas-tree. It was
larger and more beautifully decorated than the one which she had seen through the glass door at the rich
merchant’s. Thousands of tapers were burning upon the green branches, and colored pictures, like those
she had seen in the show- windows, looked down upon it all. The little one stretched out her hand
towards them, and the match went out.

The Christmas lights rose higher and higher, till they looked to her like the stars in the sky. Then she saw
a star fall, leaving behind it a bright streak of fire. “Someone is dying,” thought the little girl, for her old
grandmother, the only one who had ever loved her, and who was now dead, had told her that when a star
falls, a soul was going up to God.

Question 1.
What did she see when she lighted another match?
Answer:
When the girl lighted another match she saw herself sitting under a beautiful Christmas- tree. It was
larger and more beautifully decorated than the one which she had seen through the glass door at the rich
merchant’s.

Question 2.
Describe the Christmas tree.
Answer:
The Christmas tree was beautifully decorated. There were thousands of tapers were burning upon the
green branches, and coloured pictures, like those she had seen in the show-windows, looked down upon
it all.

Question 3.
What happened when she stretched her hand to touch?
Answer:
As soon as she stretched her hand to touch the match went out and the tree disappeared.

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Question 4.
How did the Christmas lights appear when the match went out?
Answer:
When the match went out the Christmas lights rose higher and higher, till they looked to her like the
stars in the sky. Then she saw a star fall, leaving behind it a bright streak of fire.

Question 5.
Why did the girl think that “Someone is dying” ?
Answer:
The girl thought that “Someone is dying” because her old grandmother, the only one who had ever loved
her, and who was now dead, had told her that when a star falls, a soul was going up to God.

Passage 4

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

She again rubbed a match on the wall, and the light shone round her; in the brightness stood her old
grandmother, clear and shining, yet mild and loving in her appearance. “Grandmother,” cried the little
one, “O take me with you; I know you will go away when the match burns out; you will vanish like the
warm stove, the roast goose, and the large, glorious Christmas-tree.” And she made haste to light the
whole bundle of matches, for she wished to keep her grandmother there. And the matches glowed with a
light that was brighter than the noon-day, and her grandmother had never appeared so large or so
beautiful. She took the little girl in her arms, and they both flew upwards in brightness and joy far above
the earth, where there was neither cold nor hunger nor pain, for they were with God.

In the dawn of morning there lay the poor little one, with pale cheeks and smiling mouth, leaning against
the wall; she had been frozen to death on the last evening of the year; and the New-year’s sun rose and
shone upon a little corpse! The child still sat, in the stiffness of death, holding the matches in her hand,
one bundle of which was burnt. “She tried to warm herself,” said some. No one imagined what beautiful
things she had seen, nor into what glory she had entered with her grandmother, on New-year’s day.

Question 1.
What happened when she lighted another match?
Answer:
When she lighted another match the light shone round her and in the brightness stood her old
grandmother, clear and shining, yet mild and loving in her appearance.

Question 2.
What did the girl say to her grandmother? Why?
Answer:
The girl pleaded with her grandmother to take her along with her because she was the only one in the
world who loved her.

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Question 3.
Why did the girl make haste to light the whole bundle of matches?
Answer:
The girl made haste to light the whole bundle of matches, for she wished to keep her grandmother there.
And the matches glowed with a light that was brighter than the noon day, and her grandmother had never
appeared so large or so beautiful. She took the little girl in her arms, and they both flew upwards in
brightness and joy far above the earth, where there was neither cold nor hunger nor pain, for they were
with God.

Question 4.
What happened to the little girl? What did the people think?
Answer:
The little girl died and the people saw that one bundle of matches was burnt. They said she had tried to
warm herself.

Question 5.
Why was there a smile on the girl’s lips? Did the people understand?
Answer:
The girl had a smile on her face when she died because she was relinquishing a world of pain and
suffering and was reunited with the person she loved the most, her grandmother and God.No one
imagined what beautiful things she had seen, nor into what glory she had entered with her grandmother,
on New-year’s day. They had no idea about the beautiful pictures she had seen.

Assignment

Question 1.
The author shows death as a relief from a harsh life. Justify with reference to the story.
Answer:
In the snowy streets of the city a pitiable young girl is selling matches on New Years Eve in a desperate
attempt to appease her father’s violent anger. Alone with her matches and their accompanying visions
the girl passes on and is found later the next day, dead and with a smile playing across her face. The plot
of The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian

Anderson is meant to inspire a charity of tears for this young girl and her untimely death. However not in
all instances should such a death be so unfortunate In the little match girls case death would not be the
worst of all evils but an alleviation to mortals who are worn out with sufferings. Thus death can come as
a relief to those whose toils and cares overcome the will to live and when a better life can only be
satisfied by fate. Firstly, for some, peace and comfort can only be obtained in death. The little match girl
seeks such comfort in the streets but obviously finds none in the bitter bleak night. Once she is quite
numb with cold, she thinks that a little match would be a comfort. So light here represents the comfort of
heat. For example when she does light the match it blazes into a clear warm flame, which transforms
with a little help from her imagination into a warm friendly fire. When the match goes out the stove
vanishes and she is left again to suffer the icy night. So peace and contentment cannot always be found
in this life but the one after death. Therefore death need not be viewed as the ultimate evil as for many it
can be a release into a better life.

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Question 2.
Anderson through the story a Little Match Girl gives an idea about the Victorian society of his times?
Answer:
Andersen portrays in this tale not only a realistic and crude view of society in Victorian times, but also a
deep criticism of social class differentiation. During those times, children were not regarded the same
way people regard them nowadays. Instead, they were viewed as ‘miniature adults’ and were usually
used for cheap labour.

Andersen takes advantage of these strong social differences to leave a moral teaching at the end of his
tale, this consists of the idea that children should be considered as creative people, able to transcend
difficult situations through the power of imagination.

The girl, suffering from the cold and the ignorance of the people around her and maybe as a result of
these, is still capable of imagining certain things that would make her feel better about her situation-
huge Christmas trees, a table full of Christmas food and her grandmother’s loving face.

Andersen describes the social stratification of Victorian times in just a few sentences. During this
historical period, while the ‘middle class’ emerged and took over an important percentage of work
places, the ‘under class’ grew resentful of both aristocracy and middle class, remaining unemployed and
living in poverty. Although Andersen does not explain the girl’s background, he denotes social
differentiation by opposing the extremes. The reader understands that the girl and her family stand on the
less fortunate side, and it also gives him/her an idea of their social impediments. Nevertheless, it can
only be assumed that the story is set during Victorian times, mainly because Andersen lived during this
period.

Question 3.
The Little Match Girl can be viewed as a work of opposites. Justify.
Answer:
Little Match Girl can be viewed as a work of opposites can be analysed as a work of opposites. Andersen
plays with the interaction between violence and love, poverty and wealth, struggle and redemption, life
and death. These constant relationships are displayed in such a manner that keeps us entertained during
the reading process, and we are later left with a moral learning.

The author talks about segregation, religious faith and human relationships.Instead of getting love and
care from her father, the girl only got blows for not selling matches. The girl sees only her old
grandmother as the only loving relationship and views her, ‘bright and radiant, so mild, and with such an
expression of love.’

The family situation of the little girl and her experiences daily show that parents of such poor children
did not care if it was cold outside. They send their daughter out to sell matches anyway. The girl does
not have the appropriate clothing to shelter herself from the winter cold. She is not capable of selling any
matches and scared to return home because her father would beat her for her poor work. Instead of going
back, the girl prefers to sit in the snow and imagine her grandmother’s face, full of tenderness and love.
The reminder of her grandmother’s love helps her to keep warm and get through this painful moment, as
passers-by remain oblivious to her suffering, ;just like her parents.

Chapter 7 The Little Match Girl - 6

She is now dead in the cold winter, but with a smile on her face because she is with her grandmother and
God. This can be seen as an allegory for Christian faith, in regards to the notion that good people go to
heaven to enter heaven. This explains the fact that the little girl suffered during her lifetime which
denotes a more significant sense of purpose to the girl’s struggle and the tale’s ending.

Question 4.
The story propagates the idea that dreams are necessary to remain happy, even if for a short while.
Answer:
The little match girl didn’t have any desire to go home since it was a cold attic where her violent father
would hit her often. The wind that was blowing from all sides of that attic didn’t leave any room for a
happy family. She thought how to get warm so he decided to light up one match. After she lit up another
match she dreamt. And in her dream saw a beautiful set table with a lot of food. The turkey on the table
started moving and went towards her but she never came to the girl because the match burned out. She
decided to light up another one and she saw a decorated Christmas tree and many candles around it.
When she reached her hands to touch it the light went out.

All of the candles started to rise towards the sky and one star fell down, leaving behind a mark. The girl
thought that it meant somebody died and that it was their soul. In that moment she saw her grandma and
in order to keep her near she lit up all of the matches. Her grandma took her with her to a place where
hunger and coldness were gone.

The next morning she was found frozen with a smile on her face. Everybody commented on her attempts
to keep herself warm but nobody knew she waited for New Year with the prettiest pictures and dreams in
her mind. Her dreams made her happy and she could no longer feel the cold or the harshness of the
world around her. She was at peace.

Question 5.
Anderson’s story shows the young girl having visions. Through them Anderson gives didactic and
moralistic lessons. Discuss.
Answer:
This story is said to have taken place in a town around the early 20th Century. The story consists of a
small girl no older than eleven, sent out to sell matches, which during that time was considered a form of
begging. It is the dead of winter and she has little to keep her warm. Her ill fitting shoes had been taken
from her, and with the fear of going home only to be beaten for her unsuccessful sales, she curls up in
the cold. As she is struggling to keep warm all she can contemplate is the thought of lighting one small
match. Then, as she does so, she is filled with feelings of warmth and safety as she sits beneath a large
iron stove. She continues to light matches and get extraordinary visions, each one better than before.

During the early 20th century many people paid no mind to the poor “[since] begging was illegal during
Andersen’s time the poor would make matches and sell them on the street as a front for their actual
begging” Child abuse, was also common during this time.

As the girl lights her first match, she sees a vision of a large warm iron stove. But soon the stove
disappears. All that is left are the gray/black remains of a burnt-out match. “Like black, gray is used as a
colour of mourning as well as a colour of formality”. This shows that before the little girl has reached
her fate the signs of mourning are already presenting themselves.

During the Second vision Hans Christian Anderson wrote of a magical New Years Eve Feast that any
poor hungry child would be overjoyed to partake in, he said, “where the light fell on the wall, there the
wall became transparent like a veil, so that she could see into the room. On the table was spread a snow-
white tablecloth; upon it was a splendid porcelain service, and the roast goose was steaming famously
Chapter 7 The Little Match Girl - 7
with its stuffing of apple and dried plums. And what was still more capital to behold was, the goose
hopped down from the dish, reeled about on the floor with knife and fork in its breast, till it came up to
the poor little girl; when—the match went out and nothing but the thick, cold, damp wall was left
behind.” It is a vision about Thanksgiving feast, a Christian belief that we must feed the hungry on such
days.

During this time the poor could only dream of partaking in such an extravagant meal. Salaries were
small and for some, times were very hard. This vision addresses how hungry the small girl truly is, and if
she doesn’t freeze she shall surely starve.

The Third Vision of the night, only to be seen after the striking of another match, is. a magnificent
Christmas tree. It is brightly light and beautifully decorated. It was the sort of tree only to be found in a
very wealthy home. As the colors and lights rise, and the tree disappears, the stars become visible, and it
seems as though the lights from the tree have become the stars. The little girl then sees a star fall and
claims “Someone is just dead!” “For her old grandmother, the only person who had loved her, and who
was now no more, had told her, that when a star falls, a soul ascends to God”. A Creole superstition
states: ‘Shooting-stars are souls escaping from purgatory: if you can make a good wish three times
before the star disappears, the wish will be granted’. This is almost as if the three visions before were
wishes, but it is also thought, that it is either the young girl’s soul ascending into heaven, or yet the cause
for the final vision.

The small girl drew another match, and there her loving grandmother stood before her in the dark of the
night, with no reservations, only kindness. The little girl knew that if the match were to run out her
grandmother would disappear just like all her other wonderful visions, so in turn she struck the entire
rest of the bundle on the wall. “Many near-death experiences around the world, regardless of religious
belief, involve the visitation of dead loved-ones, usually family members and close friends” The little
girl pleads with her grandmother to take her back to heaven so “she took the little maiden, on her arm,
and both flew in brightness and in joy so high, so very high, and then above was neither cold, nor
hunger, nor anxiety—they were with God”.

Nearly 1,876 patients were treated in American hospitals for hypothermia in 2010/ 11.This hits close to
home with The Little Match Girl, seeing as how she froze to death on an icy New Years Eve. The next
morning the townspeople found the girl frozen in a corner, matches in hand, smile on her face, and all
they can think of is how she must have tried to warm herself. Not one person stops and thinks of the
beautiful splendour the girl saw. Hans Christian Anderson believed this was a happy ending in his book
to relinquish the suffering of a little girl only to be joined with her one true relative and God. Anderson’s
story serves a good purpose “reminding people to be charitable and help the poor during the holidays,
..id hopefully year round, to keep young children from suffering with poverty and death.” This isn’t
much of a fairy tale, more so a“folk tale for adults. These tales were often told orally during the times
when the peasants could not read. They passed them down through the generations, and the folk tales
were eventually illustrated and sold as fairy tales for children. In conclusion, Anderson’s short tale is not
only a sad holiday story reminding us to give during the season, but a reality check.

Chapter 7 The Little Match Girl - 8

Extract I
“It was bitterly cold, snow was … but what good were they?”

Question (i): What was special about the particular evening in the story? What kind of weather
was there in the evening?

Answer (i): It was New Year’s Eve, the last evening of the year.

The weather in the evening was bitterly cold and snow was falling.

Question (ii): The girl had the slippers on, but they were of no use. Why?

Answer (ii): The girl was wearing her mother’s slippers when she stepped out of her home. The slippers
were of no use to her as they were too big for her tiny feet.

Question (iii): How can you conclude from the story that the girl was poor and dejected?

Answer (iii): The girl belonged to poor family and is evident from the fact that she was walking in
snowy winter weather bareheaded and she had been wearing her mother’s slippers which was too big for
her feet. Her scanty clothes were not enough to keep her warm. Her house is described to be cold and
having nothing but a roof with cracks on the walls allowing cold wind to whistle through them. The
girl’s longings for love and affection from her family got reflected in the imaginary visions she
experienced, whereas in real life she was afraid of her father who treated her badly. Because of that she
felt dejected and in the final vision she pleaded with her late grandmother to take her to heaven.

Question (iv): Why was the girl out in the cold? What prevented her from going back home?

Answer (iv): The girl was sent out in the cold by her father to earn money from selling matches.

All day had passed but she was unable to sell any matches. She was afraid to go home as her father was
very strict and had warned her that if she returned home without money he would give her a beating.

Question (v): How appropriate is the title of the story?

Answer (v): The title of the story “The Little Match Girl” is appropriate as it revolves around a little girl
who sells matches. The little girl in the story was sent out by her father in cold and snowy weather to sell
matches. She did not have proper clothes to wear; she had to walk bareheaded and barefoot and was
trembling with cold and hunger. She was afraid to go home because she could not sell any matches, and
therefore, would get a beating from her father. She huddled herself in a corner formed between walls and
tried to keep herself warm by lighting the matches, but it was of no avail and she died in the freezing
cold.

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Extract II
“So the little girl walked … packet of them in her hand as well”.

Question (i): Who is referred to as little girl in the extract above? How did she lose her shoes?

Answer (i): In the above extract a poor match seller is referred to as little girl.

The girl was wearing her mother’s slippers when she stepped out of her home. The slippers were of no
use to her as they were too big for her tiny feet. She could not manage to keep them strapped on her feet
when she ran across the street so as to escape from two carriages that were being driven terribly fast.
While she was running they slipped off from her feet. She could not find one of the slippers and a boy
ran off with the other saying he could use it as a cradle when he had children of his own.

Question (ii): Why was the girl carrying matches with her?

Answer (ii): The girl was sent out by her father in the cold and snowy weather to sell matches.

Question (iii): Why does the author describe the girl as “the picture of misery”?

Answer (iii): The poor little girl was moving bareheaded and barefoot in the snowy winter of New
Year’s Eve. Her feet had turned red and blue due to extreme cold. Her old apron was stuffed with
matches and she was holding a packet of matches in her hand as well. She was hungry and shivering in
cold and was walking slowly. The description of the girl as “picture of misery” creates vivid impressions
of the little girl, in the mind of the reader, who is suffering intense mental and physical agony.

Question (iv): What tells you that the girl was not only trembling with cold but also with hunger?

Answer (iv): The fact that the girl was walking about the streets on her naked feet which had turned red
and blue with frostbite tells us that she was trembling with cold. Moreover, she was also trembling with
hunger as she did not have money to buy food. This can be said from the fact that all day had passed but
her apron and hand were still stuffed with matches suggesting that nobody had bought any of her
matches. Also, nobody took pity on her and gave her a single penny to help her buy some food.

Question (v): Explain how the story is interspersed with didactic elements.

Answer (v): The story attempts to teach people to show empathy towards people who are poor,
especially innocent children. The poor looking girl was almost run over twice by recklessly driven
carriages. It was New Year’s Eve and every household was feasting with delicious roasted geese but
nobody was kind to offer the little girl food, warm clothes, shelter or buy her matches. The poor little girl
was moving on the street trembling with cold and starvation all day but people seemed to have
overlooked her. The miserable condition of the girl evokes feelings of compassion strong enough to
motivate wealthy people to work towards alleviating the sufferings of the poor.

Chapter 7 The Little Match Girl - 10

Extract III
“She tucked her little legs … with straw and rags”

Question (i): Where was the girl sitting? How did she try to warm her fingers?

Answer (i): She was sitting huddled down in a heap in a corner formed by two houses.

She burned a match by striking it on the wall to warm her fingers.

Question (ii): When did the girl feel as if she were sitting before a large iron stove? Why did she
feel this way?

Answer (ii): When she burnt the first match by scratching it on the brick wall to warm her fingers, she
felt as if she was sitting before a large iron stove which gave her lovely warmth.

The girl was trying to keep herself warm in the small fire produced by the matches. She hoped that the
fire would help fight freezing cold by imagining that she was sitting before a large iron stove.

Question (iii): Explain what kind of relationship the girl shared with her father.

Answer (iii): In the terrible cold and snowy weather the girl was sent by her father to sell matches. The
girl was unable to sell matches and was afraid of going home because of the fear of being beaten by her
father. It shows that her father was not concerned about her welfare and used to ill-treat her.

Question (iv): With reference to the story, bring out the theme of class differentiation.

Answer (iv): The girl’s clothes and her house as having only the roof, through which wind whistled and
large cracks were stuffed with straw and rags, indicate that she belonged to the poor class of the society.
She was being used as child labour and was looked down upon by others. She imagined beautiful things
in the glow of matches she longed for which only rich upper class people enjoyed. She walked in the
street in snowy winter trembling with cold and hunger but nobody was kind to her and showed only pity
when her frozen dead body was found the next morning. All the experience the girl had, both in reality
and imagination, highlights class differentiation in the Victorian society.

Question (v): The children in Victorian society were not only orphaned but also deserted,
neglected and abused. Give evidence from the story to prove this statement.

Answer (v): The girl’s father did not have affection for her and abused her. She was not given proper
warm clothes and shoes to wear. The little girl was used as a child labour and was sent out in snowy
winter to sell matches. She was trembling with cold and hunger but nobody in the street took notice of
her. She was not yet home in the evening but it seems that her father was least concerned about her. The
condition of the girl shows that children in Victorian society were not only orphaned but also deserted,
neglected and abused.

Chapter 7 The Little Match Girl - 11

Extract IV
“She struck another … she could see into the room”.

Question (i): What happened when the girl lit the first match?

Discussion Questions for "The Little Match Girl" Book

Fairy tales are often more brutal than Disney would have us believe, and Hans Christian Anderson's The
Little Match Girl is no different. It's a famous tale, but it's also controversial.

Anderson originally published the story in 1845, but the story has been retold in many formats over the
years. There are several short films and even a musical based on the story. Many of Anderson's original
tales lack the usual happy ending readers are used to in Children's stories, but that hasn't deterred its
popularity.

Summary

The short story opens with a little girl attempting to sell matches so that her father won't beat her. She
doesn't want to go home because it is cold and there's little food there. As the street clears, she takes
shelter in an alley, and one by one lights her matches. Each match shows the girls visions and dreams. At
the end of the story, the little girl's grandmother appears to bring the girls soul to heaven. The next day,
the townsfolk, who had ignored her the day before, find the body of the girl frozen in the snow and feel
bad.

Questions for Study and Discussion

 What is significant about the title?

 What are the conflicts? What types of conflict (physical, moral, intellectual, or emotional) did
you notice in this story?
 How does Hans Christian Andersen reveal character?
 What are some themes in the story?
 What are some symbols? How do they relate to the plot?
 Does The Little Match Girl end the way you expected? How? Why?
 How did the ending make you feel? Would you consider it a happy ending? Why or why not?
 What point do you think Andersen was trying to make? Did he succeed?
 What do you think the little girl's visions represent? What would your dream visions be?
 The story is set on New Year's Eve, do you think this was important? Why or why not?
 How essential is the setting to the story? Could the story have taken place anywhere else?
 Compare The Little Match Girl with Frances Hodgson Burnett's 1905 novel, A Little Princess.
How do they compare? How are they similar? Different?
 Would you recommend this story to a friend?
 The story is intended for a Christian audience, do you think setting it so close to the Christmas
holiday was a commentary on faith or the holiday itself?

 Do you think this is a good story for children? Why or why not?

Chapter 7 The Little Match Girl - 12